Page 80 of Wilder
The sound of a gunshot ricochets through my head. My gaze connects with Echo’s, the terror that fills me mirrored in her horror-stricken green eyes.
THIRTY-EIGHT
ROYAL
My heart hammersas white-hot pain slices through my side. My vision darkens around the edges as I blink, looking down. A damp patch blooms on my right side, soaking through the black T-shirt. Lifting my head, I watch Beckham barrel into Brian with an animalistic roar. The two hit the floor, Beck taking quick advantage of finding himself on top, as it allows him to slug Brian in the jaw. Blood spurts from Brian’s mouth, painting his teeth an ugly red.
Another shot goes off, and my world spins, not knowing where the gun was aimed. Everything seems to happen in slow motion, even though the reality is that it’s happening too fast for me to keep up. Megan and Chase both let out blood curdling shrieks and duck. My eyes widen, seeing that the bullet has plowed into the wall over their heads. Over. My. Child’s. Head. A red haze obscures my vision.
I let out a bellow, and Beck must sense what I need because he shifts out of the way. I land on Brian with deadly force. He lets out a loud grunt as I pin him to the ground with my knee. My right hand clamps down on his throat and begins to squeeze so hard he can’t get out more than a gurgle. One singular thingruns through my mind: I might get a chance to choke the life out of this sadistic asshole.
The gun, though—I need to fucking control it before he gets another shot off. I grab Brian’s wrist and slam it into the ground, wincing at the pain that rips across the bottom of my rib cage as I do so. Biting back a groan, I apply pressure to his arm at the same time I tighten my hold on his throat. Brian loses his grip on the weapon, and it clatters to the hardwood floor.
“Got him?” Beckham asks, and I nod grimly. Regret floods my body as I make the choice to remove my hand from Brian’s throat to take control of his other arm. As soon as I give Beckham the go-ahead, he gets up and goes for the gun.
As I continue to struggle with Brian, twinges of agony ripple along my skin while Beckham advances on Megan. “Don’t make me shoot you. Let Chase go.”
Chase squirms, sobbing in Megan’s arms as she gets up, eyes wild, and begins moving toward the door. It feels like she’s reaching inside my chest and clawing pieces of my heart out with every step she takes in retreat.
“I could snap his neck.” The odd light in her eyes tells me she’s dead serious.
Chase lets out a heart wrenching wail. “I want my mama! Nooo! Daddy!”
The entire world will stop if she hurts him. My chest heaves as I let out one strangled breath after another. I will fucking end her in the most heinous way possible. I will tear her perverted limbs from her predatory body.
Beckham takes a step toward her and hisses out, “You’re scaring him. Don’t do this.”
“Let me leave, and you can have him.” Her lips twist cruelly. “Make me fight for it, and I’ll take him with me. I’ve got the keys to the van in my pocket.” Her gaze shifts to me. “How’d that roll across the pavement feel? I wish I had fucking hit you.”
Bitch.My jaw works to the side as I stare at the lunatic with our child’s life in her hands. “Put my boy down.” The words rip from my throat, raw and untamed. “Things will go better for you if you cooperate now. Things aren’t going to end well as it is. But maybe they’ll go easier on you if you were to let him go.” I clench my teeth, sucking air in, agony filling me from the heated burn at my side. I don’t give a fuck about myself. I would take a thousand bullets if it kept Chase safe. But Megan’s been steadily moving this entire time, and she’s almost to the fucking door.
“Stop this insanity, Megan. At this point, you’re in control of how this goes down.” Beckham’s voice is raspy and low, his attention never wavering from her. “But you’re not getting away with anything, so use your fucking head.”
As she slicks her tongue over her upper lip, she focuses on him again. “It’s nice to see you again, Beckham. I was so sad when your daddy took you away from me. Even sadder when I realized it was you who turned me in.”
“Did you put those fucking photos in our house?” Beckham has the gun at his side, doing his best to conceal it from Chase, but still keeping it at the ready. And I know my friend. He’s waiting for the best moment to make his move. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect our boy.
“Those photos are memories of some good times, aren’t they?” She gives him a smile that I can’t describe as anything but sick. “But no, that was Freya who snuck in and did that. Stupid girl. All she had to do was lure this little guy away with some candy or some shit like that and she wouldn’t have had to die. She was supposed to have skipped the party that night to do it, but she refused. I told Brent when she dug her heels in that we couldn’t trust her. She tried to make up for it by plastering those photos of you all over your walls for your entire fraternity to see, but… no.” Shaking her head, she lets out a disturbing cackle.“Not nearly good enough.” She takes another step backward, standing on the threshold of the cabin.
“Nooo!” Chase shrieks, his innocent eyes wide and scared. “Mama! Daddy!”
My heart is crushed. I don’t know where Echo is or if she’s okay. And I hate that these moments of terror could be the first real memory our son has. “Chase, baby. Look at Daddy. It’s gonna be okay.” My poor little guy, his lip quivers, but he nods, his eyes locked on me and the gurgling Brian, who continues to try to buck me off. Too bad for him, Wilder and I train for shit like this… and this is one fight I fuckin’ guarantee I won’t lose.
“Beck, if she tries to leave?—”
“I know.”
In the midst of this, Smith groans and begins to sit up. “Don’t you fucking move,” I hiss.
“I’m not helping them any longer. I ju?—”
“You justnothing. If you know what’s good for you, roll to your stomach and put your hands behind your head. Stay there until we tell you otherwise.”
“Megan,” Beckham growls, baring his teeth, “I have no fucking problem shooting you.”
Shifting around, I look over my shoulder to put eyes on the psychotic pedophile, wondering whether I’m going to have to let this fucker go to help Chase. There’s no question I will do whatever I have to do to keep him safe. But at the same second I’m about to release Brian, Echo and Wilder appear behind Megan at the doorway.
“She’s not going anywhere.” Echo’s intensity is downright terrifying. “You feel that, you crazy bitch? That’s the muzzle of a gun in your back. And if you think I’d hesitate after the damage you’ve done, you can fucking think again.” From the way Megan’s back arches before she stumbles forward into the room,I think Echo must have dug that cold metal in, forcing her to move.
