Page 65 of Allure
“Do you know how long I waited to do that?” Joel kept his gun level with her. “He was an annoying prick. I hated that I needed him in the beginning. It was the only thing keeping him alive this long. Are you going to come willingly? I hate to have to resort to such tactics with you, Syra.”
She looked at him, really looked at him. He looked nothing like the man she had known for most of her life. It was like she was staring at a stranger, and she wondered how she missed the signs and red flags indicating that he was even capable of doing something like this. Had they always been there and she was just blind? Had he kept them so well hidden that in his time away from her they had time to finally be free and grow.
“I’m not going with you.” Her voice sounded meek and small. She wasn’t ashamed of how scared she felt. If she left with him, she wasn’t sure she’d survive.
“Syra,” he snapped, taking a step forward, and she finally was able to take a step back. “I know they didn’t let you come here alone, and I’d like to be long gone before they storm in here. If you don’t come, I can kill your friend.”
He turned around, and Syra shouted, stopping him, remembering that her help would be coming in from one of the fire exits in the back of the building. She needed to keep him focused on her. “I’ll go with you.” She held up her hands and winced. Why the hell was her arm hurting so bad?
“But we need to call someone for her. She’s in bad shape. I’ll go with you, but we need to make sure someone comes for her.” She wouldn’t leave with him, but if he got her out by chance, she wanted to make sure someone was here for Delilah. She hadn’t seen her chest move once since Colton told her about his plans.
Joel took one step toward her before his eyes went wide. Syra yelped when she saw the blood start to fill the center of his chest. He dropped to his knees, still reaching out for her, but she stepped back, even though the urge to kick him while he was down made her body vibrate.
She looked up, seeing a man who made Marco and Asli appear small with his gun aimed at her. She held up her hands, a panicked scream bubbling up toward her lips until she heard Marco’s voice come in behind her.
She turned and rushed into his waiting arms. “Estrellita,” he crooned, and she squeezed tighter, even though her arm hurt like a bitch.
“Little star,” Asli’s voice was full of concern, and she winced when he touched her. “You’ve been hurt?” She looked up to see his gaze on a bleeding Joel. His nostrils flared, and she could tell he was getting ready to tear into him.
“Don’t worry about me.” She looked at the blood on her shirt, remembering she heard two loud pops when Joel had shot Colton. She must have been in shock that she didn’t feel the initial graze when she was hit. “We need to get Delilah out of here. I don’t…she’s hurt badly.”
She turned out of Marco’s hold and rushed to her side. The big burly man who had shot Joel had untied her and eased her back on the floor. He used his shirt to cover her body, something Syra felt thankful for.
“She’s breathing,” he whispered, looking at her softly. “She’ll survive. The body is tough. It’s the mind that needs help sometimes.”
“What’s your name?” Syra asked, wanting to thank him.
“Isaac,” he smiled at her.
“Thank you, Isaac.” She held on to Delilah’s hand, whispering down to her that she was okay and that they were fine.
She felt Marco and Asli kneel next to her, infusing her with their warmth. “I already called Link and let them know we’re all whole.” Asli kissed the side of her head.
Marco wrapped the hand that held Delilah’s in his. “I’m glad you came back to me, estrellita, but I’m sorry it had to come at this price.” So was she, but she wouldn’t regret finding her way back to him.
Her gaze shifted toward Joel’s body. She tried to feel something, but the longer she stared at him, the more she felt that this was how it had to end. If he was willing to have innocent people killed to get her back, how long would it have been before he ushered her into death because he didn’t want anyone else to have her?
She leaned into both her men, grateful to have them, grateful that she found her way back to the man she loved and the man she could already see herself falling in love with.
Things would be okay. She squeezed Delilah’s hand, for all of them.
Two years later…
You are invited to the soft opening of:
Sirens Pleasure Club
Thursday, May 18th
Mix and Mingle starts at 7:00 p.m.
Dress to impress, no sneakers, hats, or jeans.
Location: On the corner of Goodgirl and Bleecker St, Lockwood, USA.
Please RSVP by May 1st
Passcode to the door will be sent May 17th.
