Where the fuck does he think he’s going?
The only illumination on Black Point comes from our headlights. You can’t even see the cliff’s edge. I growl, flip over and run after him so hard, my muscles burn. He skids to a halt when Tyler’s Nissan Z screeches into his path, halting him. He diverts left, but crashes into Renny’s chest.
‘Not so fast, idiota.’ Renny smiles widely, pushing him back.
Erik stumbles a few steps and whips around, sizing up his options and taking in the three of us. He’s trapped. And I take the chance.
I ball my fist and send it smashing across his face.
‘You made a mistake, cutting the brakes on my bike four years ago.’ My knuckles smash his nose. ‘And you made an even bigger mistake coming back here now.’ His cheek bones crack. ‘And now you just made the biggest mistake by hurting my girl.’ He spits out a tooth covered in bloody saliva.
I’m sure he begs, but I don’t hear it. Every grunt, every tooth that cracks, every gurgle of a choked breath – it’s fucking fuel. I think of all the pain he’s caused. I think of him hurting her. I think of Gianna, and everything I’d do for her, and I keep hitting.
In the haze of my bloodlust, I hear sirens getting louder before the skid of tyres has my attention. It’s only a splitsecond, but long enough for Erik to land his own fist across my chin and slip from my grasp. He rushes to the scrub, but a second police car stops him, forcing him to come back and face us.
Deputy Dellenty gets out with his weapon drawn and pointed right at me. I rise to my feet with my hands in the air.
‘Edwards,’ he says. ‘Not surprised to see you.’
Tyler and Renny raise their hands as the accompanying officer draws their gun. They’re athletic in build. A fedora covering brown hair. Trench coat … with a chunk torn from the hem.
I stare at her. ‘You …’
‘Detective Rourke. You owe me a new trench, Edwards.’ Hayley flashes her badge then takes aim at Erik. Erik chuckles with resignation and raises his hands too, but I notice the twinkle of metal stashed in his waistband. He’s armed.
‘Hayles, as bewildering and nice of a reunion this is …’ Tyler suddenly pipes up from behind me. ‘There’s no way that badge is real. You’ve never cared about anything other than yourself.’
‘That’s not true, Ty.’ Hayley doesn’t break her focus from Erik. ‘I was dumb and made mistakes, but I cared about Jace. And you know what, I’m putting myplungingskills to good use now. Just like you said.’
I look back at Tyler, wondering why the fuck he wants to have a heart to heart with Hayley right now, and he subtly jerks his chin toward Gianna, who’s still sitting wide-eyed in Erik’s Civic. Gianna starts to move, reaching for my switchblade on the ground by the open door. She locks eyes with me and I give a stern shake of my head.
Don’t even touch it. Even if you cut yourself free from the harness, there’s nothing you can do.
‘Double D,’ I keep the distraction going, trying to keep his attention on me and away from Gianna. He hasn’t noticed her yet. ‘If you could just give us five—’
‘Zip it, Edwards,’ Dellenty snaps. ‘Now, everyone’s going to stay nice and calm. Slowly, kneel on the ground with your hands behind your back.’
Tyler and Renny sink to their knees. Then Erik suddenly moves, lunging at Hayley Rourke beside him with a swift elbow to the face. She falls, knocked unconscious, as Erik draws his gun, turning the weapon straight on me.
Good. Keep it here, away from Gianna and on me.
‘Drop it!’ Dellenty screams, taking aim at Erik.
With a snicker, Erik aims the gun right back at Dellenty and snakes closer toward us. ‘Why didn’t you take the money like your buddies, Deputy?’ Erik spits. ‘I could shoot you right now.’
‘I’m a police officer. You kill me, your life is over,’ Dellenty warns.
Erik tuts. ‘Well, you’re wrong, actually. See, if I pull this trigger,yourlife’s over. And therealkiller is that your colleagues will cover it all up. Again.’ Erik beams and cocks the gun, but he’s using his injured hand. He falters on the trigger. I take the chance and, in a whip of a movement, I lunge and push him with everything I have. A shot echoes through the air as we tumble to the ground, a few feet from the cliff. I hear a shout of pain from Dellenty behind me. I keep going. Straddling Erik, I land blow after blow to his face. His ribs. Anything I can collide with.
He fights back with everything he has, smacking his elbow at my face. Copper pools in my mouth. My vision blurs and I see Erik’s fist flying back at my face.
My nose cracks. My head grows fuzzy and I fall to the side as Erik scrambles on top of me, my chest and face now in the dirt. His entire weight holds me down. In the corner of my eye, I see Dellenty on the ground, nursing a gunshot wound.
Then cold metal presses against my temple.
Shit.
Renny and Tyler start toward us, and Erik waves the gun in their direction.
