33
I was halfway up the path when I heard Marcus's ramblings. I couldn't make out the words yet, but the tone caught my attention. Sharp, erratic, too loud for the calm atmosphere of the park. My feet moved faster on instinct. When I rounded the last curve of the path, they came into view.
My eyes went straight to Rowan. He was upright. Conscious. Thank God for that. But he was on the ground, back to the wall with his hands bound in front of him, and there was blood on the side of his face.
I didn't even feel the cold anymore. My pulse surged, and all I could see was Marcus hovering over him with that look on his face.
I started toward them. I didn't know what I planned to do, but I was already closing the distance when Rowan saw me and his voice broke through everything else.
"He's got a gun!"
I stopped dead.He's got a what?
Marcus whipped his head around, and his eyes locked on mine. His expression didn't change much, maybe a flicker of surprise followed by something that looked more like annoyance. He turned back to Rowan long enough to shoot him a glare. "Always spoilin' my fun."
Then he brought the weapon around where I could see it.
Fucking hell. I'd prepped myself for a fight, but with fists and maybe a knife. Not a goddamn gun.
I needed the police here.Now.
But they weren't. I'd made another stupid move and stepped into this without any real plan and nothing to fight back with. I'd have to stall. Keep him distracted and give them time to get here.
I stepped forward slowly, hands up to show I didn't have any weapons and wasn't about to rush him. "Alright, Marcus. You wanted me. I'm here."
His arm snapped sideways, and he levelled the gun at Rowan's head. "One more step, and I blow his brains out."
I froze.
My heart kicked into overdrive. I flicked my eyes to Rowan. He was trying to stay calm, but I could see the tight line of his jaw, the way his shoulders tensed even more.
Shit.
My head spun with options I didn't have. If I lunged, he'd fire before I even got close. If I hesitated, he might pull the trigger just to prove a point. I couldn't risk either of those.
So I did the only thing I could think of. I kept my hands up, and somehow my voice came out steady, even though everything in me was about to crack. "You don't need him, Marcus. I'm the one who got in your way.."
He didn't lower the gun, but his stance wavered.
I moved a little closer. Not enough to trigger anything, but enough to keep his focus on me. "I'm the reason Rowan stood up to you. You want payback, then I'm right here."
Nothing.
"Don't pretend this is about him. If you kill him, you don't win."
For a second, I thought I'd pushed too far. But then his fingers twitched on the grip. Just a little. Then the barrel swung toward me.
I braced for the shot, but it didn't come.
That's when I saw that his finger hovered near the trigger, but not on it. For all the venom in his expression, something was stopping him. Some last sliver of hesitation wedged under all that chaos and hate, and it kept him from crossing the line completely.
Okay... I can use that...
I took a second to think about how to handle this, then said quietly, "Help me understand."
He blinked. Just once. His mouth tightened, and I could tell he was trying to figure out what I was doing.
"You think this is our fault, yeah? So explain it to me. I'm listening." I kept my tone even, no mockery or challenge. I just wanted to give him space to talk. If he was talking, at least he wasn't killing anybody.
