Page 66 of Paddy

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Leaning my forehead against his barrel. “Do it!” He clicked the safety of his gun, as I tucked down and reached for the part of his leg that I had shot in the concert hall a few nights prior.

Moore flinched, but like me, he was used to a lot more pain, so I knew the only thing I could do in the moment was just wrestle the gun from him, pivoting and catching him in a headlock.

He elbowed me in the stomach with a vengeful force, knocking the wind out of me as it swung the gun across the room. The turn of events prompted me to warn Pretty to take her son like she’d planned.

“Take Elijah and get out of here,” I yelled, only just catching her failed attempt at untying Vernon but choosing to save her son instead.

Moore had always been a strong one, but I'd taken a beating—or a hundred—to not be knocked down so easily. In a time like this, I was almost grateful for a father like Oisín, as I could have never fought through pain without him. Moore stabbed me in the hip, forcing me to knock him out cold with one punch.

“Don't make me do this, Moore. He ain't worth it.”

“You don't know what we've been through,” Moore said, letting out a hard breath.

“I don't,” I said, limping toward Vernon in an effort to let him go protect his fucking wife.

“But if I gotta choose between you and protecting the woman and kid, I'm not choosing you. Because they happen tobemy whole world. I may not be meant to have them. And it ain’t fair, but that’s life?—”

As in a nasty twist of events, Vernon slammed back the back of his head as hard as he could into my face, forcing me back as he struggled to get the rest of his restraints off himself.

“You piece of horseshite, I'm trying to help you,” I said, stalking over toward him and clocking him like I should have done the night he caught me kissing Pretty.

Like expected, Vernon could only get in a good punch if no one saw it coming. With time to rest up, Moore was back on me, knowing that if he didn't take me down, I was going to be his biggest obstacle when it came to Pretty.

If I hadn’t known any better, I would say this had been a set up the whole time. Vernon was a coward, but he knew he didn't have the balls to get rid of his responsibility himself. He certainly didn't seem fucking upset at the idea of losing Pretty as much as losing Moore. First thing I’d be doing is checking in on my wife and son, not helping my jilted lover get the drop on someone. Vernon really was a piece of work. Pretty’d probably never see that since she’s already made her choice, but my hope was she’d gotten far enough away where it hadn’t mattered anyway.

For what Moore made up in size, I made up for in stamina, but having a third person—even one who couldn't fight very well—was a fucking nuisance. Before I knew it, I was cornered, smearing sweat and blood from my forehead, ready to go one more round.

Someone probably wasn't walking out of here, and that someone probably was me. “Go get the gun,” Moore demanded, as Vernon disappeared across the room in search for it.

“Guess this is the end of the line,” I said, looking into dead eyes, eyes Iusedto trust, looking back at me like there was no love in them. “Just do me a favor. When I go, burn the body. My brothers, once I go missing, they'll fucking hunt you. And they ain’t gonna be so clean about it,” I warned. Everything after that seemed like it was happening in slow motion.

Vernon walking over to the gun. A loud banging sound deafening the room. Vernon falling to the floor, Pretty standing in a doorway, holding a gun in her hand.

I only had a second to assess Moore's reaction, as he fell to his feet to check on Vernon. It had been a clean shot, just like I taught her, so Moore knew he wouldn't have long. “You bitch!” Moore rose to his feet in an uncontrollable rage.

I didn't have time not to react, as I crawled toward the gun Vernon dropped and before Moore could reach her, I put a bullet in the back of his head without even thinking.

Pretty ran to her husband, looking at me falling apart, but trying to keep it together that I'd kill my only friend.

I went to him, ignoring all the bits and blood that came from the damage, trying to hold back tears as I hugged him one last time. He didn't deserve this. But I knew he was never going to stop. Ihadto.

“I'm sorry, buddy. I'msosorry,” I mourned, holding his lifeless body, hoping that he had one last breath just enough to feel it.

Vernon's coughing up blood brought me out of my stupor as he was gasping for air, wasting whatever time he had left to speak his final words, “I'm sorry, Pretty. For letting things get this far. I tried to end it. Ishouldhave, but I just couldn't quit him. He was a love of my life.”

The words appeared to damage Pretty’s ego, but maybe there was a look of relief mixed in too. To help her with the guilt.

“I did love you, just not the way you needed,” he said, finding the strength to cup her face. “Thought, if I can do it for anybody, I could do it for you. But I guess I'm not so good at pretending.” Just before the light was about to leave his eyes, he looked to me, covered in Moore's blood and said, “Take care of her and my son.”

Thirty

Paddy

The sheer violence of what happened was finally sinking in. For the first time in years, the images I was forced to see disturbed me. Moore…he was dead. His lifeless eyes would probably haunt me for a while. I couldn’t…I couldn’t believe the man who had selflessly carried me when I couldn’t walk myself, had died by my hand. My heart was heavy. My heart wassoheavy.

But there were things I could control in this moment, so I had to get a grip. What disturbed me most was Pretty, covered in her husband’s blood. She was too pure for this kind of thing. She couldn’t be around this.

“Where’s Elijah?” I turned to Pretty, hoping he was someplace both safe, not far enough where he couldn’t easily walk in on this.

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