Page 118 of Vicious Sentiments

I gulp, not wanting to know why we have to get there first.

“Give me my phone.” Dillon gets in front of Cape.

Before I can worry about an altercation, Cape lifts his arm that is holding the gun and brings it down on Dillon’s head—hard.

I gasp.

Dillon blinks once, twice, and then he crumples to the ground.

“Fuck.” Julian spins around. “What the fuck did you do?”

“We don’t have time for him right now.” Cape steps over Dillon’s body.

Julian shakes his head but turns back around, continuing to lead the way. I gape at Dillon in the sand. He looks like a homeless man taking a nap, bunched up against the wall. If I wasn’t already taking this seriously, I am now. Part of me hoped that maybe the shots came from somewhere else, that the boys were just being cautious, but to just knock Dillon out without hesitation?

I grip tighter onto Cape.

When we reach the base of the steps to Margo’s, he sets me down, grabbing my chin with one hand. “Point and shoot,” he reminds me.

“I can’t.” Tears have started falling down my cheeks.

“You have to.” He shakes me. “You have to fight. You have towantto survive if something happens. None of that ‘she’is peace bullshit.”

I suck in a breath. God, he’s right. I’ve completely forgotten about how badly I want to live. I swipe at my face with my free hand and nod.

“Good. Stay ten feet behind me.” He turns without my acknowledgment, and my hand shakes. My whole body feels cold without his arms around me and now I have to stay ten feet back?

I don’t aim the gun as I follow, worried that I’ll accidentally shoot Cape, and instead keep it at my side. I walk on wobbly legs, trying to get a hold of myself. Didn’t I just promise myself that I would kill the next man who tried to hurt me? And if this is the Tortellis, then I want them dead all the same. Anyone who hurts a woman deserves to die.

I hang back by a chaise, waiting. When Julian opens the french doors they let out a little click that has every muscle in my body tensing. They both creep in and scan their guns around like a verysmall SWAT team. The lights are off and there’s no sound.

My gut twists and I switch the gun between my hands again, unable to hold onto it while my palms are sweating. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that the house is silent. Maybe itwasrandom fireworks. Or maybe Marney and Margo are lying lifeless in their beds as the blood soaks the sheets.

I gulp and shake the thought from my head. This isn’t the movies. I need to get it together.

Cape waves me into the house and I don’t hesitate to scurry across the deck. He puts a hand on the top of my head when I reach him and he firmly pushes. Confused at first, I then squat, mirroring him. We walk low to the ground and clear the kitchen.

When we round the corner for the living room we all stop. Both Cape and Julian are squinting into the dark and have their eyes trained towards the stairs. I can’t tell what they are looking at. It doesn’t make sense. There are mounds at the bottom of the stairs, and my brain can’t make sense of what the dark outlines are.

I jump when one of the mounds gasps.

“Shit,” Julian curses at his regular tone and straightens. He immediately flicks a light switch, and all the air leaves my body.

There are four bodies in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, absolutely smothered in blood. And at the bottom of the pile, a lock of blonde hair peeks out, stained red.

“Marney!” I scream.

The body that gasped is Margo, who is on top, and she chokes, reaching a hand up.

“Get me up!” she croaks, and Cape springs forward.

The other two bodies are men I’ve never seen before. They’re dressed in jeans and black shirts and are… dead? Oh god, is Marney dead beneath them?

I drop my gun on the floor and go forward, getting on my kneesand desperately trying to shove off the men as Cape helps Margo up. My knees hit lukewarm blood and soak into my pants.

“Are you hurt?” Julian asks Margo as he tries to help me.

“I rolled down the fucking stairs, of course I’m hurt. Get Marney!”

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