Page 367 of Faking the Goal

"Let me go!" I choke out, my voice straining against his hold. My vision blurs, and every muscle in my body spasms, trying to break free.

Charlie yanks me harder, the gun biting into my jaw. "SHUT UP, YOU BITCH!" he screams, spit flying. "You did this, Taylor! You set me up! You called the fucking cops on me like I'm some kind of monster, after everything I did for us to be together again? After everything we went through?"

For a moment, I can't speak. I'm not sure I remember how.

"Charlie." Detective Matthews keeps his voice calm. "Tell me what you want. Whatever it is, we can work something out, but you need to let Taylor go first."

Charlie laughs, but there's nothing sane left in the sound. "What I want?" His arm tightens around me. "I want her. That's all I've ever fucking wanted. I want everyone to stop getting in our way and leave us alone so we can finally be together." He turns his face toward mine, and that horrible smile creeps back across his mouth. "Isn't that right, Kitten? Tell them. Tell them how much we love each other. Tell them you want to be with me."

I don't answer. I can't. My jaw is locked, my tongue numb.

He jabs the gun harder beneath my jaw. "Fucking say it!"

"Please, Charlie," I manage, my voice wet and trembling. "Please just let me go. It doesn't have to be this way."

His face twists. "Yes, it does! You made sure of that when you brought them here." His breathing is ragged against my ear. "You think they're going to take me away from you again? You think I'm going to spend another fourteen fucking years without you?" He shakes his head violently. "No. Never again."

His voice drops, and somehow the sudden calm scares me even more.

"If I can't be with you in this life, then nobody else gets to have you either." His expression softens into a sick imitation of affection as he presses his cheek against mine. "Either we leave here together, Kitten... or neither of us does."

Then, from behind the wall of officers, a voice cuts through the panic.

"Charlie!"

My heart nearly stops.

Kentaro.

He's here. He's fucking here when he shouldn't be.

He pushes through the officers before Detective Matthews can stop him, stepping into view with both hands raised. He has nothing protecting him, nothing but jeans and his Ridgewater hockey hoodie, and the sight of him standing there makes fear claw even deeper into my chest.

Charlie goes rigid behind me.

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

The gun shifts against my jaw as Charlie jerks his head toward Kentaro, and terror shoots through me so violently my knees nearly buckle.

"You said you left him." His voice rises with every word. "You told me you broke up with him! You fucking lied to me again!"

"Charlie, listen to me." Kentaro keeps both hands raised, his movements slow and careful even though I can see the panic all over his face. "You said you love Taylor, right? You've been saying that this whole time. So I know you don't really want to hurt her."

Charlie's arm tightens around me. "You don't know a fucking thing about what I want."

"Then prove me wrong." Kentaro swallows, his eyes flicking toward the gun before returning to Charlie. "Look at her. She's terrified. You're holding a gun to her head and telling her you're both going to die. If you love her, you don't want that for her. You want her alive. You want her safe."

Something flickers across Charlie's face, but it disappears almost immediately.

"Put the gun down," Kentaro continues. "And just let her go."

Charlie stares at him for a long second before his mouth twists into a bitter sneer.

"So you can have her?"

Kentaro's jaw clenches.

"That's what this is really about, isn't it?" Charlie spits. "You want me to hand her over to you and disappear so you can go right back to playing boyfriend."