I should feel guilt that he died, but I can’t seem to drum it up.
“That’d be me. Though I thought he survived, you’ll excuse me if I don’t shed any tears over him,” I say trying to sound badass. In truth I’m shaking inside terrified. If I somehow survived this, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the way it feels to have a gun pointed at you.
“Oh he lived, but I had to kill him for being such a fucking moron.” The man explains as if he’s talking about his grocery list.
“Well since you’re doing the world a favor and ridding it of morons, maybe you could turn the gun on yourself,” Dani piped up and if I hadn’t been so terrified I would have smiled.
The man looks at Dani and curls his lips and then…shoots her. I scream and go to her, falling down as I try to catch her. He shot her in the leg, and while that’s a good place to get shot, if you had to get shot, there is instantly a lot of blood. I tear her shirt and try and stuff it at the wound, pushing it tight while the two men above us are laughing.
“A pity, Tiny spoke highly of you. I was going to add you to my stable. Can’t stand a mouth like that though. Of course if you survive I could cut your tongue out and still use you. Hmmm…” The pig seemed to truly be considering this.
“I’m going to meet up with the others. Take care of the whores and meet us at the docks.”
“Might be more powerful if Nicole here is a gift,” Irish suggests cryptically and I don’t know what this gift is, but I’m thinking it’s not good.
“True, but think how much fun it’ll be to deliver both. Just do your job and be quick about it.”
“You got it.”
With that, the other guy leaves out the way he came. Irish walks around in front of us and I want to kill him. He seems so calm, so detached while Dani lays here bleeding out. How could I have ever thought he was a good guy?
“Aw Nic girl don’t look at me like that. This is just business. You just picked the wrong dick to hang onto. I was actually planning on giving you a go, but I’m sick of Dragon’s leftovers. So you pretty much sealed your own fate.”
“I wouldn’t fuck you if you were the last man on Earth.”
“Don’t make me prove you a liar girl. We both know I can. I’m tempted actually, but I don’t have the time and unlike Dragon, I like to enjoy my women.” He says walking closer to me.
He grabs my hair and pulls me away from Dani. She’s not talking at all; she passed out. At least I hope that is all. I feel the panic begin to overwhelm me. I try to strike out at him, hit him, claw him anything but he takes the butt of his gun and slams it into the side of my face.
He must not have done it full strength because it doesn’t knock me out, but I am literally seeing stars. I fall back to the ground looking up at Irish, or rather a couple of him. My vision is blurry and he swims in front of me. I register that he’s aiming his gun at me and I realize that it’s over. I’m half laying on Dani and she didn’t even move, so I figure I’ve already lost her. I close my eyes and picture Dragon’s face one more time. The way he looked before I fell asleep last night when he told me that I had him. I don’t know what comes after this world, but I pray whatever it is I’ll find Dragon in it.
“Nic baby! Mama, where are you?” I hear Dragon call out in the distance.
I want to speak up, but I can’t. I figure I’m dreaming, but I shake my head to try and figure out exactly what is going on.
“Fuck.” That came from Irish. He sounds panicked, so maybe I’m not dreaming.
Irish starts to back away towards the rock where Dani and I first hid. I try and steady myself and lurch up to stand, I sway dangerously almost falling back down, but at least my vision seems to be clearing a little.
“Dragon,” I call out or whisper, I can’t be sure, so I try again. “Dragon!” Shit, was that any louder?
I hear Dragon running towards us now. I look back at Irish and he’s still pointing the gun. I know instantly what he has planned.
Dragon just makes it into my vision before I run towards him, trying to shield him.
Chapter 24
Dragon
My world stops, it fucking stops. I see Nicole falling towards me, she’s covered in blood, she doesn’t have a shirt on, there are scratches all over her body and her face is swollen and red. She’s saying my name, but it’s garbled and I try to catch her before she falls. She’s in my arms, but before my heart can calm….
Two shots, two fucking shots--the report of the gun rings out as if in slow motion. Bang…bang…and with each horrendous noise my woman’s body jerks. I scream out in agony because it feels as if my fucking heart is being ripped from my chest.