“She’s safe.”
“N-no. I wasn’t going to hurt her. I swear,” he said, tears streaming down his face. “I just did it to scare Paige. I would never hurt my own daughter. Never.”
“Then lower the gun and walk with me.”
“Derek, get the fuck out of there!” Cillian yelled.
His hand trembled violently, the gun wavering. “No. They’ll arrest me. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, okay?! I just wanted to talk with Paige and?—”
We both moved at the same time. I lunged for the gun in his hand, but I didn’t look at his other hand. The one in his pocket and pressing down on a button.
A click. And the world erupted.
I don’t know what happened, but one moment I tackled Jack near the door of the house and the other I was falling. I couldn’t tell anymore as heat and a loud explosion rang in my ear. My ears were ringing that drowned out everything else.
Smoke burned my throat and my eyes.
Shit. He fucking exploded the bomb.
Then her voice cut through everything. “Derek! Derek, can you hear me?”
Paige. She was here.
I forced my eyes open and found her face hovering above me. There were two Paiges staring down at me, concern etched on their faces, and both of them were extremely beautiful even though they were blurred.
“I-I can…”
“Oh thank God,” she said, taking my head in her lap as she checked for any injuries. “Are you okay?”
I felt the corner of my lips tug up. “Now I am.”
“Oh my god, you’re?—”
“Where’s Lily?” I asked, even though I had a pounding headache and all I wanted to do was sleep. In her lap.
“She’s with Sean. She’s safe. Don’t worry.”
“Is she hurt?”
“No, not a scratch.”
Relief flooded through me. I asked, “And Jack?”
“He... seems okay. Passed out but okay.”
I sighed, letting my head rest against her soft lap. Good. He’s alive so he could rot in prison where he belonged.
Wetness dripped onto my face and I realized that Paige was crying.
I lifted a shaking hand to wipe her tears away. I didn’t want to make her cry when I was okay. Yes, I might have a concussion or minor scratches, but nothing a few days of rest couldn’t handle.
“Why are you crying?”
“Because of you, you idiot!” She said, her voice thick with tears.
“Don’t cry. Hit me instead.”
“Shut up.”
