Page 133 of Can You Take It?

“Deserve? What does deserve have to do with anything? This world is cruel, and it’s time she learned that.”

“Don’t be a coward,” I snap. “If you want to punish someone, punish me. Leave her out of this.”

His smile fades, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Always the hero, always trying to save the day. But not today.”

“Think about her mother,” I say desperately. “Ava wouldn’t want this. She’d want Izel to be safe.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about what Ava would want,” he hisses, his grip tightening on the trigger. “You know nothing about our family.”

“I know enough to see that you’re destroying it,” I retort. “Let her go. We can end this peacefully.”

Victor’s eyes narrow. “There’s no peace for me. Not anymore.”

I can see Izel trembling behind me, her fear is almost tangible. I have to keep him talking, buy us some time.

“Victor, you’re smarter than this,” I say, trying a different angle. “You know how this ends if you push that button. You won’t get away. It’s over.”

“Over?” He laughs, a harsh, bitter sound. “It’s far from over. This is just the beginning.”

“Don’t do it, Victor,” I say, taking a small step forward. “You’re better than this.”

And with that, he presses the trigger. A timer on the vest starts ticking down.

Colton suddenly appears, tackling Victor to the ground and handcuffing him as the patrol officers swarm in to secure him. Colton rushes over to me, holding the trigger, but the countdown doesn’t stop.

“Leave it here,” Izel says urgently. “We don’t have time.”

“No way. I’m not endangering the lives of the innocent people.” I turn to Colton. “Take Izel to safety. Now.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Izel protests.

“Colton, get her out of here!” I order. Colton nods and grabs Izel’s arm, but she struggles. “I’m coming with you, Richard! You can’t do this alone!”

I signal Colton, and he reluctantly handcuffs Izel. She fights against the cuffs. Before Colton can even secure the cuffs properly, she slips free, leaving him staring in stunned disbelief

“I’m sorry, Izel,” Colton says. He starts to lead her away, but she twists free.

“No! I’m not leaving you!” she screams, rushing back to me. “Richard, please. We can do this together.”

I grab her shoulders, anchoring her as my heart aches at the sight of her so terrified. “Listen to me. You need to go. I can’t focus if I’m worried about you.”

She shakes her head, hysterically. “No, I won’t leave you. I can’t lose you.”

I glance at the timer. Four minutes and forty-nine seconds. There’s no way the bomb squad will make it in time. Panic claws at my chest, but I push it down. “Baby, please, for once, just listen to me. I need you safe.”

“I can’t, Richard. I love you. I’ve loved you since the first time you saved me.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I take a deep breath, keeping my own emotions in check. “I love you too. More than anything. That’s why you need to go. If anything happens to you, I... I wouldn’t survive it.”

She looks at me, her eyes wide and filled with pain. “Richard, please...”

I pull her into a kiss, pouring everything I have into it. It’s probably a goodbye kiss that tears at my soul. I kiss her like she’s my last breath, and for a moment, I swear I can feel her heart beating in my chest. When I pull away, I look into her eyes and whisper, “I’m sorry.”

In one swift motion, I handcuff her again, but this time I do it right. She gasps, struggling against them, but it’s no use.

“Richard, no! Please, don’t do this!”

“I’m doing this to save you,” I assure her. “You need to be safe. That’s all that matters.”

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