Page 62 of Submit

He laughs darkly, “You have no idea.” His gun is pointed right at Dominic, making me still as a statue. “You have no idea about a lot of things.”

So I’ve been told.

“Then deal with me, and let Dominic go,” I ask, knowing that I would die to save his life.

“Libby, no!” Dominic fires back, moving to stand in between Will and I.

Before the argument can progress further, a beam falls behind Will, causing him to jump. The distraction is brief, but Dominic seizes the opportunity. He grabs my hand and launches us toward the door…which also happens to be right toward Will. Thankfully, he’s distracted by the burning beam that’s causing flames to spit a little too close for comfort and he isn’t able to grab a hold of us as we sail past him and out the door.

But he doesn’t need to, because he has a gun.

I actuallyhearhis first shot fly by us.

“Fuck,”Casper says. “Quick, behind the house.” Another shot fires. Dominic roars into the air, “Luis, a little help?”

We haul ass past Dom’s house, down the path toward the boat dock. There is a small outbuilding down there as well. I think Beatrice told me that’s where they keep their canoes, scuba gear, spear fishing equipment, and a small motor boat.

The third bullet cracks into the air and I hear a sickening thud behind me. I stop and turn to see Dominic on the ground. When I race toward him, he starts to pick himself up. “Damn it,Libby,” he says with his accent shining through his pain, “will you get the fuck out of here?”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

He must see the determination in my eyes because he doesn’t say another word about it. Instead, he shifts so he can push up from the ground with his uninjured side.

Dominic isnota small man and Iama small woman. Thankfully, he’s only shot in the shoulder so he’s able to stand mostly on his own. The way he’s applying pressure and trying to check for an exit wound, I assume this is not the first bullet he’s taken. My suspicions are confirmed when he lets out a dark laugh and says, “Damn, I forgot how much this shit hurts.”

I huff a laugh but quickly add, “We can’t leave without Luis and his men and they aren’t down here yet. Let’s take cover in the boat shed for now.” Will’s silhouette appears at the top of the hill as we make our way down the stairs in a chaotic pattern to make it harder to for a second bullet to connect.

Once we’re at the bottom, Dominic turns and aims, pulling the trigger twice. His shots miss, but it’s enough to make Will pause before descending after us.

I find a hand towel in the shed - probably laden with all manner of fish guts and bacterial issues, but it’s the best I’ve got - and wrap Dom’s shoulder wound. Unfortunately, it’s his right side and that’s the hand he shoots with…well, shoots most accurately with.

It doesn’t take long before we hear Will’s footsteps on the wooden boards of the dock. We’re trapped, but we didn’t have much choice. Heading away from the boats didn’t make sense. Now that we’re here, at least maybe we can end this.

Will starts taunting us from outside the boat shed as Dominic’s eyes follow him through the small, dirty, window. There’s a front door into the shed which is closest to Will, but also a back door that faces Luis’ boats. A small window on each side allows us to see a little bit in each direction.

“You know, Dominic, considering your past, I would have thought you’d be in a permanent state of drunkenness somewhere.” He pauses, waiting on a response. When nothing comes, he continues goading Dominic. “Being used by your parents to kill your own sister? I’m not sure any amount of booze, drugs, or sex could get a person past that.”

“I’ve never been big on drugs but Libby’s been helping with the sex,” Dominic quips back.

Will uses the placement of Dominic’s voice to get another shot off. The words anger him and make him sloppy.

It comes right through the wall but misses us.

Dominic signals to me that he’s going out the back of the shed to circle around behind Will.

With the walls concealing us but really offering no protection, we need to get the upper hand, fast.

I nod in understanding.

As I look around the shed to survey my surroundings, I notice a spear gun hanging on the wall. I don’t know much about them, but I’ve seen some fishermen use them since I’ve been here and I know that if I can deploy the spear, it will sail a good distance. And it will do so silently. I take it off the wall as a plan starts to form in my mind.

“Will.” I don’t yell but I say it loudly enough for him to hear me. I want to distract him so that Dominic has a chance to take a shot.

“Libby, why’d you leave me like that? Did I not provide everything you could ever want? Did I not love you enough?” His voice is dripping with so much sarcastic sugar I feel the diabetes creeping in.

“It appears you had other motives for wanting me close. I don’t think love had anything to do with it.” It takes every ounce of restraint I have not to go choke him out with my bare hands right now. Unfortunately, I’m no match for a bullet, so I stay put. I finger the edge of my bullet proof vest and hope like hell if I catch something, it lands here.

“Wouldn’t you like to know what those motives were, liefje?”

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