“He set me up in Queens. He used that stalker to terrorize me for months. He drugged me and tied me up and—” Her voice cracks. “He used me, Declan. Made me trust him. Made me defend him to you.”
“I know.” I move toward her slowly. “Give me the gun, Molly.”
“He deserves to die.”
“He does.” I’m close enough to touch her now. “But not by your hand. Not like this.”
Her finger tightens on the trigger. Leon whimpers on the ground, trying to crawl away.
“Please,” he gasps. “Please, I’ll disappear, I’ll never?—”
“Molly.” I put my hand over her trembling one. “Look at me.”
She does. Her copper eyes are full of fury and fear.
“Let me do this. Let me carry it so you don’t have to.”
For a long moment, she doesn’t move. Then she lets me take the gun.
I turn to Leon. He’s still trying to crawl, leaving a trail of blood.
“You ruined everything,” he wheezes. “I was gonna be somebody.”
“Wrong. You were always destined to be nobody.” I raise the gun. “You just didn’t know it.”
I shoot him in the head.
A second shot shatters the air. Cal, from the doorway.
Two holes. Close together.
I pull Molly into my arms.
She’s shaking. Covered in blood…hers, mine, his. But she’s alive. She’s here.
“I’ve got you,” I say. “I’ve got you, Molly girl.”
She buries her face in my chest. Her whole body trembles.
“He was supposed to be my friend,” she whispers. “I trusted him.”
“I know.”
“I defended him to you. Over and over. And the whole time?—”
“It’s not your fault.” I hold her tighter. “He fooled everyone. That’s what people like him do.”
“I should have seen it.”
“You couldn’t have predicted this.” I pull back and look at her face. There’s blood on her cheek. Tears cutting through the streaks. “But it’s over now. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“Cops are on the way,” Cal says. “We need to move.”
“She’s hurt.”
“I’m fine.” Molly tries to stand on her own. Her legs buckle.
I catch her. “You’re not fine. You were drugged, tied up, and cut with a knife. We’re getting you to a doctor.”
