It hurts my head to turn it, but I do, looking up at my cousin. “Bullseye?”
“You girl is in trouble. You’ve got to get the fuck up so we can help her!”
My head is still throbbing, and my thoughts are sluggish. It’s like I’m trying to wade through a brain filled with thick mud.
“Liam and Theo have Letty, Gage. Get. Up!”
As he says the words, everything rushes back. My brain catches up, and I shove to my feet, stumbling as I crash into Bullseye. Somehow, he keeps us both upright.
“Where’s your gun?”
“Saddlebags,” I manage to answer. My words sound almost slurred.
“I’ll get it. Stay here.”
I lean against the side of the house. Every second that passes, I become more aware, clarity returning as I remember being whacked on the back of the head after I left the beach with Letty.
Fuck!
Bullseye comes back as I stand straight. He thrusts my gun into my hand and pulls his from inside his cut. We move together, rounding the house as I smell smoke. The fucking house is on fire.
I don’t know why I notice it now and not earlier, but I’m aware of everything now—the raised voices. Cynthia crying. Letty’s scream.
I don’t hesitate to rush up the stairs of the deck and toward the kitchen. With my gun pointed outward, I run into the house. I’m not prepared for what I see.
Cynthia is bleeding from two wounds, one on her head and another in her stomach. She’s slumped over. I can’t tell if she’s breathing.
But Liam has his hands on Letty. She’s naked, tied backwards to a chair, and I see what he’s about to do. Rage fills my body with adrenaline as I roar, “Get the fuck away from her!”
He doesn’t get a chance to shove his dick into her. I fire my weapon and hit him in the thigh. I’m too afraid to shoot anywhere else and chance the bullet hitting Letty, too. He falls into Letty before crashing to the floor.
Chaos erupts as Theo pulls out a gun and shoots in my direction. He doesn’t hit Bullseye or me. I know he’s a terrible shot. It’s not improved in the years since I’ve seen him.
Bullseye slams into Theo, and they both go down. I know my cousin can handle himself, so I don’t hesitate to rush toward Letty. She’s shaking, mumbling to herself about the beach, sand, and being in heaven.
What the fuck did they do to her?
When she turns her head, I finally see her face. It fucking guts me. She’s hurt. Liam and Theo fucking hit her!
Fury boils beneath my skin. I’ll fucking kill both of them for this. It’s the last fucking straw.
I kick Liam away from the chair so I can untie my woman. He’s not moving, so he’s no immediate threat. At least, I think so until I feel something stab into my leg.
I look down, snarling as I catch the blade he stuck into my calf. Motherfucker! Pain radiates from the wound, but I don’t have time for this shit.
Without mercy, I lift my gun and aim at Liam’s head. Right as I’m about to shoot, he throws his body into my stomach. We’re both knocked off balance. I tumble to the ground, and my gun scatters across the floor. The knife is yanked from my calf as I feel blood trickling down my ankle.
Fuck!
Liam punches the side of my head. The force knocks it back against the floor, and I see stars. He’s faster than I give him credit for, but he won’t be breathing long enough to inflict more damage.
I see the knife and lunge for it, wrapping my hand around the handle as Liam comes at me again. There’s only one way this ends. I stab him in the chest as we collide. The blade goes deep. It’s not a fatal wound, but it will be when I stab him again.
We roll as he tries to fight me off, but I plunge the knife into his body three more times until I know he won’t come after Letty or me again.
A pitiful cry leaves his lips. “Theo!”
Theo and Bullseye are locked in a brutal tug-of-war over one of the guns. The other is a short distance away. They don’t see me lunging for it as Theo turns his head and sees Liam bleeding out.
