Page 147 of One Killer Night
“Yeah, you fucking loser ...” Chase antagonizes, drawing Billy’s eyes. “Why don’t you try and kill us? Or are you scared we’ll kick your townie ass?”
That’s all it takes. Billy charges, but I move forward and duck as the knife slices overhead. I ram my shoulder into his stomach, taking us both down to the ground.
We fall with a thud, and I yell to Chase to get the knife, but as he moves in, Billy rolls away from me onto one knee, then brings the shiny blade straight down into Chase’s thigh.
He howls as Billy twists the blade in. I scramble toward them, then wrap my arm around Billy’s neck, not feeling any pain. I dig my heels into the ground as I try to pull him away from Chase. He falls to the ground, crying out.
“Fuck . . . fuck!”
Evie runs to him and presses her hand down over the wound as Billy tries to stab me over his shoulder, but I grab his wrist with my free hand as he tries to slice the blade through the air.
“Fuck you, you piece of shit,” I growl and then headbutt him. “That’s for my best friend, you motherfucker.”
“There’s too much blood,” Evie screams, and I see Goldie run to them.
Billy uses the moment to knock the back of his head into my nose. I fall back, hearing the crack of the broken bones as blood gushes out.
“Noah,” Goldie screams and then starts toward me, but I reach up and grab Billy’s wrist again, struggling with it and flailing in the air as we both fight to stand to get the upper hand.
“Get Chase to the boat,” I tell her as Billy stands up first, using his weight to turn the knife toward my face.
Goldie screams my name again as she runs toward me, and I’m begging her to get out of here when Evie shows up out of nowhere and jumps on his back.
He rips himself away from me, turning with her on his back, before she bites down on his ear.
“Bitch,” he screams, then throws her to the ground and kicks her. I push to my feet, but Goldie grabs my arm, and as I look back at her, I feel it.
The knife cuts like butter into my lower back. My mouth falls open as Goldie’s hands cover her mouth and tears fill her eyes.
I drop my eyes to the front of my stomach, half expecting to see the knife tip come out the front of me.
“Run,” I breathe out, looking at her face.
But Billy pushes me aside and steps in front of her. He grabs her by the throat and squeezes, and I watch as all the life goes out of her.
If she’s hurt, it’s because I let it happen.
“You had your chance to be with me. To be my daughter, but you chose him. You’re no better than his mother. So now I’m gonna kill you like I should’ve done to her the first time. Now let’s let him watch.”
He spins her around, her back to him, as he holds my baby by her throat. Her beautiful green eyes are half blinking as he chokes the life out of her before raising his knife in the air.
“Now she’s mine.”
With all that’s left in me I spring forward as Billy stabs the air, aiming right for her chest, and I knock her from his grip. She plummets sideways as my body thrusts into his, and we both fall to the ground.
Billy’s on his back, his eyes wide, as I lie on top of him and stare down at him. Because he’s stabbed himself directly in the chest.
His breaths shudder as he stares up at me. My palm hits the ground to steady myself as I hear Goldie choking in air. I straddle Billy and wrap my hand around his fucking butcher knife before I pull it out slowly.
“She’ll never be yours.”
I raise the silverish metal above my head and lock eyes with him, seeing fear.
“Over my dead body.”
I hammer the knife down, driving it through his heart with every ounce of strength I have left. He sucks in a loud breath before a long soft exhale finally exorcises him from my fucking life.
He’s dead.
