Page 88 of Fight for You

"I own more than that," I mumble.

She frowns at me like she doesn't understand. Of course, she doesn't, though. She has no clue I'm about to drop a bomb on her that will drastically change her life.

"I…" Now that the moment's here, I'm suddenly afraid to tell her. I don't want this to change us, and I'm terrified it will, even if we don't mean for it to happen. But I've kept this secret for long enough. It almost destroyed me and Titan. I don't want it to jeopardize what I have with January. I want to be able to give her anything she needs. Titan, too. I never again want him to feel like he has to make a deal with the devil to ensure January has what she needs in life. And I want her and Jana to know I'll be able to take care of both of them the way they deserve.

"Cade?" January says, looking at me like I'm freaking her out.

I offer her a reassuring smile. "Stay right here. I've gotta get something, and then I'll explain."

"Okay," she agrees with a shrug.

I brush my lips across hers and then hurry down the hall to Ma Lucia's room. Even after all this time, it still smells like her. The room is exactly the way she left it—well, except for the stuff she wanted donated to various homeless shelters. All of her clothes and costume jewelry are gone, but the rest of the room is still hers. Even though she left me the house in her will, changing it doesn't feel right.

I make my way over to her desk, where all the paperwork for my trust fund is located. I was worried January would stumble across it if I left it in my room. Sifting through the stack of documents, I finally find what I'm searching for and head back toward the living room, praying like hell she doesn't kick my ass for keeping this from her for so long.

Halfway down the hall, a loud pop, like a car backfiring, sounds outside. And then four more pops go off, one right after another. Someone screams outside and I realize it's not a car backfiring.

It's gunshots.

Someone's shooting up the block.

"January!" I roar and barrel down the hall toward her. She's still standing where I left her, looking at the door like she doesn't understand what's happening. I grab her around the waist and throw her to the floor before covering her with my body.

The front window explodes a second later, glass showering down on us. Shots continue to ring out all around us. There are so many, it sounds like a war erupted right outside the front door. With every shot, dread claws its way through me, burning like acid.

January screams as another window shatters in a spray of glass.

And then everything falls silent, the chaos ending as abruptly as it started.

I lay on top of her for a second, not moving, but no more shots come. An engine roars outside.

"Stay here," I yell in her ear and then jump to my feet. Glass falls off me in a flood, crashing to the floor all around her. None of it hits her, thank God.

"Cade!" she cries when I fling the front door open.

"Stay here," I order her one more time and then run outside. "Please, please, please," I chant over and over as I pound down the front steps. The same SUV from earlier disappears at the end of the block, taking the turn hard.

I turn toward January's house to go check on Titan and Jana.

My entire world crashes to my feet.

Titan and Jana are on the sidewalk, pink wrapping paper and food scraps scattered all around them. They're so still it's almost like they're sleeping. Except they aren't.

"No!" I scream, but I already know the word isn't going to change anything.

Blood pools around them, turning the cement red.

I stumble toward them on legs that don't want to work. They give out as I get to Titan's side. He's been hit so many times he looks like a pin cushion. Only those aren't pinholes all over his shirt. They're bullet holes.

He's still breathing, but barely.

Jana isn't. I don't think she'll ever breathe again. Not with…not with…

I turn to the side and vomit. I can't help it. She's exactly what January will look like in twenty years…and she's dead. The entire right side of her face is gone. She still has a garbage bag clutched in her hand.

People run toward me, shouting my name, but I can't think straight. I try to help Titan, try to stop the bleeding, but I don't even know where to start. How do you make someone stop bleeding when you only have two hands but they have fifteen or sixteen bullet wounds? I don't know.

I try, but it's no use. He takes a rattling breath and then stops. His chest doesn't move again.

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