Page 42 of Redeem
With a little more room, I bring my knee up, colliding with his balls. He groans, stumbling backward, straight into Emilio’s waiting arms.
Emilio smirks, bringing his knife up to his father's throat and pressing down so a line of blood trickles down.
"You won't do it," Maximo taunts Emilio as his face darkens, eyes as dark as night.
"Won't I?" Emilio asks, gliding the knife across his jugular. Blood pours down Maximo’s shirt, and all I can do is watch as his life starts to drain away.
"Please, son..." Maximo’s pleas for help fade away as Emilio slices the knife across his throat. He drops him to the ground, his body landing at my feet. Blood pours on the ground between us, hitting my shoes, staining them red.
I should feel remorse, but I stand there in complete shock, unable to move. I've seen enough death in my life that it's become a normal part of my life.
Emilio steps over his father and collapses into my arms. I hold him tightly as he rests his head on my shoulder. Lifting my hand up, blood coats my hand. I pull back in a panic, finally noticing Emilio’s been shot.
"You're hurt," I say and Emilio shrugs.
"It passed through. I'll be fine.” He pulls me back into his arms. "He can't ever touch you again," Emilio breathes into my neck.
"No one can. Only us," Madden says, coming into the mirror room.
Looking around Emilio, Madden dangles his blood-stained bat between his fingers. His chest rises and falls at a rapid pace. He's still on edge, eyes darting around the room and a lazy smile playing at his lips.
"Fuck, I love this place. Can we live ere?" Madden says with a grin, and I choke on a laugh.
"Jesus fucking Christ, where are you guys?" Keegan yells from somewhere, his voice echoing around the mirrors.
Emilio steps back, taking my hand in his.
"In ’ere," Madden replies and continues talking until Keegan comes through the door.
He crashes into me tripping, over Maximo’s body.
"The fuck?" Keegan turns around in my arms, finally seeing the body. He shivers before pressing a kiss on my lips.
"Any idea on how to get outta here?" Emilio asks.
"Don't ask me. I've been walking around and around in circles for twenty minutes, lost. Fucking hate this joint. It’s no fun at all,” Keegan groans, flipping his hat so it sits backwards.
Madden smiles, landing a kick into Maximo’s still body. He spits, bringing his bat down into the dead man’s skull. A sickening crack vibrates right through me, and I'm more than ready to go.
"Where's Arrow?" I ask, following Madden out.
"No idea. I lost him when I heard your scream," Emilio explains.
Madden manages to get us out in seconds, and I can't believe it. How the hell did he figure it out? I've been losing my mind and couldn't find the exit.
As we emerge into the now dark park, a figure rushes at us, and everyone pulls out their weapons, ready to attack.
"Chill, it's me," Arrow says before he pulls me away from Keegan. He checks me over before claiming my mouth in a searing kiss. He rests his head against mine. "I thought he got you. I got jumped by another guard who came outta nowhere, so I couldn't get to you. Thank fuck you're all right," Arrow says, wrapping me under his shoulder.
"Let's get the fuck outta here," Keegan says, walking off ahead toward the car.
Maximo’s tinted-out black car is parked next to Madden's.
"I'll get rid of you," Madden says, throwing Keegan the keys to his car. "Make one scratch on my baby, and I'll gut you," he says before walking off toward the abandoned car.
"Meet you back at mine. Gotta get my computers and hard drive. My father should be at work," Keegan says, slipping into Madden’s car.
Arrow gets into Emilio’s car with him, and I slide into the front seat next to Keegan in his.
