Page 219 of Dare To Live

Eli, I need to find Eli.

I force my legs to move.

The sound of a gunshot rips through the air.

No.

I move without thought. When I burst into the room, everything seems to slow down.

Eli is tied to a chair, which is upturned on the floor. His face is a bloodied mess from a beating, and there’s blood everywhere. His eyes are closed, and he’s not moving.

Is he dead?

Did Evan kill him?

Oh my god, is he dead?

Am I too late?

My bottom lip trembles. “Eli?”

He doesn’t move.

I’m too late.

The man in the room turns at the sound of my voice.

He raises his gun.

At the same time, there’s movement from my left. I recognize Linda a split second before I see the knife in her hand. Lunging back out of her way, all those years of self-defense lessons take over.

I grab her wrist and pull her in front of me. With a hard shove, I send her sideways straight into Evan. The force of her slamming into him is enough to send him backward. He loses his balance and tumbles over the chair Eli is tied to.

My eyes stay glued to the gun as it flies out of his hand. I scramble after it and pick it up. When I spin back to face the room, Evan is on his feet and the knife is in his hand.

This monster has Zoey and Kellan’s blood on his hands. He’s taken Eli from me.

This needs to end.

I have to stop him before he claims another life.

Finger on the trigger, I fire into his chest. He jerks as the bullet hits him. The second shot knocks him off his feet.

I cross the room and stand over him. His eyes meet mine and he smiles.

“You won’t do it.”

I squeeze the trigger.

I can’t look away.

Blood drips from his mouth. The breath rattles in his lungs. His eyes turn glassy.

I stare down at him. I can pinpoint the moment he loses the battle.

Evan is dead. I killed him.

Eli is dead.

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