Page 83 of Captivating

“I—” Holy shit. What do I say? “I’ll?—”

I hear the first creek of the stairs and cringe, hoping she doesn’t hear it too.

“I’ll go with you. Let’s go. If we go through the back door, Xander won’t notice I’m gone. It’ll be easier. Let’s go.” I go against any survival instinct I may have and move closer to her.“Please, Zoe.” Tears stream unchecked down my cheeks when Killian’s voice calls out for me.

“Princess... you down here? I thought we could go out for pancakes.”

Zoe’s eyes harden on me. “You said he wasn’t here. Youliedto me.”

“Let’s go. Right now, Zoe,” I sob. “You and me. Nobody has to get hurt.”

I try to walk by her. Try to get her to look at me instead of the doorway Killian should be crossing through any minute, depending on what room he searches in first. But she doesn’t let me. Her dark eyes look wild when she takes the butt of the gun and smacks me across the face.

Pain rockets through my skull like I’ve never felt before, and the room spins around me while I fight to stay on my feet.

“Lying isn’t good for your image, Lilah.”

Oh, God. She presses the gun to my chest, and I hold back my scream.

Please don’t let him come in here and see this.

But he’s going to come in, and then what?

I think about my phone in my pocket, then remember that I shoved my panic button in there too.

Will she notice if I move my hand?

Do I take the chance?

Do I have a choice?

I reach for her with one hand, hoping like hell it throws her off and reach into my jeans with the other. My finger manages to press my panic button before she swings me off her. “I loved you, Lilah.”

“Loved?” Killian asks as he walks into the kitchen, completely clueless as to what’s going on.

I take the split-second of confusion to dart in front of Zoe as she swings the gun on Killian and fires.

KILLIAN

“No—” I yell as Lilah falls into my arms, and the woman on the other side of the kitchen screams.

“You!” she shrieks and raises her gun. “You did this. That should have been you.”

She aims the gun at Lilah, and I cover her with my body.

Everything happens all at once.

Glass shatters around us, and the woman with the gun falls to the floor as pain rips through my shoulder. Xander rushes in, barking orders into a phone and drops to his knees next to me.

“She shot her. She needs an ambulance.” My voice is hoarse, and my ears won’t stop ringing. “Lilah.” I lift her in my arms and cradle her head. Begging. “Baby, please open your eyes. Lilah...LILAH—” I scream when she doesn’t move and refuse to let her go when Xander tries to take her from me. “Get a fucking ambulance.”

Her lashes flutter, but her eyes don’t open.

“Lilah... baby. Open your eyes. You’re going to be okay. Please, baby. Please.” I press my lips to hers, then pull back and see a trickle of blood slip past her lips. “Lilah...”

I have no idea how much time goes by before the paramedics rush in and try to force me away from her.

“Killian, you’ve got to let them take her,” Xander tells me, but I refuse to.

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