Parker emerges from the forest, hunting rifle raised. “I just can’t seem tofucking kill you.”
“You can’t,” I agree.
He looks me right in the eyes. “No more running, I’m gonna blow your fucking—”
The shot blows through his right thigh, punching through his suit pants like a nail. Parker screams.
I look around, expecting, Doc, Adriano, or Bobby. Bill or Archie. Even one of Parker’s bodyguards. It’s none of them, it’s not even a man. It’s the little redheaded girl. Parker’s girlfriend. She’s holding a gun. My gun. Pointing it right at Parker.
“Gesù Cristo,” I whisper.
“You cunt!” Parker screeches, gripping his ruined thigh.
“Emilia,” January croaks. “Emilia!”
The redhead turns to us. She looks like a drowned rat, her red hair limp around her shoulders, her eyes as large as the children in a Margaret Keene painting. She blinks and I see no sanity in her. This is a woman who could and would do anything. Act without a single conscious thought.
“Good girl,” I tell her. “Give me the gun and I’ll kill him. I’ll end him for you right now.”
The redhead ignores me. She tosses the Beretta into the pool.
“What the fuck?” I scream. “Are you fucking insane?”
A cold hand touches my thigh. “Eli…”
I drop to my knees beside January. “Bella, are you okay? Can you breathe?”
“Yes.” She touches my chest. “You need to let Emilia…”
But I can’t hear the rest.
“What?” I put my ear to her lips. “What?”
“You dumb fucking whore,” Parker yells at the redhead. “I’m going to tear you apart.”
The girl—Emilia—pulls a short hunting knife from her dress. “No. You’re not.”
Her voice is whispery, the kind that usually reminds me of Marilyn Monroe. I draw myself to my feet. I’ll take the knife from the girl and slit Parker’s throat, finally end the man who ruined my life, my brothers’ lives, January’s life—
“Eli, no,” January holds my shirt as tight as her loose fingers will allow.
Looking at her I can see what she’s trying to tell me: This is Emilia’s time. Emilia’s revenge.
“No,” I gently try to shake her off. “I need to end this.”
“But I need you with me,” she whispers. “I need you. You said you’d stay? Will you stay?”
The choice is a bridge, a clear line forward. What will it be? My revenge or January. I wrap both arms around her naked body. “Of course.”
The redhead advances on Parker, kicking the hunting rifle further away.
“You stole my life,” she tells Parker and despite the knife in her hand, he laughs.
“You came on your own, bitch. You wanted drugs and handbags and dick.”
She shakes her head, red ropes of hair flying. “You stole me. You…tied me to you. You wouldn’t let me leave.”
“For fuck’s sake, who cares?” Parker says, spraying spit everywhere. “Go get a medic you dumb bitch!”
