Page 184 of Beautifully Reckless

“No.Please,” Doreen cries, her voice cracking. “Don’t hurt her.”

Alana steps in front of her mum, arms outstretched like she can shield her.

My body shakes with violent tremors as I take in the scene. A beautiful family staring death in the eye, all because of me.

“Drop the gun.” Jols’ voice cuts through the air, vicious, steady, and laced with ice.

The man, with his face covered in a black ski mask, chuckles low, like this is nothing but a game. Millie is trembling under the press of his barrel, and Doreen’s sobs are silent, but loud enough to hear.

Still, this man doesn’t care. He’s only here for one thing.

Me.

Time slows again, the man’s eyes flicking to me before he spins suddenly, firing at Jols.

The crack is deafening inside, and I scream as Jols slams back into the wall, blood blooming out in an arc as it soaks through her white tee.

“No!” I scream, watching realisation shift over her face, the colour draining from it as she slides to the floor. “Jols!”

A trail of smeared blood is painted on the wall behind her, before she starts coughing up her crimson lifesource.

“No! Stop!” I beg, the man already taking aim back at Millie.

“Ms Delany, we don’t want to hurt you.” His gaze darts to me while keeping his weapon trained on Ringo’s sister. “Just come with us, and this will all be over. No one else has to get hurt.”

“Go fuck yourself!” Millie snaps on my behalf, and the man chuckles again before redirecting his gun.

Then he fires.

Millie screeches, crashing to the floor as the bullet tears through her leg. Her mum wails, trying to push past Alana, who’s doing everything she can to hold her frail mother back.

“Fine!” I cry out. “I’ll come with you. Just let them go downstairs,please,” I beg, my voice cracking from the terror of it all.

“Whatever.” The gunman shrugs, like him shooting people is no big deal.

I hurry to Millie. She’s trying to be brave, biting back her sobs through gritted teeth, and I help her up.

Alana rushes forward, taking her sister from me, her eyes trained on the gunman, not trusting what he’ll do next.

Glancing at the opening in the kitchen counter, I see Doreen’s head disappear as she moves down the stairs, and Alana hurries after her to get Millie to safety.

“Come on then,” the man barks, jerking his gun towards the front door, but I shake my head.

“Not yet. I need to know they are safe first. Then I’ll come with you.”

He rolls his eyes but gestures with a lazy swirl of his hand for me to hurry up, so I rush to the opening, peering down to see the three women who mean the world to Ringo stepping inside the small panic room.

Turning back, Alana’s eyes lock with mine before she moves to shut the door.

“Come on,” she whispers, waving me down, but the solid press of a gun to my temple stops me in place.

I swallow the huge lump in my throat, my lip wobbling as I try to compose myself to speak.

“Lans,” I manage to call out.

“Yeah?”

“Tell Cam…” I swallow hard. “Tell Cam that I love him. That I’ll never forget what he tried to do for me.” This time my sob escapes as hot tears pool over once again. “And tell him that it’s okay for him to move on. He deserves to find the sort of love he’s given me.”

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