A shot rings out.
Before anyone can say or do anything else, a bullet goes straight through the side of Eivor’s head and narrowly misses Rosalie’s shoulder. Blood splatters all over his precious custom-made suit and Rosalie’s face is covered in it. A second shot hits the back of his neck, but it doesn’t matter. That first one killed him near instantly.
Rosalie grabs the gun from his hand as he slumps to the floor in a pile of bloody flesh.
My eyes, and I imagine everyone else’s eyes shift up in a panic to see the shooter.
Nikolas.
Eivor’s son.
He’s standing on the staircase with a gun in his hands, shaking.
“God fucking damnit,” Alessio snarls. “That was my kill!” He shoves his gun into his holster and immediately starts to go after the boy. I put my arm out and grab him by the back of his shirt, pulling him back.
“Don’t,” I snap. “It’s not his fault. He didn’t know.”
Alessio growls and shoves away from me. “He wasmine.”
I know he just needs a couple minutes to cool off, so I let him walk away from me.
Soren rushes over to Rosalie and starts to check her, to make sure she’s not injured.
I put my gun away and head up the stairs to Nikolas.
“Damian—” Carmine starts, but I cut him off.
“No. I got this. Trust me,” I look back at him, looking directly into his eyes and trying to relay the message as much as I can. I have a history with Nikolas, even if it’s short.
I look to Nikolas and put my hands out. He’s still holding the gun tightly, shivering and his knees look like they’re about ready to give out.
“Nikolas,” I say slowly. “It’s alright. It’s over now.”
The boy has tears streaming down his face. “He was going to…do it. I knew it. I h-had to,” he tells me.
“That’s right,” I agree. “You protected Rosalie. Now. Give me the gun.”
He looks over at me with wet eyes, confusion and shock in them.
I look over his shoulder and see Beau standing there in the hallway, having seen everything. His own face is a mixture of shock and relief.
“I can’t I—” Nikolas struggles.
“You can. Just hand it over. It’s okay. You’re safe now.” I reach out slowly.
Nikolas is shaking more and more, and I’m concerned about him dropping the gun and it going off accidentally.
At the last second, he hands me the gun before he collapses onto the stairs crying.
“I killed my dad,” he cries and puts a hand over his mouth. “Oh my god.”
Beau rushes over to him and sits down on the stairs beside him.
“You had to do it, it’s okay. You had to.” He wraps his arms around the other boy and I glance down the stairs at Carmine who nods at me, and I motion him up the stairs as I walk down a couple.
“Eivor kept him locked up pretty tight, away from this stuff. If he’s going to be a part of this life, he’s going to need a lot of training,” I explain.
Carmine glances at them. “They both will. It won’t be easy, but we’ll take them in. We wouldn’t leave them to fend for themselves.”
