CHAPTER TEN #3
“Lorelai!” Aaron calls with a big, predatory smile. “We’ve been looking for you.”
“NO!” Ryan shouts, trying to push himself up, but the guy in the blue bandana moves faster, slamming a punch into Ryan’s shoulder and knocking him back to his knees.
“You’ve been a very bad girl, Lorelai, running off like that.” Aaron wags a finger at her, tutting like he’s dealing with a disobedient pet.
Lorelai squares her shoulders. “I’m not yours, Aaron. Never was, never will be.”
Aaron’s laugh is low and ugly, the kind that crawls under your skin. “Still got that fire in you, huh? I always liked that about you.” He pauses, scratching the snake tattoo on his neck. “But this isn’t about what I like. It’s about rules and loyalty. You broke both, Lorelai.”
“You can’t take her back!” Ryan snaps. He struggles against the tape biting into his wrists, twisting and pulling, but it isn’t budging.
“You think you’re a hero, Ryan? Rescuing the damsel?” Aaron smirks. “This isn’t a fairytale. Out here, I make the rules. And when you break them, there are consequences.”
My grip tightens on the gun. I’ve heard enough. It’s time for Aaron to be taught a lesson. But Sarah’s safety comes first.
I catch Michael’s eye and nod toward the curtain. Aaron’s gang hasn’t noticed the back room yet, but with that curtain half-open, it’s only a matter of time.
Michael moves low toward the curtain, staying behind a fallen display rack filled with scattered health brochures and empty pill boxes. He’s almost there. His fingers brush the fabric—
Aaron stiffens mid-step, whips his head around, and yanks the curtain open.
His grin spreads wide. “Well, shit, look at this! We’ve got ourselves a party!”
Fuck!
Michael steps in front of Sarah, holding her pocketknife up, ready to fight. “If you touch my sister, you’re dead.”
Aaron steps in, blocking their only way out. His eyes flick to Sarah. “Sister, huh? She’ll make a sweet little whore for me.”
My fists clench so hard behind the shelf that my knuckles crack. It’s gonna feel real damn good to end this guy.
Sarah lifts her chin, all sassy attitude and fire. “First off, I’m not a whore. Second, I’m not yours either, asshole.”
Oh, that pretty mouth of hers.
Aaron’s grin drops, his face twisting with rage. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”
“You heard me,” she fires back.
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that,” Aaron spits as he storms into the back room.
Three steps. That’s all it takes for me to close the gap between us. The cold metal of my handgun presses firmly against the back of Aaron’s head, stopping him dead in his tracks.
I release the safety with a sharp click, and the room goes silent.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I warn.
With one quick motion, I snatch Aaron’s gun from his holster and aim it at the guy in the blue bandana, still hovering near Ryan. My teeth clench as I growl, “Move, and you’re dead.”
Michael doesn’t miss a beat. He slips out of the little room and, with Sarah’s knife in his hand, cuts the tape binding Ryan’s wrists.
As soon as Ryan’s free, he lunges and rips the gun from the blue bandana guy’s belt, jamming it against the guy’s temple.
I toss Aaron’s gun to Michael. He catches it clean and immediately levels it at the yellow-capped guy across the room, who’s still gripping that bat.
The guy drops the bat with a clatter and raises his hands, eyes locked on Michael’s weapon.
“Look, man, there are rules, and she disrespected me.” Aaron’s tone aims for casual, but his eyes keep darting between his men, measuring his chances. “This town? It’s ours. She came onto our turf and ran her mouth. That means we get to punish her. You can’t just ignore the rules.”
I tilt my head. “Rules?” I spit the word back at him. “There. Are. No. More. Rules.”
Aaron’s eyes widen. “An Outsider!”
The tremor in his voice almost makes me smile. Only Outsiders don’t follow the gangs’ bullshit rules out here, and Aaron’s about to learn exactly what that means.
“Who are you?” Aaron demands, sweat rolling down his temple.
It’s been over a year since I’ve used my real name. After the ranch, keeping my name buried was safer. But Aaron won’t be breathing long enough to do anything about it, so why not?
“Funny you should ask.” I lean in with a cold smile. “James… Hill.”
He goes completely still.
“No way. Hill’s dead. No one’s seen him in over a year.”
I let out a dark chuckle. “Is that so? Did you see the body?”
The man in the blue bandana’s jaw drops. Clearly, he’s heard the stories about me, too.
“Guess my reputation lasted longer than I thought,” I say, watching the fear set in. “How flattering.”
