CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE MOLLY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
MOLLY
Oh, god.
Not again, but again .
All that flashed through my head in the space when Ashton let me back down, and bang !
Bang!
He cursed, pulling up my panties, then fastening his own pants. He had a gun out, and where did he get that gun? But he had it pointed down, and he took my hand, pulling me to the back of the shed.
I looked around, hearing the screams but knowing I had to follow Ashton.
Another scream. God. That was Jess’s mom.
And another—that was Sophie.
I started to turn, to run for her, but Ashton caught my hand. “No. No, babe.”
I could hear Sophie crying. A guttural scream left me, but Ashton yanked me against him, clamping a hand over my mouth and wrapping an arm around my stomach. He was hurrying backward, carrying me with him, and he had the gun in his hand. “Ssssh. Please, Molly. Please.”
I was crying, already knowing I was about to lose someone. I didn’t care if it was me. Just not someone else. Please.
I stopped fighting to get free, and Ashton put me back down at the end of the shed. There was a door here, and he opened it a crack, peering at me first.
I nodded, telling him I’d be quiet, so he took his hand away, turning so he was between me and whoever was outside.
People were running. I could still hear someone crying.
Then, silence. Everything and everyone stopped.
Ashton took a deep breath, like he was preparing himself for something.
He moved back in and put his mouth to my ear. “This place is surrounded by a fortified wall. Whoever is shooting was let in by someone, so remember that,” he said, so quietly. “I need you to not overreact. Okay? Don’t flip the switch.”
I gripped his hand tight, his free hand. “What are you planning?”
He shook his head, putting his lips back to my ear and turning his hand around so he squeezed mine back.
“I’m going to run right.” He pulled his hand free, and something hard and metallic was pressed into it.
“Take this. You run left, keep going until you hit the wall, and then follow it north. Do you understand me?”
I was shaking my head. I wasn’t running away. I wasn’t leaving him or anyone behind.
“Molly.” He cupped the back of my head. “You run to that wall and turn right, and then you follow it until you hit a door. It’s the guard post. Inside is a phone that’ll work—”
“I’m not going anywhere.” I moved away from him, stepping ahead.
He caught the end of my dress, pulling me back.
I shook my head and gave him the hardest glare I could muster in this moment.
I cocked the gun, taking the safety off.
“I already told you. I’m not running.” My tone was hard, and I was hard.
Fuck being scared. I was enraged. Whoever came here, shot at people I loved, I was done.
They were going to get their ass handed to them, possibly literally with me.
But he was right. My switch was retired.
I wouldn’t put people I loved in danger, but I wasn’t running.
He couldn’t ask me to do that. “We all have phones that’ll work. I’m sure there’s one in the house.”
“Molly.” His hand was twisting in my dress, but I saw the fear in his eyes.
I still shook my head. “Do not send me off on a fool’s errand because you want me to be safe. I’m not safe, no matter what. Heartbreak or physical pain, it’s all the same to me.”
He straightened back up, his eyes glittering, and he pressed his mouth in a firm line.
I clipped my head in a nod. “Right. I’ll lead.” I took a step forward but was hauled back.
Ashton was glaring at me. “Leave!”
“No,” I hissed back.
He groaned.
“We don’t have time for this.”
“I’m aware,” he shot back.
Bang, bang, bang!
Pop!
There were more screams, more shouting.
I couldn’t make them out, but Ashton leaped into action, turning in midair, and he shoved out of the shed. His gun was up, and he was shooting before I could see what was ahead of us.
“Agh!”
Bang!
That was Ashton. He kept running, and he kept shooting, until I heard a sudden thud ahead.
I moved around him. A man had fallen to the ground, and Ashton went right up to him, nudged him over, and shot him in the face.
I gasped, jumping back.
Ashton spared me a look, but his eyes were hard. The cruel Ashton had returned. I fought down a shudder because he was so different from the man holding my face, telling me he loved me.
A shot rang out from our left.
Ashton moved, his arm sweeping me behind him, and he was shooting back at the same time.
That guy fell, too, his gun falling far from his body.
A hand appeared, and Ashton barked, “Don’t!” His gun was still up, and he walked over until whoever was reaching for the gun froze. It was a female hand. Her other hand showed. “Get out here. Now.”
