Page 78 of Cruel Secrets

“Not right now.” I smile and run my hand over her hair. “You’re going to stay here for a little bit.”

I head back into the bedroom and grab the thick duvet off the bed before dragging it into the bathroom.

It takes a moment to get the blanket stuffed into the tub, but it’s enough to provide some extra padding for Bianca.

With a deep breath, I close the door and dive to the floor, reaching under the bed and pulling out a locked box. Opening it, I take out the gun inside and head to the window.

There are three people in the front yard with Royce and Skyla, but they’re advancing on the house. They’ve got Royce trapped behind a car and Skyla seems to be trying to go around the outside, but another man is sneaking up on her.

As quietly as I can, I shove the window open and lean out, taking aim at the man behind Skyla. My finger wraps around the trigger as blood rushes in my ears.

The rest of the world falls away as I take the shot, the man stumbling back a couple steps.

Skyla whirls around and shoots him between the eyes before nodding up at me.

Royce turns for just a moment to glower at me as I fire off another shot at the men approaching him.

One of them turns to the window, taking aim.

The bullet pings off the glass as I dive out of the way, rushing back into the bathroom with Bianca. She smiles and pulls at the tassels on the end of the blanket, not a care in the world.

“Mama is going to sit in there with you.”

Now that the men know I’m up here, they’re going to have me cornered. Running out the back is only going to take me straight into the lake. Though it isn’t frozen yet, there’s no way I would be able to go anywhere with the small rowboat tied to the dock.

And if I run out the front door, we’re going to die.

Which leaves me huddling in the bathtub, my arms wrapped tight around her as I sink down into the blanket, the gun still beside me.

More gunshots crack through the air outside, and some hit the side of the house from what I can hear.

When it finally goes silent, I listen for the sound of boots on stairs, but none come. I count the minutes, waiting until I surpass five before getting out and putting Bianca back in the tub.

Though I don’t want to leave her alone, there’s nobody in the house and it’s silent outside. Royce hasn’t come for us and neither has Skyla.

A dark pit opens in the bottom of my stomach as I run down the stairs and to the front door, opening it a crack to see outside.

Royce is lying in the middle of the yard, his arm flung out to one side, blood seeping from where it looks like a bullet grazed him.

And at the bottom of the front stairs in a crumpled heap is Skyla, blood turning the snow around her cherry red.

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

ROYCE

“Come on.You have to wake up. There’s no way you’re going to leave me like this, and I need your help. Wake up, damn it!”

I try to open my eyes, but it feels like there’s a weight keeping them closed. My body aches and there are little bright spots dancing across the inside of my eyelids.

“Royce, you really need to wake up. I don’t know what to do and I can’t take care of both of you right now. Come on. Please.”

The sound of Gia’s broken voice is like a knife straight through me.

I groan and roll to the side, my head throbbing and a pain shooting through my bicep. “Gia.”

Tears stain her bloody cheeks as she looks down at me. My gaze roams over her body, stopping on the crimson stains on her hands and shirt.

It feels like time comes to a standstill around me as I push myself up to sit in front of her. “Where are you shot?”

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