Page 271 of Under Her Skin
She pushed openthe door slowly. The house was silent. She moved through the rooms silently, the gun in her hand. Jess was amazed she wasn’t terrified – more like, she was mad. Real mad. This ended today. Jules wouldn’t stop until one of them was dead so she had no doubt in her mind that she could kill him. She wanted to. He’d taken Theo, might have even killed him by now – she pushed that thought away. Her adrenaline coursed through herbody.
‘Jules?’
‘Inhere.’
She turned at the sound of his voice and followed it to the main living room. Then all her fight left her as she saw Theo, tied to a chair, blood coursing down from a vicious head wound, his head slumped, his body crumpled. He lookeddead.
Nonononononono…. she realized the frenzied screams were coming from her, and every plan she’d made left her brain in her grief. She started toward him then Jules grabbed her from behind. She felt a stinging pain in her neck and then she wasfalling….
Theo opened his eyes,for a second not understanding. Jess was in a chair opposite him, unconscious, her white dress – her wedding dress - cut open down past her navel. Oh god no. She’d come to help him and put herself into Jules’ hands. Theo struggled again the cuffs Jules had used to bind him to thechair.
‘I wouldn’tbother.’
Jules’ amused voice came from behind him and he heard the safety catch on a gun being clicked off, felt the cold metal of gun being pressed to his temple. Juleschuckled.
‘When she wakes up for the last time, this all ends. You’ll watch her die, Storm. You’ll watch me stab her over and over until she’s dead. But you won’t have to mourn her for long. You’ll be joining her verysoon.’
The pressure of the gun lifted and Jules pulled up a chair between him and Jess. She stirred and Theo’s heart jumped in fear. The one small hope was this – Jess didn’t seem to be bound but he knew that was another one of Jules’ games. He wanted Jess to allow him to kill her in the hope he’d let Theogo.
Jules went to check her and as she opened her eyes, he pressed the muzzle of his gun again her bare skin. ‘Hellobeauty.’
Jess’s eyes rolled, dazed; when they found Theo’s desperate ones, their gazes locked and she could see the devastation inthem.
‘I love you,’ she whispered. Jules growled and cuffedher.
‘Shut up,whore.’
Theo roared, trying to get up from his chair. In one flash, Jules whipped behind Jess, hooking the hand holding the gun around her neck, and with the other, pulling his knife from his pocket. He kissed Jess. ‘Say goodbye, beautiful.’ And he raised theknife.
Jess bit down on his other hand hard, as hard as she could and Jules roared in pain. Jess pushed back with all her might, knocking Jules over and the gun out of his hand, under the couch. She threw her body on top of Jules, fighting, kicking punching, ripping his shirt. The keys to Theo’s cuffs fell out of his pocket and she grabbed them, throwing them in Theo’s direction as Jules lashed at her with his knife. She ducked and scrambled to her feet as Jules fought to grab her. Jess paused briefly, one second when she met Theo’seyes.
He looked at her. Not understanding. Then realization. He shook his head. She winked at him. His face registered absolutehorror.
‘No, no. Jess,don’t.’
Her gaze was intense. ‘I love you. I will always love you no matterwhat.’
He shook his head violently, never taking his eyes from hers. ‘Pleasedon’t…
She had tears in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Theo. It has to be like this. I loveyou.’
Theo broke down. ‘No, please…Jess…’
Her face was determined as Jules rose up between them. Her eyes alive with anger as she beckoned her killer towardsher.
‘Come on, Jules. Wanna kill me? Come on then, motherfucker, come getme.’
‘No! Jess, please, no!’ Theo was screamingnow.
Jules in his frenzy didn’t hesitate, he lunged for her, slashing the knife, catching her in a blow across herstomach.
‘No!’ Theo screamed as blood bloomed across her white dress, her honey skin. Jess ignored the searing pain and took off with Jules in pursuit. Theo, desperate, shuffled over to where Jess had thrown thekeys.
‘What the fuck are you doing, Jess?’ But he knew. ‘You stupid, stupid, brave, beautiful girl.’ he sobbed as he managed to slide the key into the cuffs. She was leading Jules away from him, giving him time to freehimself.
She was sacrificing herself to savehim.
First,she went to the front door but even from a distance she could see that Jules had dead-bolted it. By the time she could get it open, Jules would be on her. He was close, close enough she could hear his frenzied breathing. She darted up the stairs and nearly made it to the safety of a bedroom before he grabbed her. They tumbled to the floor together, Jess fighting with every ounce of strength she had left. Jules was grinning now, knowing his size and strength would beat her now, despite herstruggles.
