You.
You’re dead.
You will be dead.
I couldn’t get my mouth to work. Breathing through the cottony dryness required too much energy. Licking my lips, I shook my head and leaned against Sofia. Her fingers stayed latched on my wrist as she raised my arm and guided my gun forward.
“You will pay,” Roberto said. “You will pay for your sins.”
Sofia tensed, growling lowly as she moved her hand over mine so she could press my finger over the trigger.
A gunshot followed. The loud noise sharpened my senses and jerked me out of this stupor.
She—we—missed. Roberto shifted to the side as a new hole appeared in the wall to his right.
Shaking my head to clear the fog, I drew a deep, steadying breath.
Roberto reached to his side, grabbing his gun.
But it was too late.
I focused.
Driven by the need to protect this sweet beauty who chose me, who fought for our love, I narrowed my eyes and redirected our hands. With her fingers wrapped around my hand, I aimed and fired.
I got him in the chest. Not trusting my clumsiness, I chose a bigger target and center of mass instead of the preferred headshot.
Nothing was clean about this.
Roberto staggered back, glowering at Sofia.
I stepped forward, and she held me up.
Again, I shot him. Right in the heart. The bullet tore through his hand to dig in.
Once more.
Another step forward.
I fired again.
Again.
He dropped to his knees and slumped sideways as blood streaked down his white shirt.
Moving together, with Sofia propping me up and her hand over mine, I emptied my gun into him.
“Andre…” Sofia turned from the grisly remains of her uncle. His vacant eyes stared at the ceiling. Holes littered his chest.
“He’s dead.”
Sofia nodded, paying attention to me as she guided me to sit again. Worried about me, frantic to stem the bleeding from my shoulder, she had her eyes locked on me. “Please, Andre. Take it?—”
I grinned, lopsided and high. “If you tell me to take it easy…”
She furrowed her brow, guiding me onto the floor.
I smiled at her, drunk not only on the drug, but the elation that it was over.
