Page 117 of Vicious Sentiments

I give Dillon a searing look. This whole thing could have been avoided if he didn’t come over here. Now I have to explain what I saw when tensions are already high. If I tell them my theory that he has a crush on their mother, I’m sure Cape will strangle him. Then again, maybe Dillon needs a wake up call. He’s been nothing but unhinged since I’ve met him and what if he is obsessed with Margo like Marney’s friend’s creepy brother?

Maybe if I throwhimunder the bus he will stop meddling.

“When you went to get Julian from El Cuco, I caught him in—” I start.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Three pops suddenly go off and everyone freezes.

They came from somewhere outside, muffled like they came from down the way, but I can’t tell in which direction. They kind of remind me of the Fourth of July.

“Fireworks?” I ask, my lips pulled down.

“Those are gun shots.” Julian springs into action and spins. He goes to a little sleek table by the door and opens a drawer. When he turnsback around my heart speeds up at the sight of a gun in his hand.

He motions for Cape to take it, but Cape reaches around his back and pulls a similar one out. “Already ready, brother.”

Where did that come from? Does he always have a gun on him? I’ve never noticed before.

“What’s going on?” my voice cracks.

“Unless Ms. Milton shot her husband, then we have a problem.” Julian tugs the bag from my hand and it falls to the floor. He pushes the gun in my hand and I back up, holding it out in my palm. What the fuck does he expect me to do with a gun? I’ve never even done target practice. I don’t know the first thing about how to hold it or how many bullets it has.

“Did that come fromourhouse?” Dillon’s angry shade of tomato has faded and now he’s a sickly pale that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“I don’t know how to use this!” I screech, feeling suddenly panicked. Why would there be gunshots coming from Margo’s?

“I told you something was wrong! She always answers! Fuck!” Dillon tugs at his hair. “Marney!”

My stomach twists, and Cape grabs the gun from my hand and situates it so my finger is on the side of the trigger. “Point and shoot,” he growls. “Go to the first level—”

“No.” Julian grabs Cape’s shoulder, looking behind me and examining the house. “We can’t leave her. They might already be here.”

“Fuck,” Cape huffs and suddenly I’m hoisted up, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. I flail with the gun, terrified that I’m going to accidentally fire it.

“Who?!” Dillon shouts, and both Cape and Julian wince at his volume.

“Quiet!” Julian hisses.

“Stay here and find out.” Cape sneers, and then we are out the backdoor.

Julian has grabbed another gun, from where I have no clue, and he has it aimed with both hands. He leads the front as we creep down the stairs to the dark beach. My arms are latched around Cape’s neck and I try to angle the gun down so it’s not pointed at Dillon who is taking up the rear.

Dillon is jittery, sweat beading at his forehead, and he’s looking over the rail, trying to see down the beach. He doesn’t make a move to rush ahead of us though. His eyes are wild with worry and I’m sure my expression isn’t that much different.

I whisper into Cape’s ear. “Do you really think it came from the house?”

“This isn’t a neighborhood where you would usually hear gunshots.” Cape leans his head closer to me and his voice is husky and tight. “And we’re the only ones with a current target on our backs.”

“Tortellis?”

He doesn’t answer me and instead growls. The vibrations hum through his chest to mine and I try to let it soothe my rapidly beating heart.

When we make it half way down the beach, sticking close to the half wall like I did with Marney, my hands are so slick that I have to keep readjusting the gun.

“We should call the police,” Dillon says, when the Milton’s security light comes on.

“Stupid,” Cape hisses. “Someone probably already did. We need to get there first.”

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