“What’s funny?” He points the gun at me. “Well?”
“I’m just laughing at a dead man.”
He takes a step closer, then the sole of his shoe is imprinted into my face. Blood seeps from my nose, clogging in the back of my throat. I cough it up, spitting it out onto the ground.
Poppy yells, “Please, don’t hurt him.”
“I won’t kill your boyfriend, not yet anyway. Not until I’ve got back what he robbed.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” Her brow wrinkles as she gazes at me. “He deceived me.”
“You’re not the only one he’s been deceiving.” He aims the gun at me again. My body tenses, and I gaze at Poppy. If I’m about to die, I want her to be the last thing I see.
“Imagine my surprise when I found out he’s been shacked up with you this whole time.” He pulls the slider back on the glock, causing it to click into place. “I asked you to find my daughter. Find her and find the necklace. But you decided to keep both for yourself, didn’t you, hunter?”
Poppy’s jaw drops, her eyes glaze over as she swallows down a sob. “This whole thing has been about Mum’s necklace?”
I need to hold her, explain everything. If I make it through this, there’ll be no more secrets between us. As I lie in the dirt, a silver glint catches my eye. The sun’s rays moving through the webbed foliage above shines on the knife to the side of her as if God himself is giving me a helping hand.
I wriggle my body, trying to squirm my way over. Gun fire stops my attempts along with Poppy’s piercing scream. I check her first, not sure where the crazy fucker aimed the gun before it went off, but she looks okay, apart from my blood smeared on her hand from earlier.
I scramble for the knife half hidden beneath the brambles, then swipe my leg, knocking Billy off his feet. Another gun fires and this time I feel it as well as hear it as the bullet grazes my thigh.
Everything blurs and muffles. The only sound I hear is my head hitting the ground and a ringing in my ears, then Poppy’s scream. A welcoming sound telling me she’s still alive, like a baby’s cry when it takes its first breath. Not that I think he would hurt her, but he might if he knew it would get to me. He never cared about her. Just the necklace.
I open my eyes and search for her. Billy blocks my vision, wrestling me back to the dirt. I hold the knife in my hand, threatening to slit his throat, but I’m sure she’d never forgive me for that. Her pa might be a piece of shit, but I imagine she’s gonna want answers from him. If this was anyone else, he’d already be dead.
“Stop,” Poppy screeches. She holds a stick in her trembling hand, pointing it at the both of us.
“Red.” I kneel and shuffle towards her. Billy claws at my feet, but she’s more important to me right now.
The pain in my thigh grows. I’ve taken a bullet before in the army, but this time it feels worse. Maybe it’s the threat of losing her that hurts the most.
Billy splutters. “Where is my necklace?”
“It was stolen.” Poppy stares at the gun in his hand. Her lip trembles, her face white as a sheet. She’s paralysed, yet her whole body vibrates.
“Do you know where it is, peanut?”
“It was taken. Malcolm broke into my flat.”
He turns to me. “I’ve had a chat with Malcolm. He said you took it from him.”
I spit out the copper taste congealing in the back of my throat. “He lied. He must have already sold it. I was trying to find out who to, but it’s too late now. He’s dead.” There’s no way I’m giving him the necklace now. It’s Poppy’s. She should have the money after keeping it safe all these years.
I doubt he would share the profit. He’s the sort that would have me killed to cover his tracks. He hasn’t spent the last fifteen years in jail for a jewellery heist alone. He’s a cold-blooded murderer. That’s why her mother told her he was dead. Because she was better off not knowing who the real William O’Donnell was.
“You have five days to find my treasure, hunter. Or you’ll never see my daughter again.” Billy waves the gun at her. “Come with me, peanut.”
If he wasn’t so blind, he’d realise a precious gem stands right in front of him. Pain radiates from my leg, but I can’t tell how bad it is. Sweat coats my skin. I bare my teeth at Billy, then gaze upon my fox trembling with Billy pointing the gun aimed at me. If this is it, at least I got to hear her say she loved me, even if it was past tense. “Red, baby. You don’t have to go with him.”
She lowers the stick and takes in a deep breath. Tears stream down her face, but her eyes are full of fury as she turns to Billy and says, “You’re as crazy as he is if you think I’m just going to leave with you. You can’t just show up here after all these years and start waving a gun in my face.”
“Peanut, I—”
She lifts the wooden stick like she’s holding a bat. “Stop calling me that, like you actually care about me.”
His green eyes harden. He runs a hand through his silver hair with a gnarl. “Either you come with me, or I put another bullet in your boyfriend. This time I’ll make it count.” He points the gun at my head.
