Fierce anger unlike any she’d ever known filled her to her core.
Howdarehe think he had the right to dictate her life? To take away her future with Derek?
Not this time. Not ever again.
Staring back into his craze-filled eyes, she said, “The only thing I will ever accept is that you are as fucked up as your father.”
His nostrils flared. “Shut up.”
She continued to goad him. “You’re crazy, Caleb. Nuts. You’re nothing but a lunatic who is so desperate to prove yourself to your daddy you have to force a woman at gunpoint in order for her to be with you.”
He pressed the gun barrel against her forehead. “I said. Shut.Up!”
“No!” She screamed back in his face. “You want to kill me then kill me! I’m not afraid of you anymore, Caleb. In fact, I feel sorry for you.”
“I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, Charlotte. I want you to come back to me.” His anger wavered, and a sliver of vulnerability shone in his eyes.
It was only for a second, but when he lowered the gun, it was all the time she needed.
With her left hand, Charlie grabbed for the gun. At the same time, she reared back and head-butted him in the nose.
She heard the satisfying crack of his bones as Caleb let out an echoing howl. His grip loosened, and he started to let go of the gun.
Bingo.
Ripping it from his hand, Charlie moved back, hopping on her right foot for balance as she pointed the weapon at Caleb.
He was holding his nose, blood flowing steadily from his nostrils.
“You bitch!” he growled nasally. “You broke my fucking nose!” He took a step toward her.
“Don’t move!” She kept the gun steady.
Caleb stopped. Studying her for a moment, his blood-soaked lips curved upward into an arrogant smirk.
“Give me the gun, Charlotte. You and I both know you won’t shoot me.”
“You really want to take that chance?”
“Come on. You’ve had your fun, now give me the gun, and we’ll go back to the house. Let me show you how much I love you.”
My fun?
“Stop it!” she hissed. “Just stop. You don’t love me, and I sure as hell don’t love you. You’re sick, Caleb. You need help. There are doctors who can—”
He laughed. “A shrink?” His smile flattened, and it was as if she was staring at the Devil himself. “I don’t need a fucking shrink, Charlotte. I only need you.”
“Yeah? Well, you’re not going to get me, so start walking.”
“Or what? You’ll shoot me?” His tone became even more condescending. “You don’t have it in you.”
When he started toward her, Charlie instinctively hobbled back. She lost her balance, and on reflex, her fingers tightened around the gun...and its trigger.
She found her footing again before going down, and the shot went a little wide. But the bullet still hit him.
Charlie had been aiming for his heart. Instead, she’d hit him in his right shoulder.
Caleb stared back at her in disbelief. “You shot me!”
