Page 104 of Beautiful Killer

He shook his head. “She’ll never forgive me, not after this . . .”

He was going to kill Julia, too.

“You don’t want to do this,” I said.

“I have to . . .” He started breathing heavily, then leaned over and threw up.

“You don’t have the stomach for this,” Van said, voice sounding stronger. “You’re not a killer, Bobby. You don’t have to do this. Let me help you. I can help you.”

Bobby dragged his sleeve across his mouth. “It’s too late. I have to . . .”

“Drop the gun.”

I spun toward Zeke’s voice. He stood at the door, gun aimed on Bobby.

Bobby moved fast, but I managed to scramble back out of his reach, so he aimed his gun at Van. “Get up,” he said.

Van did as he was told, still bleeding from the side of the head. Bobby moved behind him, pressing the gun hard against his back.

“This whole place is going up,” Bobby said. “And I’m not going to be here when it happens . . .”

“Drop the gun,” Zeke said again, voice stone cold.

Bobby produced a lighter and shook his head, eyes wild, desperate. “It’s either her or me. She needs to die . . .”

Zeke looked directly at Van. “Sorry, brother.”

Van cursed, nodded, and gritted his teeth.

Zeke fired.

I screamed. The deafening sound of the gun blasted through the small room, making my ears ring.

Then both Van and Bobby went down hard.

Zeke shot them. He shot both of them.

Shoving his gun back in his jeans, Zeke rushed to me, untying me. “Okay, Sunny?”

“Y-yes.”

He handed me his phone. “Call an ambulance, Sunshine. Quickly now.” Then he was over by Van, pulling off his shirt and holding it over the bullet wound in his friend’s side.

I did as Zeke said and rushed over to them. Bobby was lying on his back, eyes open, unmoving. Van on the other hand was leaning into Zeke and cursing a blue streak.

“I haven’t been shot in a while,” he gritted out. “I forgot how much it fucking hurts.”

“You’ll live,” Zeke muttered.

I stared down at them in disbelief, then I started shaking, uncontrollably.

Zeke reached for me. “Sit down. You’re going into shock.”

I thought he might be right. Black dots started dancing in front of my eyes and I sank to my butt. “I don’t . . . I’m feeling kind of . . .” I heard sirens in the distance. “Faint.” I wasn’t sure if I said that part out loud or not.

Then everything went black.

* * *