Page 97 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

Oh, and I forgot to mention: he was an ex-con.

Not to brag, but I was alive when you could slam the phone down to hang up on someone. It was spectacular.

—Auden to Athena

AUDEN

I didn’t expect the trigger of the gun to be pulled the moment our eyes locked.

Nor did I expect the way a gunshot would hurt.

I mean, yeah, logically, I fully expected it would hurt to be shot.

But the burning pain that accompanied the bullet tearing into my face?

No, I never would’ve expected that kind of pain.

I fell backwards, twisting my body awkwardly, as the sound of the bullet leaving the gun sent a shockwave through my ears.

My eyes couldn’t focus, and there was ringing in my ears.

Dizziness started to overtake me, and it took all I had to keep rolling out of Scott’s line of sight.

I could feel warm blood leaking down my face, and my adrenaline was spiking so fast inside of me that I couldn’t think straight.

“Lucky,” Scott drawled. “I was hoping you’d take that one right to the eyeball.”

I gritted my teeth and rolled some more until I was behind the couch.

I heard the door to my place get pushed open wider and cursed my stupidity.

There I was worried about Maven this morning, and I should’ve been just as worried about myself.

“What do you want, Austin?” I snarled, army-crawling on the ground, hoping beyond hope that I could make a mad dash for my kitchen without him catching me.

“I want a little… oh,” he said. “Look who it is. My non-sister.”

Stomach clenching in knots, I army-crawled farther so that I could see his face between the couch and the recliner and saw him smiling down at his boots.

Now or never…

I went up on my toes, keeping crouched low, and ran.

I didn’t hear whatever else he said to her on the phone.

However, it was as I got to my room and realized I didn’t have my phone that I understood what I’d done.

This morning, I’d had my phone in my hand.

I’d dropped it on the floor next to the entryway.

Goddammit.

I picked up my gun, checked to see if it was loaded, and whirled around to the door, moving until I was in a more fortified position.

Heart in my throat, I waited.

And waited.

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