Nathan pivoted on his heels, gun up and ready to fire.
“Put the gun down, boy,” a creaky old voice sounded from behind us, and I turned to see an older man, older than myparents by at least ten years, with his large gun leveled on Nathan. “Fancy seein’ you again.”
Three other men came from behind him with guns trained on all of us, and my heart pounded against my ribs, causing a ringing to sound in my ears as fear clawed at my throat.
Calix held me so tight against his chest, and his arms wrapped around me. His heartbeat raced fast, and it thudded against my back as he held my trembling form.
The man from the trail stumbled from behind the rest of them with a wide grin, sweat dripping from his forehead and into his eyes. “You fuckers may not have fallen for my trap, but you fell into theirs.”
“Shut up, Tommy,” the old man barked, spittle flying from his mouth. “Didn’t we send you off to die?”
“I tried helping you get some people like before. I proved my usefulness.” He held his head up, chest puffed out.
The old man gave a rattled sigh before moving his gun over and shooting Tommy in the face then settled it back on Nathan.
All the blood in my body plummeted to my feet as Tommy’s blood poured out of his head.
“He was bitten. Couldn’t chance him turnin’ could we?” The man took another step forward before tilting his head. “Any last words, boy?”
A whimper pulled from my throat as I trembled in Calix’s arms, and the man’s gaze locked on mine before he smiled, showing off rows of rotten teeth.
“Found another poor woman to sink your teeth into?” His slimy gaze slid back to Nathan as he raised a brow. “Does she know about what you did to my daughter? What you’ll do to her?”
“WhatIdid?” Nathan shook his head, still pointing the gun at him. “She’s the one who gained my trust before betraying my family and me. Not the other way around.”
“You slept with her!” he shouted, spit flying everywhere. “You slept with her, and now she’s dead becauseyouhad to think with your dick!”
He turned the gun to me, and the men behind him leveled their guns on everyone else, including Nathan.
Staring at the end of a gun made my mind turn off, and it was a sort of out of body experience I wished I never had happen.
“You seem to like this one, but why is someone else holding her, eh?” His gun waved between Calix and me, but Calix didn’t waver. He held onto me tighter than he ever had.
“Don’t fucking hurt her,” Nathan growled, and the man sneered.
“You knocked my daughter up, and she died because of it.” He chuckled weakly. “It’s only fair I kill someone you hold dear. Maybe I’ll just kill both of them.”
“That’simpossible!” Nathan shouted, the hand holding his gun shaking. “I couldn’t have gotten her pregnant. I didn’t even come! She must’ve been with someone else!”
The man went tense before whirling the gun back to Nathan, walking up closer until the barrel rested against Nathan’s forehead, and Nathan’s gun butted up against his chest.
The men behind him moved their guns to Nathan only. They looked just as pissed off as the old man did, all but one. One looked jealous and guilty.
“Say that again,” he dared as Micah’s arms replaced Calix’s, but I was too focused on the gun put to my boyfriend’s head.
Fear paralyzed me to the spot, and I struggled to breathe.
“When did she die?” Nathan asked quietly, his chest heaving up and down.
“She died about a year ago.” His lips curled in disgust.
“You raided our home over two years ago,” Nathan said carefully. “The timeline doesn’t match up. I couldn’t have been the one to get her pregnant.”
The man blinked before rage boiled beneath his already simmering murderous intent. “Shut up, you little shit! She wouldn’t have had the chance to find another outsider without me knowing!”
“Maybe it isn’t an outsider,” Nathan retorted smugly before knocking his arm into the gun and tackling the old man. Both his and the man’s guns flew to the ground, and their fists pounded into each other.
The men behind him couldn’t get a clear shot since they were rolling in the dirt, and for that, I was grateful.
