Page 108 of Bullet

A flare of anger surged through me. Anger at myself, because there was partial truth in his statement. My choices were self-serving, but to my detriment. I’d been nothing more than a possession to him.

I couldn’t trust Emerson. Given the chance to hurt me more, he’d torture Bullet.

I could do this though. Levi’s gun rested on the passenger seat. I’d never fired a gun before, but I’d seen it done in the movies. All I had to do was aim and pull the trigger.

“I’ll be there soon,” I said, and disconnected.

With each mile that passed, darkness weighed heavier inside me. I was going to lose Bullet tonight.

A primal, gut-wrenching wail clawed its way out of me. A flood of tears coursed down my face and dripped from my chin.

“Fuck.” I screamed in the car. “I hate you.” I fisted my hand. A reckless tumble of thoughts collided in my mind. With the slightest movement, I could careen headfirst into the guardrail, drive off the road, and finally just end this pain ripping me apart. “Fuck!”

Inside, I was already dying because I couldn’t live without him.

Once I entered the industrial park, I slowed as I drove the perimeter. At this time of night, most of the vehicles were clustered around manufacturing buildings. Streetlamps, about a hundred yards apart, left darkened corners and creepy side streets. A block away from the building, I released a shaky exhale and parked along the adjacent building in the shadows.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and dried the tears from my face.

Grabbing the gun but leaving the keys in the ignition, I exited the vehicle. If I could get Bullet out, and theifwas monumental, we’d need to be ready to run. Holy fuck. My heart raced and sweat trickled along my spine. I’d never had this much adrenaline firing through me, and I’d been in some fucked up situations.

I tried to stuff the gun in my pocket. I didn’t even know if it had bullets, but knowing Hellers, I assumed it was loaded. Fitting it into my pocket didn’t work. I twisted, attempting to shove it into the back of my shorts, then opted for stuffing it into the front.

I shifted, adjusted my posture, and took a few steps to see if I could hide the bulge beneath my shirt.

A body stepped from the shadows. Before I could scream, he tightened his arm around me from behind and clapped a hand over my mouth.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

I gripped Kodiak’s forearm and pulled his hand from my face. “Emerson has Bullet.”

“No shit. What the fuck areyoudoing here?” As his arm fell away, he brushed against the gun. He lifted my shirt.

I spun away from him, tugged down my shirt, and took two steps. “You can’t stop me. They’re hurting him because of me.”

Kodiak grabbed onto my arm. “That’s my brother in there. No way does he want you anywhere near Barras. We wait for Rogue and the others.”

“They’ll be too late.” I pulled the gun from my shorts. A thousand stinging wasps droned inside me. I fought the anxiety and lifted the gun. “Don’t try to stop me. Kodiak, he’s going to kill him anyway. Maybe I can give the others time to get here. Emerson knows I’m here. I have to go.”

“Jesus Christ.” He snatched the gun from my hand. “You don’t have a fucking clue what to do with this.” His fingers slid over the metal. “You have to release the safety.” He checked the slide, slammed it back into the gun, then lifted his arm and aimed. “It’s ready. Walk in with the gun in your hand.”

“Emerson will see it.”

“Yeah, and it’ll make him think twice before putting his hands on you. Trust me. You won’t make it five steps inside without being searched. Anyone approaches, pull the fucking trigger. I’ll find a back way in. We just need a few minutes.”

I nodded. Holding the gun, I rushed to the front door. Kodiak stayed in the shadows and moved to the rear of the building.

As soon as I stepped into the light from the overhead lamp, Mars threw open one of the receiving bay doors. As I climbed the metal steps to the loading dock, his gaze roamed down my body, lingered on the gun, and a smile curled his lips. “What do you think you’re going to do with that?”

“Stay out of my way, or you’ll find out.” I gripped the handle of the gun but kept my finger off the trigger. “Where is Emerson?”

Mars chuckled and stepped back. “Waiting for you and your friends.”

“I’ll follow you.” I held the gun, hopefully looking more confident than I felt. I trembled from my fingertips to the unsteady thump of my heart.

We passed through a barren area of the warehouse, circled around crates, and moved deeper into the heart of the building.

Several men surrounded Barras. One man leaned against the wall and smoked a cigarette. Torture devices lined a long table. Pliers, rope, and power tools. Blood splatter peppered the tarps covering the floor.

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