Page 74 of Duchess
“Who told him to go around scaring women?”
She stepped over the dead body and continued to follow me up the stairs. We ran up the remaining flights, slamming the door shut behind us when we got to the roof. All seemed clear until a bullet whizzed past my head and hit Roulette, sending her flying back.
"Rhea!" I screamed, rushing to her aid. I lifted her and dragged her back to the wall of the side of the entrance. She'd be safe there. I crouched down before her.
"Bitch, what the fuck!" I grabbed at her jacket, afraid I'd lose my friend.
"Bullet caught my shoulder, but I'll be alright." Bullets flew past my head, and I fired back blindly.
She grabbed my arm. "Go. Save that asshole, but I swear to God, Duchess, he better be worth it because if he's not, I’ll put a fucking bullet in your goddamn shoulder."
"He is. I swear he is."
I placed my hand over hers and gave her a look that showed how much she meant to me.
She frowned angrily. "Don't fucking look at me like that. It's not my turn to die yet."
She turned and fired, and it was my cue to run. I jumped over one of the AC units and over the ventilation units that were being installed. The metal boxes served as shields against the bullets that seemed to be aimed only at me.
As I rounded the corner of one unit, I saw it. A tiny glint came from the rooftop beside us. "Son of a bitch," I raised my gun and took a deep breath. I let it go slowly just as I saw the shadow move, and I pulled the trigger twice. The shadow slumped to the ground, and I was in the clear.
I made my way to the edge of the building. Bullets flew at me from straight ahead. I ran as fast as I could, knowing Roulette had my back. As I approached, gun aimed, the man inside pointed his at me and I fired without thinking. One bulletshattered the windshield. The next hit his chest while the third caught him right in the jugular. The man slumped back against the seat, his gun slipping out of his hand and clattering on the ground.
Tugging on his sleeve, I brought him off the ledge and back onto solid ground. Using his dead body as a step stool, I got up on the scaffolding.
"Fuck," I whispered, trying to figure out how to maneuver through the metal bars so I could reach Caleb.
When I finally got to him, I realized they had him on a crane hook, and I had no idea how I was going to get him down from there.
I searched the grounds and suddenly I saw the lever. I tanked it down, and the hook he was on began to move. I steered it left, and slowly it swung Caleb back onto safe ground.
"Okay. Okay," I said, trying to reassure myself that I had this in control.
"Press the green button!"
I screamed as Demise appeared next to me out of nowhere. "What the fuck!"
She gave me a look like, get over it, and reached out and pressed the button. The hook came down, and Caleb fell onto his knees, toppling over.
I ran to him, but just before I could reach him, a silhouette appeared, and raising a gun to the sky, a shot was fired, bringing me to a halt.
I raised my hands as he lowered the gun, aiming it steadily at Caleb's head. Grabbing him by the hair, he yanked him up to his knees.
"You have no way out, Emir. You might as well give it all up. The FBI is on its way!"
He chuckled. "You always wanted what wasn't yours. My money, my power, even my piece of shit grandson.”
“You think of yourself so high and mighty, Emir Killic. But you wouldn't have half the wealth you have today if it wasn't for Caleb.”
“You no nothing of my family!” He screamed, and I flinched as he yanked Caleb's head. “What you don't realize, Duchess, is that It would be so easy to just shoot him and still blame it all on him! He's worthless anyway!"
“You’re ruined, Emir! I made sure of that!”
My eyes met Caleb's, who was slowly starting to come to. He was still restrained and hanging from that damn hook; he couldn't defend himself, but yet, as the realization of where he had hit him, he looked up at me defiantly. Almost ready to die. My eyes wavered slightly, unsure of what he was about to do.
"The FBI already has all the information they need on you, Emir. There is no place to hide. Just give yourself up, and we can end it here!" I shifted slightly, and that's when his gun trained on me.
"You're just a whore who manipulated my family and fortune!"
