Page 96 of Vengeful Guard

I step down on the man’s insole as hard as I can, kneeing up to hit him in the groin, putting my whole body into it.

He groans and doubles over.

A soon as his grip on me weakens, I yank my arm free and sprint away, crawling under a table as gunshots ring out.

My eyes are everywhere, looking for Kael, looking for Da.

Kael wrestles with one of the men, but I can’t quite see who’s winning because everyone in the restaurant is screaming and trying to run out of one of the exits.

They’re getting jammed at the door in their panic, and I don’t know if anyone is getting out.

As I peer underneath the tablecloth, my heart in my throat, Kael shoot the man between the eyes.

I wince, looking back toward my father, who’s drawn his gun, pointing it at the two men that have come in the back.

They’re wearing ski-masks, so I can’t tell who they are.

Are they Murphy’s men?

More gunshots ring out, making my ears start to hurt, and Da hits the floor again, unmoving this time.

My breath catches in my throat, and I know I should stay put, that staying put would be what Da would want, but I can’t.

Scrambling from beneath the table, I manage to get to his side.

Using a cloth napkin, I hold pressure down on the blood spot blooming on his chest, marring his white shirt.

“Help! Please, somebody! Help me.” I look down at my da, and his eyes are closed, his face white as a ghost. “No, no, no, no, Da. Come on, stay with me.”

Tears start streaming down my face as I try to shake him awake without removing the cloth from the wound. “Da, please, Da… I need you to stay with me, please wake up. Please.”

Da’s eyes flutter, and he looks up at me.

I laugh as tears still fall unbidden. “Da, you’re going to be okay, just please don’t fall asleep on me again, okay?”

His mouth moves, but no sound comes out.

“I—I don’t…” I frown shaking my head and lower myself so my ear is by his mouth.

“Get out.” The words are a gurgly breath. “Get out of here, a’stor.”

I shake my head. “No, I’m not leaving you.”

I press down on the wound until he groans, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he passes out.

The blood keeps blooming despite the pressure I’m keeping on the gunshot, and I look up, wild-eyed, to see if anyone is calling for help. To see if I can find Kael.

He’s still wrestling with one of the guys that came in from the front, and my heart pumps so fast I can hear it in my ears.

Everything goes a little fuzzy around the edges, but to bring myself back, I bite down on my lip so hard that the taste of iron fills my tongue.

I need to help Da, help Kael. I need to push through.

I won’t let this be like one of my nightmares, where I can’t get away, where I’m helpless, useless. The weakest link.

25

KAEL

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