38. Chapter 38
July 13, 2011
12:20 pm
“I’ve worked too hard to keep my secret, to get everything I wanted, just to let you ruin it by kidnapping some kid,” Lauren said.
He turned to face her, dropping the knife to his side. She didn’t move her gun away from him.
“Don’t do this to me, Angel! This is my revenge,” Ryan yelled.
Lauren waved her gun around the room, causing Hailey and Trinity to flinch. “This was not part of the plan.”
How long had this been going on?
Hailey had to give Lauren credit, though. She never suspected a thing. No one did. And that terrified her. This woman so easily pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes.
Ryan’s face reddened and he was visibly shaking, realizing her betrayal. “How can you do this to me? We were supposed to destroy David together!”
Lauren wasn’t fazed by Ryan's outburst. Instead, she smiled. “You were a means to an end, Angel . Don’t you see, you’re supposed to take the fall for this.” She tilted her head. “Well, you were until Hannah started poking around.”
Ryan threw his arms in the air and began pacing aggressively. “No, no, no. I love you, Lauren, and you love me. We planned to run away, to be together forever.”
Lauren laughed. “You can’t be serious? You actually believed that?”
He hung his head, and his shoulders slumped, as if he were a little boy who had just been told his dog died. “Angel-”
“Stop calling me that!” Lauren shrieked as she tightened the grip on the gun.
Hailey flinched and Trinity whimpered. Tension filled the room.
Ryan yelled back at Lauren, “You’re ruining everything, Angel! I loved you so much I agreed to let you marry that prick so we could end him.”
He paused, slowly walked up to her, his nose inches from her. He sneered, “I had to watch the woman I love marry the man I hate. I had to spend my days living in the shadows while he paraded you around like he owned you. I had to sleep in my bed alone every night knowing you shared a bed with my father. I did that all for you. For us.”
Lauren rolled her eyes. “You are so dramatic. And stupid. The day we ran into each other was planned. I wasn’t in love with you, I was in love with your father. I wanted him and I knew I could use you to get what I wanted.” An evil grin tugged at her lips. “And I always get what I want.”
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Hailey and Trinity screamed and closed their eyes, Hailey moving her body to shield Trinity.
Ryan’s body jerked as three bullets entered his chest. He looked at Lauren, eyes wide as he slid down the wall, a trail of blood following him.
Hailey nearly vomited and Trinity began crying hysterically. She fought hard against her restraints, but the ties wouldn’t give way.
Lauren slowly walked over to Ryan, her heels clicking against the old hardwood floor. Blood poured out of his mouth as he tried to draw in a breath.
“I love you, Angel,” he said, gasping for breath.
“Rot in hell,” Lauren responded.
Ryan’s chest stilled; his lifeless eyes still focused on her.
“Trinity, look at me, don’t look at him,” Hailey said, panic rising in her voice. Trinity was crying silently, her petite body shaking.
Lauren stood up and went to Hailey. “Are you ready to die?”
She raised her gun and Trinity screamed.
Suddenly, Lauren crashed to the ground and the gun spun across the floor.
Sara was on top of her and the two were exchanging blows. Hailey knew if she didn’t get free soon, Lauren could easily kill Sara. Her sister was on borrowed time and her adrenaline was the only thing keeping her alive.
Hailey rushed toward Ryan’s body in search of the knife so she could cut her restraints. But her footing was unsteady, and she came crashing down, her head hitting the floor with a loud crack . Her vision blurred and she saw stars but blinked them away.
Bam!
Hailey shrieked, “No!”
Hailey’s ears were ringing, and she heard muffled cries.
Lauren was lying on the floor next to Sara, both of them unmoving. Blood was everywhere and Trinity was standing over Lauren, gun in hand, shaking uncontrollably.
A loud thud came from the door as Trey barreled in, gun drawn, followed by Gavin.
Hailey pulled herself up and crawled to Ryan’s body, feeling for the knife that had been shoved under his body when he had dropped to the floor. Trey locked eyes with her, and she said, “I’m fine, but Trinity shot Lauren, and I don’t know if Sara is dead or alive.”
Gavin ran toward Sara as Trey holstered his weapon and slowly made his way to Trinity and gently put his hand on top of the gun that Trinity was holding. “Trinity, it’s Dad. Can you give me the gun?”
Her eyes were wide and hollow as she stared down at Lauren’s dead body, blood filling the cracks in the old wooden floor. The gun remained pointed at the monster she’d just killed.
“Trinity, look at me,” he said gently.
“I didn’t help Aunt Sara when Ryan attacked her. I couldn’t let Lauren kill her.” Trinity finally released her grip on the gun and looked at him as she crumbled into his arms, crying hysterically.
Hailey managed to cut herself free, and she ran to her daughter and held her close, Trey wrapping his arms around both of them.
Only a few feet away, Gavin brought Sara’s limp body to his chest and held her tight as he cried into her neck. “Sara, please. Stay with me. I can’t lose you, too.”
Hailey brought her hand to her mouth and let out a sob. Then, she heard footsteps as other officers raced down the hall. One ran to aid Gavin as he placed two fingers on Sara’s neck. “She’s got a pulse! Let’s go!” Two paramedics were already coming down through the door and they loaded Sara up on a stretcher and quickly rolled her out to the ambulance, Gavin running behind them.
The third officer walked over to Ryan and shook his head, confirming he was deceased.
Then he walked to Lauren to do the same. “Get another medic in here!” he yelled.
Hailey turned around quickly.
Then the medic came and took Lauren’s body away on a stretcher and loaded her into the ambulance.