Sean does that annoying, awful laugh of his. “Glad you could join us. You have the money?” He extends an arm past me, and he’s holding a gun. My gut twists.
Bast’s gaze is solely on me, running over me once, then again and again, making sure I’m in one piece before his eyes flick to Sean. I’ve never been more sure than now that what he said about his feelings for me being real is true, though I suppose the fact that he showed up here at all should have proven that. Still, his eyes show a mixture of panic, regret, and relief.
“It’s all here.” Bast tosses a duffel bag a couple of feet in front of him. It lands with a loud thud on the concrete floor.
Most of Sean’s goons cleared out of here an hour ago—in anticipation of this meeting, I suppose—but there are a few I can still see and likely more hiding in the shadows.
Sean nods at one of his guys to check out the bag. He walks over, picks up the bag, and brings it closer to Sean, where he unzips it. My eyes bulge out at the stacks of money inside. The guy pulls out one and lifts it to his nose, then takes out a few to feel them and examine them closer.
“It’s good,” he says to Sean with a nod.
“You’ve been so helpful, Bast, really. It’s a shame it has to end this way.” Sean shifts the gun, holding it to my head, and an anguished cry leaves my lips.
The warehouse lights shut off, and I scream as we’re plunged into darkness. There are shouts of men all around, trying to figure out what’s going on.
When a set of hands lands on my shoulders, I yelp.
He runs his palm down the side of my face.
Bast.
Then I feel his hands undoing the rope binding my wrists behind me. They loosen and I tug, but it’s not enough to free me.
The loud sound of a gunshot echoes through the dark.
Tears sting my eyes as I wait for Bast to free me, and I try to be patient and not move so it’s easier for him. But more gunshots ring out, and I wait for the searing pain of one ripping through my skin.
It’s chaotic and loud, and the flashes of light throughout the space make it impossible for my eyes to adjust to the dark.
The rope goes slack, and Bast yanks me up out of the chair, lifting me under the armpits.
“We have to get out of here. Can you run?” he whispers in my ear before a gun goes off again.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t let go of me.” He takes my hand, squeezing, and leads me through the darkness.
I can only trust that Bast knows what he’s doing and where he’s going.
The yells from the fighting grow quieter as we move away. Bast opens a metal door in the back corner, and the sunlight scorches my eyes. It takes my eyes a minute to see anything, but I blink past watery eyes as Bast leads me down the side of the building.
Once I can see clearly, I realize that he has a gun in his right hand and goggle-looking things on top of his head. They must be night vision goggles.
“C’mon,” he says, picking up our pace.
We round the corner of the building, and Bast comes to an abrupt stop, causing me to run right into his back.
“Bast, what…” I step up beside him and see why he’s stopped.
Sean has a gun pointed at us. He must have left through another exit. The duffle bag Bast brought is in his hand.
“Just take the money and go,” Bast seethes, squeezing my hand to give me some reassurance.
Sean cocks his head, and one corner of his lips pulls up in a grin. “After all the trouble you caused me, I think I’m due more than just a bag full of dough, don’t you?” His eyes narrow.
Before Bast can respond, Sean pulls the trigger. The gunshot rings through the beautiful sunny afternoon, and I watch in horror as the bullet collides with Bastion’s chest. His hand slips from mine, and he falls limp to the ground. I scream, dropping to my knees beside him.
“Bast, no, no, no!”
