Page 84 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

“No?” He glanced around the room, but the gun never wavered from Lily’s head. “I assume you have the book?”

I fought to keep the confusion from my face. What the hell was he talking about? “I don’t know anything about a book.”

I ground my teeth together as he squeezed Lily, who cried out again. “What about you?”

She shook her head vehemently. “I—I don’t have any book. I swear. G-go look.”

Her body trembled violently, and I wanted to rip her from his arms. “She has nothing to do with this. Let her go.”

He smirked. “Where’s the fun in that?”

He stroked the muzzle along her cheek, and she recoiled. Fury simmered in my veins. “It’s me you came for. Take me.”

I didn’t want to press my luck by bartering too much. If they suspected how much I cared for her, they would have no mercy on her. They’d break her just to teach me a lesson.

“A life for a life?” He rolled his eyes with a sigh. “How predictable.”

He released his hold, and Lily stumbled away a few steps. My heart leaped with hope. “Lily, go.”

I could feel her gaze swing my way. “But…”

“Go. Now.” She hesitated another moment, and my pulse accelerated. She needed to get as far the hell away from him as she could before he changed his mind.

“Goddamn it, Lily!” I screamed. “Get the fuck out of here!”

The man sneered. “You’re wasting my time.”

The pistol swung my way, and his finger tightened on the trigger. In my peripheral vision, I watched as Lily suddenly changed directions, throwing herself my way.

“No!”

The gun went off and, almost simultaneously, a scream rent the air as Lily crumpled to the floor. Gunfire erupted around me, but I wasn’t paying attention.

My gaze was fixed on Lily as I dropped to my knees by her side and sheltered her body with my own. “Oh, God. Lily, mi corazón, look at me.”

She grimaced, and her lashes fluttered as she fought to open her eyes. An agonized moan escaped her lips, and dark red blood blossomed over her torso where she’d been hit. I yanked her shirt up, searching for the injury. My stomach twisted at the sight of the ragged flesh.

“You’re going to be fine.” I pressed one hand to the wound, and she cried out at the contact. The sound pierced my heart like a knife. I’d done this; she’d been hurt because of me.

A dozen emotions swam through my chest, making my skin feel too tight for my body. I’d never allowed myself to be hindered by emotion before. I’d always prided myself on remaining calm in any situation, but this pushed me to the edge. A murderous rage swept over me at the injustice of it all.

A quick glance in his direction told me that the man who’d shot her was dead. Good thing, because in that moment I wanted to kill him all over again, drag out his death, make it slow and painful.

Lily drew in a wheezing breath, and her eyes closed again. “Look at me,” I demanded, my voice cracking. “Look at me, damn it!”

Her lids opened to tiny slits, and her mouth twisted. “So… bossy.”

The relief I felt at her sassy response died away when her eyes closed again a moment later. “Why the hell did you do that? Don’t ever do something like that again.”

She winced as she spoke. “Someone had to protect you.”

Awe and fury pulsed through me. She’d sacrificed herself for me. “That was stupid.”

My words were harsh, but as usual, they had the opposite effect on Lily. She offered a tiny smile as she met my gaze. “I would do it all over again.” Her gaze turned serious. “I’m so glad I met you.”

I recognized the look in her eyes, the way exhaustion pulled at her. Blood oozed steadily under my hand, seeping into my jeans and pooling in the carpet beneath me. “Don’t you dare give up,” I snapped. “You’re going to be okay.”

Maybe if I said it fiercely enough, I could divine it. The light in her eyes began to fade, and terror raced through me. She was losing too much blood.

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