Page 69 of Where He Ended

Heat floods through my limbs. I start forward; Miles grabs my shoulder, pushing the gun against my skull. “Hold still, Casanova.”

“If you fucking touch her,” I warn.

Vahn laughs. The sound is like sandpaper on my nerves, scraping them raw. “You're so transparent. If I didn't know how much you care about her, that sure would've given it away.” He reveals a revolver in his pocket, studying it idly in his grip as he talks. “How do you feel right now? Helpless? Or do you get this funny sense that you might be able to stop me from doing whatever I want to her?”

Laiken moans against the gag. I stare at her face and her face alone, clenching my fists tight. “Whatever you're planning, I'm not going to let you do it.”

“Did you notice there are two guns pointed at you right now?” he asks, half laughing.

“Vahn,” my mother says softly. She's gone from staring at Laiken with a manic smile to watching her brother uneasily. “What exactly are you planning?”

“She doesn't know?”I wonder, looking at her, trying to read her mind. That means my uncle is acting on his own.

He adjusts the safety on the gun. Laiken stares at it, then me, her eyes full of tears that manage to not spill over the red rims. She's been crying for such a long time. I hate seeing her like this, I want to take all the worry in her and smother away. I told her I'd protect her, and I failed.

No, I haven't failed yet. There's still time to keep her safe.

I can't take back what happened, but I can prevent anything worse.

I have to.

Vahn nods at Miles. “Make sure no one is watching the helicopter.”

Miles moves around me, leaning out the door. I see him glancing side to side. “The guards are gone, can't be sure that no one is watching us from the house, but I don't think anyone will see if we're quick about it.”

“Quick about what?” Annie asks.

“Best if we do this outside. We can go around back, behind the helicopter. No one will see us there.”

“Won't they hear the shots?” Miles asks Vahn, arching an eyebrow.

Vahn shrugs, like he was just asked what he wants for lunch.

“Wait, you're going toshoot them?”My mother shows a flash of genuine shock.

My heart is pounding. I'm not worried about my own safety, all I can think about is Laiken. They could put a thousand bullets in me and I wouldn't care, as long as none of them found her. “You're crazy,” I say. “Vahn, you can't do this.”

Miles grabs me, the gun pushing into my temple. “Go,” he snaps. He's enjoying this. He loves getting back at me for the way I sucker-punched him. Making my way down the steps, I stare at the estate, hoping that someone will notice this is happening right in my backyard. But even if they do, it might be too late for them to intervene.

Vahn comes next, forcing Laiken to walk down the stairs. Her hands are still tied in front of her. I see her fingers flexing over and over, then I can't see her at all because Miles has wrapped his grip in my shirt, pushing me ahead of him around the chopper's tail. Once we're on the other side, unable to see the house, he lets go. There's a foot between us, his gun keeping its bead on me.

Vahn and Laiken come into view. My mother hovers near them, her eyes darting to mine, then away. “This will do,” my uncle says, giving Laiken a sharp shove. She stumbles, but keeps her footing.

She faces me. The tears have finally poured over her cheeks. “It's okay,” I say to her, keeping my voice steady. “It's all going to be okay.”

“Is that what you told Bernard?” Vahn asks.

I stab my attention to him. On my periphery I see that Miles is watching my uncle, his gun dipping a hair. He's less sure about murdering anyone now that it's clear he might get caught. “Is that what this is about? Bernard?” I inch my toes forward. No one notices. “I'm sorry about what happened, but killing us won't being your son back.”

Vahn whirls on me, pointing the gun, and Miles backs away so that he isn't in the line of fire. “Don't say his name!” he snarls. “You don't have a right to say it.”

Laiken shuts her eyes, hanging her head. My mother watches her, the skin around her lips drawn taut as a drum. She doesn't like what's happening here, but she hasn't tried to stop it, either. “Mom, even you can't be okay with this.” She meets my gaze as I try to appeal to her sanity. “Killing us—killinganyone, it isn't going to fix anything.”

She runs her tongue over her dry lips. “Vahn . . .”

He points his gun at Laiken, and a sensation like a million marching ants fills my stomach. “I figured you'd be all for this. Since when do you care what happens to either of them?”

The bags under my mom's eyes are bloated, her hair greasy. It's tied back in a bun, but even that can't create the illusion of tidiness. She's fallen apart quickly since I brought the news that we'd never find Joseph. “Something like this it can't be undone,” she says.

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