Page 96 of Borden 3

I understood what he was saying.

We were sitting ducks.

We had to move.

Tears slid down my face as I forced a nod.

“Me first,” he said, though I had to read his lips. “You run when I fire!”

I nodded once more.

He didn’t even count to three. Nothing. He simply turned around and fired down the street where the men were, forcing their attention on him and the van.

I didn't linger.

I ran down the street for my life, turning my head once to check if Hector was following—

Bullets fired at me, and I lost my footing as they whizzed past my head. I fell hard, my head slamming into the door of a parked car. My head swam from dizziness. I attempted to get up, but the thudding in my skull was so profound, I fell back on my ass. Shaking my head, I crawled behind the car, taking cover, trying to concentrate as my world tilted on its axis.

It was too late.

The gunshots had drowned out the sound of fast, approaching footsteps. A man in a mask stood before me, aiming his gun at my head. I blinked up at him, my terror strangely muted as I looked down the barrel. Instead of shooting, he raised the gun and slammed it against my head.

The world went black.

Chapter Thirty Two

Emma

Past

“Boo.”

I opened my raw eyes.

Theo hovered over me, attempting to smile, though I saw the loaded look of sadness in him. I slowly sat up, glancing quickly at the door. It was closed. Granny was sleeping. I hadn’t left the house in nine days, and she’d looked hopeful I wouldn’t sneak out again. I liked that look on her. The relief. The happiness.

“What do you want, Theo?” I asked, tightly.

“To make amends.” He placed a cupcake on the bed and then took a large step back, as if giving me space to decide the outcome.

“A cupcake?” I said, dryly.

“You turned fifteen yesterday.”

My throat closed. I didn’t say anything for some time. I just stared at the cupcake, debating what to do. He had ditched me on the bastion, and I nearly got raped having to get home that night. If it wasn’t for that muscled up stranger, I might have been battling new trauma wounds or, worse, I’d be dead.

I let out a shaky breath. “I can’t do this anymore, Theo.”

His shoulders dropped. I heard the air leave his lungs in a whoosh. “You promised you’d stay with me, Emma—”

“You promised, too, and you left me,” I cut in harshly. I glared at him, feeling my eyes well up. They were angry tears, though. I pointed my finger at him. “You left me to walk home alone and I had to go through the worst neighbourhoods, Theo! The worst. I almost…”

Now it was Theo’s turn to glance back at the door, like he was worried about Granny’s wrath. Then he looked back at me. “I didn’t think you’d leave the lookout. I thought you'd be there until morning."

“I was there for hours—”

“And I was dumping the bag back at the house. It took longer than I expected.” He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, exasperated. “I was angry at you. You looked at me like I was a liar. It fucking hurt, Emma. So I took the bag back.”

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