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I snatched that phone back so damn fast, questioning Ethan with a scowl. I didn't have time for this foolishness.

"If you come across Lily first," I said, just for the fucking sake of it. I doubted he would. "Get her back, WITHOUT killing him, please."

Ethan got the full force of my glare as I hung up the phone and threw it at his chest.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You don't make fucking deals like that with ex-mob bosses, no matter what they say! Are you fucking crazy?!" Oh, I could raise up on my toes and punch him in his big, stupid head.

"Yeah!" He fired back. "A little. I'm a little crazy at the moment and fucking desperate. That piece of shit hurt Lil..."

'Gunshots can be heard in the distance.' The reporter's voice broke through our discourse. Ethan and I stopped talking at once and turned to face the screen. My limbs were dead.

Chapter 19

Lily

Do or die, that was the motto of the moment.

"Hand over Lily Thornbread and we'll go easier on you!" A voice bounced through the trees like it was being filtered out of heaven itself. "Do not do anything stupid."

Wait, they were here for me? I'd been rescued. Tears started streaming down my face and I fell to my knees, shaking. Not so fast... I was grabbed by my hair and pulled to my feet. I wailed in pain.

"Shut the fuck up if you want to live!" He snarled into my ear.

"You're never going to get away with this." I sobbed as he dragged me along.

"I said, shut the fuck up!" He bit. His eyes were wide as he dodged the floodlights dancing all around us.

"You're surrounded. You have a better chance if you let me go and run away. All they care about is getting me back alive, please." I negotiated.

"I'm not going anywhere without you!" He searched for direction.

"Why?!" I pulled back against his tight grip on my scalp. "They'll kill you if you don't let me go. Or you'll go straight to prison."

"I ain't going to no prison." He scoffed before turning around to look me in the eyes. "And right before they kill me, I'll kill you first." He warned. "So if you want to fucking live, you'll hurry the fuck up!"

"This is so fucking stupid! Why are you doing this? If you let me go, you can escape and continue your life. If you take me with you, what then? I hope you don't think that'll get you your 'hundred million dollars'?" I mocked, using air quotes and rolling my eyes. "You've already lost. You might as well kill me now."

"You know, that's not a bad fucking idea." He growled.

"It is if you consider that it'll only mean hell for you, after." I tried to convince him.

"I ain't got nothing to live for anyway. Go big or go home, I say." He pulled me closer to him.

It was fucking now or never. This man valued nothing, not even his own life. Nothing I said would convince him to even save himself.

But freedom was so fucking close.

Continuing to go along with him with my knees knocking together like clackers could mean the difference of not being reunited with my men again and risking my life to save myself.

I didn't have the opportunity before, because he was always in control. Now, there was fucking hope. These people were here for me, and I'd be damned if I wasted this opportunity.

With all the strength I had left in me, I pushed my body into him and sent him stumbling backwards. He released my hair to catch himself. His gun went off. I stumbled but managed not to fall. And I just started fucking running.

"Ay, get back here!" He faltered before he began to chase me. My eyes were focused on the lights and I almost saw THE light when a bullet whizzed past my head, so close, I felt the wind of it bite into my cheek.

I forced my legs to move faster as I ducked, weaving and bobbing, hiding behind the trees that took the bullets for me.

"Help!" I screamed. "I'm over here!"

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