Rebecca frowned, frantically shaking her head. “What?” She gasped. “I-I didn’t!”
He wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed, denying her any oxygen. As she struggled to breathe, warm tears trickled down the sides of her face and into her ears.
“I saw you kissing that motherfucker that raided my house!” he gritted.
She clawed against his fingers. By the look in his eyes, he had every intention of killing her. Unfortunately, her short nails were ineffective. She pushed unsuccessfully at his larger body in order to free herself. He didn’t budge. But as she struggled beneath him, fighting to stay conscious, she was gifted with a brief sense of hope. Tucked into the waistband was what felt like a gun. With no time to waste, she stuck her hand in his trousers and prayed that there were bullets when she pulled the trigger.
There were. A loud shot rang out in the hall.
His body jerked violently on top of her. A flash of confusion washed over his face just before it twisted in agony. A high-pitched squeal escaped his throat as a warm gush of his blood flowed over her. He released her throat immediately and rolled onto his back.
Rebecca covered her throat with her hand as she swallowed every bit of air she could. Still holding the gun, she scurried backward to put distance between them.
“What the fuck?”
Rebecca jumped when a heavy-set man, dressed in all black, who looked all of seventeen ran into the hall. His attention landed immediately on his squirming, bloody accomplice.
“Aww, shit! Boogie!”
When he hurried over to provide aid, Rebecca pointed the gun at his back. As soon as he gathered realization of what had happened, he quickly turned in her direction. Before he could pounce, she pulled the trigger. By the violent jolt of his body, she must have hit her target. The powerful recoil from firing the gun forced her to jerk. She startled and pulled the trigger again. He fell to the floor in a thud next to his friend.
“Oh, fuck!” Boogie gasped.
His eyes stretched wide when he stared into the lifeless eyes of his dead friend. Rebecca moved to stand. Her next thought was to shoot Boogie again. Now, it was her who had no intention of letting him leave alive. But as she made it to her knees, a sharp pain caused her to collapse to the floor. It was as if an elephant was standing on her chest. She knew all too well what was happening because it had happened before.
She was having a heart attack.
8
Cato
Nick exhaled a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding when Rebecca’s eyes fluttered open.
“Hey,” he whispered.
She frowned as she scanned the hospital room with a muddled expression. She seemed as if she was struggling to recall or regain the time she’d lost.
“Rebecca, honey,” her dad spoke softly.
Her brow wrinkled with confusion when her eyes landed on her father’s worried face. “What… Da-umm? What happened?”
“You were attacked,” Nick informed. “Your heart…”
Her eyes grew wide with instant understanding. “Oh God! Jessica!” She panicked through a gasp.
Alarms on the many monitors attached to her began to ring out as she tried to sit up. Nick pushed against her shoulders firmly but gently, holding her in place.
“Your friend is fine, just a few bumps and bruises. But, you… you had a heart attack.”
Strangely, it seemed he was the only one who seemed surprised that a woman as young as her would suffer a heart attack.
“Where is she? Where is Jessica?”
“She went to get your dad a cup of coffee. She’ll be right back.”
Nick covered her small hand with his and leaned in. Even with bruises and a black eye, her beauty still took his breath away. No man or any woman who could hurt her the way Boogie had deserved to walk the earth.
“What happened?” he asked patiently.
