Page 76 of Keep Healing

“No!” I cried. He was going to kill us all. I was sure of it. Livy would leave her kids with no mother. Matt. Cole. My guys. I couldn’t let it happen.

“Beg me, Eight. Beg me to shoot you instead of him!” Soloman yelled into my ear as he waved the gun at Kailan again.

“Don’t you dare, Evie! Shoot me, you chicken shit! Won’t be the first bullet I take!” Kailan baited him as he stepped forwards and opened his arms in invitation.

“Kailan, stop it!” I screamed as tears ran down my face. I couldn’t stand by and watch him shoot the man I loved. I’d rather die.

It all happened so fast then. The gun fired and Kailan went down. I screamed as my heart ripped into two.

“EVIE! DOWN!” I heard Nick’s voice roar and without a thought I dropped all of my weight so Soloman had to let me go. I fell to the ground hard and tried to roll away from him, but I’d barely moved when two more shots sounded. Soloman’s heavy body slumped and landed over me, the warmth of his blood running down my back and neck.

“Evie!” Harris yelled. He rolled Soloman’s body off of me and I was instantly in his arms.

“Kailan?” I cried as I looked to where he had fallen in the kitchen.

“He’s okay, Evie. The bullet hit his shoulder,” Aleks called back to me.

“Let me down. I have to see him!” I fought to get out of Harris’s arms and ran around the counter, dropping to my knees beside where Kailan now sat up against the cabinet. Aleks was pressing a towel to his shoulder, which seemed to be bleeding way too much.

“Oh God!” I gasped. “You’re such an idiot!” I cried as I hit out at his good arm. “Why did you do that? Why?” I was crying by the end of my question, and Kailan wrapped his arm round me and pulled me into his side. I pressed my face to his shoulder and just cried harder. I had thought I’d lost him.

“I knew he was a shit shot,” he chuckled. “I’m gonna be just fine, darlin’. Stop crying now. It’s over. It’s all over,” he told me as he held me tightly.

“I-is he d-dead?” I asked as I looked up at Harris. I could just see around the counter to where Nick was kicking away the gun Soloman held. He bent down to check for a pulse, then looked to me.

“Yeah, he’s dead. Kailan’s right. It’s over, baby,” Nick confirmed.

I could hear Livy sniffling as Matt and Cole both held her. I knew it had to have brought up some awful history for her and I hated that she had been caught up in it all.

“Evie? Are you okay?” Cole asked as he looked over to me. Mat and Livy turned to me too and I forced a weak smile.

“Yeah. I…I think so.” I gasped.

“Deep breaths, malenka. Try to catch your breath,” Aleks coached as his eyes met mine. I nodded shakily and tried to take in deeper breaths, but my adrenaline was surging, my heart racing and I found it hard to calm myself down.

“Where’s Zack? I-is he okay?” I asked as I looked to Nick.

“Your mom and dad have him. They got out to call the cops,” Nick explained as he put the gun he had used down on the counter and came over to me. “You’re bleeding,” he told me as he lifted my head a little. My head was pounding and I could feel the blood running down the side of my face.

“I’m okay,” I assured him as I grabbed his hand and clutched it tightly.

“I need to go and deal with the cops. You okay here, sweetheart?” Harris asked as his eyes locked with mine.

“Get EMT’s in here. This wound is still bleeding way too fucking much,” Aleks added, and Harris looked to Kailan with worry, as did I.

“Chill, drama queens. It’s fine. Bullet went right through,” Kailan told us all, but he did sound a little out of it and I was definitely worried.

“EVIE! LIVY! ” A deep voice roared through the house, startling me, but I relaxed when I realized who it was.

“In here. We’re okay, Kade,” Livy called back instantly.

Kade ran in then, followed by Kyle. They both looked to Livy first, then to me. Just behind them were the three guys in Shepard Security jackets, who I assumed had been outside.

“H-he’s dead,” I told them. “It’s over.” The security guys backed off at hearing that, for which I was grateful. The last thing I needed was to be surrounded by huge strangers.

“You’re hurt?” Kyle growled as he came closer to me.

“Fucker hit her with the gun. I’m going to get EMT’s now,” Harris told him. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head, then hurried from the kitchen.

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