Nea came out, standing on shaking legs. Her face was pale, her lip trembling. Her eyes were so big and scared. “It’s just me, Ashton.”
I frowned. I didn’t like how she said his name, like she knew him, knew him.
“Step away from that gun, Nea.”
“Ash—”
“Now!”
Her whole body jumped, but she scrambled away, coming more into the open. Her hands were still out. “I was just scared. That’s all. I don’t know what’s going on here.” She pointed behind where she’d been hiding. Her finger was still wobbling. “There—others. There are others hiding back there.”
Others? Every part of my body wanted to run around him, get in there, save who else was in there, but no. I cursed but held back.
Ashton went first, and I peeked right behind him. Instant relief flooded me, seeing Nurse Sloane, but also Sophie and Pialto. Nurse Sloane was sitting, her knees to her chest, haunted eyes looking at me. Sophie and Pialto were huddling together, their arms and legs around each other.
I cursed, first touching Nurse Sloane’s knees, but then I put the safety back on before I threw myself into Pialto’s and Sophie’s arms. Both circled me, pulling me into their huddle.
Their arms wrapped around me. Sophie was crying.
Pialto was smoothing down my hair. “Oh, thank goodness. You’re okay. ”
Sophie held me so tight I couldn’t get air. “Thank God, thank God, thank God,” she kept on repeating, and Pialto was thanking God, too, looking up in the air and giving a cross motion with his other hand.
Then, suddenly, a hush came over them.
I turned, seeing Ashton standing there. Nea was a bit away from him, farther back. He had his gun, and he motioned to us. “Everyone, come out here.”
We did.
Ashton pointed ahead, to the right. “Go that way. There’s a safe room where you can hide.”
Pialto’s sigh of relief was loud.
Sophie choked on a laugh, tucking her head down.
Ashton was giving me a slight “WTF” look, but I motioned for him to leave it alone. Both did odd things when they were uncomfortable. Sometimes, I thought it was the basis of our relationships, besides me employing them.
No one had moved, so Ashton barked, “Now!”
Nurse Sloane gave him a nasty look, but she moved. Nea was next.
I brought up the rear as Pialto and Sophie ran ahead.
I fell into step next to Ashton. He pulled me to him and pressed a kiss to my forehead. He whispered, urgently, “Please be safe. Please.”
Ashton guided us to the back of a warehouse, and he opened a door.
Everyone filed into what looked like an office.
He went ahead, checking some things before racing back.
He pulled me to the door, indicating the others.
“Keep them in here. Barricade the windows and doors unless you know who is on the other side.”
I nodded.
He cradled my face, smoothing my hair down with his hands, and took a moment. He bent down, his forehead to mine. “I love you. Be cautious, my only request.”
I was nodding with each word he said, my one hand touching his.
He kissed me and left.
“Lock the door, Molly.” His voice came through the door.
Right. Lock.
I locked it, and then he was gone.
Oh, god.
Oh, god.
No more, please.
But I heaved a deep breath, turned, rested my back to the door, and slid down to the floor.
This was happening.
“He loves you.”
I looked up at Nea, who had come over what seemed like hours later, but I checked my phone.
Ten minutes had passed. She turned and slid down to sit next to me.
Her long, model-like legs pulled up as she hugged her knees to her chest. “I didn’t think he was capable of that emotion, except for Trace. ”
Okay. If she had approached me with this thirty minutes ago, I might’ve been upset. Obviously, she knew Ashton in a way I wished she didn’t. But also, obviously, she was saying this for a reason.
I glanced in Nurse Sloane’s direction. She was holding Sophie in her arms, and Pialto was standing next to them, half turned away. He noticed me noticing them and shot me a look.
I raised my eyebrows back at him, conveying whatever he took that to be, and his nose wrinkled before he turned away. Then he looked again and winked my way.
I had no idea what any of that meant.
“Ashton and I dated.”
Right. I didn’t want to do this. It wasn’t the appropriate time, but I just closed my eyes at this point.
“It was a while ago—”
I held up a hand with an “I don’t care” expression on my face. “I’ll stop you there. Save us both some time.”
She closed her mouth on a snap, sitting up higher. Straighter.