Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
“Fuck you!” Dean’s arms move, the gun bobbing up and down as he loses even more control.
“The question is easy: do you love Tiernan? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself the way Liam did for your mom? The way Tiernan did with you? Or are you just as selfish as me?”
I see the switch turn off in him, see the moment he’s going to give in, trying to save me. I fight against the ropes around my arms and legs, but it doesn’t work. They rip and pull at my skin, but none of that matters. My chest is so tight, I can hardly breathe. How do I do this? How do I see this? “Little fighter…don’t do this. Do what you do best. Fight.”
“I’m sorry.” He takes one hand off the gun and swipes at his eyes. “I love you.” He returns his attention to my father. “Do what you want with me. Just don’t hurt him.”
He bends down, setting the gun on the floor, before standing again, arms in the air.
“Stupid, just like I hoped.”
The second the words are out of my father’s mouth, I do the first thing that comes to mind, throwing myself backward. The chair hits my father just as his gun fires, Dean crying out. My father stumbles but doesn’t fall. My chair is sideways on the ground, and I look up to see my father point the gun at Dean again.
“No!” I call out.
And then…my mom is there. Covered in blood, gun aimed. Another shot goes off. I don’t know who shot first or if they both did, but then my father hits the ground beside me, eyes open, blood draining from a hole in the middle of his forehead.
“Tiernan!” Mom sobs, running toward me.
“Oscar is out there.”
“I slit his throat.” Her voice is harsh, stilted, as she uses a bloody knife to cut through my bonds.
“Dean…hurry. We have to help him!” Words continue to fall from my mouth, but I don’t even know what I’m saying, what I’m feeling. The adrenaline is rushing fiercely through me, my need for him ripping me up.
“Hold on. One more.”
I look at Dean, his head to the side, looking at me. Blood pools beneath him, gasping sounds coming from his mouth.
The second I’m free, I run to him, collapsing to the floor beside him. “Baby…it’s okay. You’ll be okay.” His shirt is covered in blood, but he looks up at me and gives me a small smile.
“You’re okay.” His voice comes out broken.
“You are too. We’re going to fix this. You’re going to be fine, I promise.” I run my hand over the hair I just cut last night. My chest aches. Tears run down my face, landing on Dean.
He was willing to sacrifice himself for me. He gave up his chance at killing my father, for me, and I can’t live in a world without him, not after that. Hell, not even before it.
My mom rips open his shirt, blood bubbling from the wound. “Call Conan,” she shouts at me.
I freeze, unable to move, to think.
My mom reaches out, placing a bloody hand on my cheek. “Tiernan, we’re going to fix this. I’ll take care of him. I need you to call Conan.”
Yes. Make a call. I can fucking do this. Dean is going to be fine. If not, the world will have hell to pay because of it.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Dean says choppily before his eyes fall closed and he loses consciousness.
CHAPTER FORTY
Dean
I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.
My eyes flutter open, and the first thing I see is a large window across from me. I’m in a room I don’t recognize. It doesn’t look like any hospital room I’ve ever seen, but one glance down shows an IV in my arm.
What the fuck?
Flashes of memories begin to come back to me—Tiernan tied up, his father holding a gun to his head. Me putting down my weapon to try and save him…being shot…then Tiernan leaning above me, crying.
My pulse spikes, running a marathon beneath my skin. What happened after that? Is he okay? “Tier-nan.” My voice cracks on his name. I turn my head slowly to the side, unable to move too quickly, but then I see him—sitting in an armchair, eyes closed in sleep.
“Dean! You’re awake,” Aislin’s voice comes from the other direction. I look her way as she steps up beside the bed. “Hey. You’re back.” She smiles, then kisses my forehead.
Why is she being so nice? The last thing I remember is she hated me, and she has every reason to. “Where am I?” I manage to ask, voice rough and broken.
“You’re at our house. We have a doctor we call when we need help. He’s been seeing you. You were shot between your shoulder and chest and lost a lot of blood. Luckily, it didn’t hit anything major. You’ve been in and out of it for a few days. It was scary…you should have woken up earlier.”