Page 123 of Indigo Sky

From the doorway, I could see Kate, bloodied and clothes torn. I couldn’t think about why. I couldn’t think about what had happened to her. I could only focus on how she shook, how her eyes were wide and aimed at Donny as he waved his gun around in front of her elderly father and his nurse.

“Hey,” I whispered so low that I feared she wouldn’t hear me, but—oh, thank God—she did.

Her head shifted, her big, tear-filled eyes rounding at the sight of me. Her mouth fell open like she wanted to say something, but I held up my hand, stopping her, and shook my head.

“I’m here,” I whispered. “It’s gonna be—"

“What was it you said that one time, Howard? Oh, that’s right.Don’t give anything to Donny. Donny’s got a short fuse. Donny’s one bad day from going insane. Donny, Donny, Donny!” He pressed the barrel of the gun to Howard’s forehead.

“Donny!” Nate roared, trying to get his attention, trying to get through. “Knock it the fuck off! Look at me, you psycho son of a bitch! Look atme!”

Kate turned her attention from me to her father and screamed, “No! No,please!”

“Sweetheart,” I whispered, my voice and hands and lips shaking uncontrollably. “Kate, look at me. Look at me, okay?”

She turned reluctantly, her sobs escalating, her tears endless. She looked up and held her eyes to mine as she shook her head, repeating that one word over and over. “No, no, no …”

“Just look at me,” I whispered. “Keep looking at me.”

“How’s this for a short fuse?!”

Nate raised the gun in his hand. “I will fucking shoot you, Donny! I swear to God, I will blow your fucking head off right now! Get the hell—"

BANG!

A blast of blood hit the wall behind Howard McLaughlin’s head, and the old man cried out behind the tape over his mouth, his eyes squeezing shut as the lifeless body of his nurse slumped to the side.

Kate screamed again and again, pressing her eyes shut and curling her body in on itself.

“Don’t look, baby,” I said, my eye lifting to Nate’s and the tears that had begun to stream down his cheeks. “Don’t look.”

Donny spun around, his crazed stare meeting Nate’s horrified expression. “What was that?”

Nate shook his head, his movements erratic. “N-nothing. It was me, Donny. It was—"

“It came from over here.” Donny crossed the living room. “You bring backup, Nate? Who is it, huh? That one-eyed whore-fucker?”

I scrambled backward on my ass out of the doorway, out of his view, my boots slipping against the tiled floor.

“No!” Kate screamed as Donny raised the gun again. “No! Rev—"

“Hey, Donny!” Nate tried to grab his attention.

I couldn’t see. I didn’t know what was happening. My chest heaved. I gulped for air. I prayed the cops were on their way.

“Donny!” Nate roared. “Think fast, asshole!”

BANG!

My ears rang from the blast of another gunshot, and I sat still, waiting. Listening.

Then, Kate began to choke on a mix of sobs and screams.

Someone else began to groan.

“Oh, too bad,” Donny said, and my lips parted with a stifled, strangled cry as I hurried to stand, tripping over my feet in the process.

Nate. Nate-Nate-Nate.

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