Page 130 of Beautiful Prey

Emery slowed, then halted only a few feet away. The rain pouring down made his suit stick to him, made his wavy hair stick to his mask.

I tried to grab Liam’s shoulder. “Put the gun down, Liam.”

His finger was on the trigger.

Liam held me back with one arm. I wanted Emery to look at me but his focus was only on Liam.

“You think you’re a hero?” Emery said. “You think you're saving her?”

“Iamsaving her,” Liam said. “And if you try to stop me, I will shoot.”

Emery shook his head. “No. You're not saving her. She doesn’t want to go with you, understand? She’s chosen me.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Ask her.”

Liam wouldn’t look at me. He only shook his head. “You're either a liar or you’ve stockholmed her.”

“Liam.” I shook his arm. “Just put the gun down. I’ll…I’ll go with you if you swear not to hurt him.” I glanced at Emery and we locked eyes. “Emery, let me go with him. Take the boat and go.”

Liam gave me a stunned look. “Eve.”

“Please, Emery, they are coming.”

We could hear the shouts of men and the barking of dogs in the distance. Emery looked over his shoulder, then turned back to me.

“I’m not going anywhere without her,” he said to Liam. “She’s coming with me.”

“No, she’s not,” Liam said.

Emery tilted his head. “You think you got a chance to hit me?” he said, taking one step then another. Prowling toward us like some predator. “With one bad arm? You think you can hitme enough times before I close the distance between us and take you down?”

Liam’s arm shook. “I’m willing to take that chance.”

This was really happening. They were going to fight. And I couldn’t stop them.

I opened my mouth to shout at them to stop anyway, ready to shove Liam’s arm down and force myself out from behind him to get between them.

But Emery was quicker. He lunged toward Liam to get to me.

It all happened so fast my brain couldn’t process it quick enough.

The first shot came from Liam. The second came from behind, somewhere in the tree line.

Liam’s shot caught him in the shoulder. The one from behind got him in the back.

Emery staggered. But he still kept coming.

Then Liam fired again. Two more rounds, one after the other.

Blood splattered across the dock. Emery took a step but couldn’t take another.

“Eve,” he said distantly. “Eve...e.”

Emery sank to his knees. Before I could move, before I could even think, he fell.

He fell into the dark water. His body went under and the current took him.

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