Page 123 of Gifts

I scream and fumble to get the car into reverse. He keeps beating on my door, causing my Infiniti to rock with his force, and finally goes for my window with the butt of his gun. Before I can get the gear shifted, I scream. He breaks through, the glass shattering into a million pieces and falling into the car and all over me. Just as he reaches through and grabs me by my hair with one hand, he presses the gun violently into the side of my head with his other.

I try to scream, but can’t seem to force my body to make a sound.

With no other option, I hit the gas just as a gunshot rings through my ears.

*****

Asa

Grady, Crew, and Jarvis weren’t far when I called them. They’ve caught up, following in Grady’s Cadillac.

I have my own trackers on all my cars. Kills me the police took even the small amount of time they did to call her house. I could be to her by now.

I direct my truck into a field where her car is pinging on the map and throw my truck into four-wheel drive. I’m on what looks to be an old, overgrown road, and hit the gas.

When I come into a clearing, I grab my gun before I even have a chance to throw my truck into park. Keelie’s Infiniti is moving in reverse and White just reached through her driver’s window. I barely have the time to clear my door as I watch White bring his gun up.

I lift my arm, and at this range with no one else around, it’s easy.

I pull the trigger.

White’s head jerks and blood spews out the other side before he falls, dead to the ground.

Crew, Grady, and Jarvis don’t waste any time and run past me. Maggie is lying on the ground and three men are running off into the field.

I don’t give a shit. I go straight to Keelie.

The Infiniti is still moving, so as I run up to the driver’s door, I use my fob to unlock it. She screams and jolts, shocked when her eyes find mine. When I reach for the door, she puts her foot on the brake, causing the car to slam to a stop.

Gasping, she’s white knuckling the steering wheel with what looks to be all her strength and she’s covered in blood that I hope to God isn’t hers.

But she sits there, stock still, not moving a muscle.

I lower my voice. “Put it in park, baby.”

Her eyes bore into mine, but she doesn’t move a muscle.

Reaching over her, I shift it into park, making her jerk as I brush against her body.

I keep my focus on her and soften my voice. “It’s over. Let go of the steering wheel.”

She blinks once, and if anything, her hold tightens.

“Baby, come to me.” I hold my hand out for her.

She shakes her head—not like she doesn’t want to. Like she can’t.

I pry her fingers from the wheel, pulling her to me as glass rains down from her. The second I touch her, she deflates.

Through tears and sobs, she cries, “Tom is in the back of the car. He’s been shot. Not like when I was shot—he’s really shot and it’s bad and he’s lost a lot of blood. He needs an ambulance.”

“We’ll get him help.” I brush the glass off her and hold her to me as I see Crew come around the front of the car with a guy in cuffs. “Hey, her coworker’s been shot. He’s in the back.” Crew makes his way around her car and no sooner do I get the words out of my mouth, I hear sirens. “See? They’ll take care of him. It’s all over.”

“Brett White,” she hiccups. “He had something to do with Brandon and Kyler. I think he had them killed and he was going to kill us. And fuck, I’m pretty sure he just sold Maggie. I heard and saw it all.”

Grady comes around with another guy cuffed and Jarvis follows with Raymond Wallace. Dammit if Jarvis doesn’t look frustrated because the police showed up. Who the hell knows what kind of arrangement he had with Dooley. Whatever it was, it’s not happening now.

Police cruisers do their best to make their way through the brush, along with two ambulances. “See? It’s all over.”

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