“Listen—” Aaron begins.
“No, you listen to me,” I cut him off sharply. “You called my girl a whore. That was a big fucking mistake.”
“I didn’t know she was your girl, okay? I swear!”
“Shh!” I press the barrel harder against his temple. “I’m gonna talk to her now. And you? You’re gonna be quiet!”
The last word cracks through the room, and everything goes dead silent.
“Sarah,” I call, my voice softer now. My eyes find hers instantly—those bright green eyes, so innocent and yet so damn strong. God, I love those eyes. “Close your eyes and cover your ears.”
Her hands rise slowly to her ears, and her eyes shut tight. Just like she promised.
I glance at Lorelai. One look is all it takes, and she mimics Sarah’s movements without me needing to say a word.
Michael and Ryan lock eyes with me. No instructions needed. They know what to do. They’re just waiting for my signal.
Aaron swallows hard. “And now what?”
I lean in closer, right up to his ear. “Now? Now the party’s over.”
I pull the trigger. The gunshot thunders through the room, deafening. Michael fires right after me, then Ryan, their shots nearly overlapping.
The three men drop like dominoes, one after the other, blood splattering the walls and pooling under our boots.
I lower my gun, smoke curling lazily from the barrel, and step closer to Aaron’s body. Just to be sure, I aim at his head and fire again. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Sarah flinch. Her eyes are still closed tight, but her hands are shaking against her ears.
I move to the other two bodies and do the same. Two shots each, right to the head. No risks, no second chances.
Once it’s done, I slide the gun back into my holster and go straight to Sarah. Her breathing’s quick and shallow, and she tenses when I kneel in front of her.
I gently place my hands over hers and ease them away from her ears.
“It’s okay. It’s me,” I say. “Don’t open your eyes yet.”
She nods, and I scoop her into my arms, carrying her out of the pharmacy, holding her close.
Ryan’s already at Lorelai’s side the moment we step out. He cups her face, his brow furrowed with worry, and murmurs something I don’t catch before he kisses her. He helps her up, and they head over to us.
“Lorelai, stay here with them. I need to grab our stuff,” Ryan says, already turning back toward the pharmacy. He pauses, looking at Michael. “Can you help me?”
Michael shoots me a look, waiting for my approval. I nod, and the two of them head down into the basement where Lorelai had been hiding.
I feel a light touch on my chest, and I see Sarah’s fingers resting there.
“You can open your eyes now, baby.”
She blinks slowly, her gaze locking with mine. A flicker of uncertainty crosses her face, and I already know what she’s about to ask.
“They’re all… dead?”
There’s tension in her jaw, and tears well up in her eyes, but she blinks them away fast.
I know the truth will hit her hard.
She needs to know, though.
“Yes,” I say simply. This is our world, and there’s no escaping it.
She stays quiet, but the turmoil in her eyes says enough.
“Hi.” A soft voice catches our attention. I turn to see the red-haired girl, Lorelai, looking right at Sarah, her expression gentle. “I’m Lorelai Davis.”
It’s a welcome distraction. I feel Sarah’s shoulders relax under my arms, and she gives Lorelai a warm smile.
“Hi, I’m Sarah Williams. James’s girl.”
James’s girl.
Damn, I’d never get tired of hearing that.
Sarah’s eyes widen as she gets a good look at Lorelai, then she blurts, “Wow, I love your hair! It’s so… pumpkin-y.”
Lorelai chuckles. “That’s what Ryan calls me.” But her smile falters as she steps closer, eyes narrowing at the gash on Sarah’s forehead. “What happened to your head? Did someone hurt you?” Her hands ball into fists at her sides.
Sarah shakes her head. “No, I hit a rock, or maybe the rock hit me. We’re still debating that one.”
They both laugh, and it’s the best sound I’ve heard all day.
I turn back to the pharmacy just as Michael and Ryan come out. Looks like Ryan picked the town clean for him and Lorelai. Smart move. They’ve got four stuffed backpacks slung over their shoulders, and Michael’s carrying my jacket, my backpack, and Sarah’s.
The sun’s dipping lower, casting long shadows across the cracked street. I look down at Sarah in my arms. Her breathing has slowed, and her eyes are closed now. She’s finally asleep. The painkillers must’ve kicked in fully.
I scan the horizon, hyper-aware of how exposed we are. Nothing yet, but the silence feels wrong.
“Those shots are gonna attract company,” I say. “We need to move. The deeper we go into the woods, the better.”