Page 36 of Room Ten: Put on a Show

“Merrick,” I replied.

I trained my pistol on him, my finger hooked over the trigger.

God, the shot was too tight. Perry huddled behind Kenna, using her as a shield to protect himself like a coward. If I missed by an inch, she’d be dead.

I took another step into the room but Perry clucked his tongue.

“Don’t move. Unless you want the pretty pop princess to get a bullet in her back. It would be all your fault for paralyzing her. If she survived.”

I froze in place, fighting my instincts to lunge across the room and yank Kenna out of his hold, no matter the consequences. I couldn’t risk losing her though.

“You were the shooter in that bar last week, weren’t you?”

Perry huffed. “Everything went wrong, right from the start. I had no intention of hurting Kenna. I would never do that. I just needed to scare people into leaving so I could be alone with her.”

He buried his nose in Kenna’s hair and inhaled deeply, releasing a disgusting, erotic moan. She hunched her shoulders up, repulsed.

“Oh, Kenna. I can’t wait to make you mine. Then we can be together forever, baby.”

“Don’t call me that,” Kenna spat, even though I could see her trembling from here. “I’m not your baby. I never will be, you fucking pervert.”

A shadow passed across Perry’s face.

“Do you have any idea how much of my life I’ve devoted to you, Kenna? The sacrifices I’ve made to attend every single one of your concerts? I’ve always been there for you andyou never even noticed me!”

His voice rose in pitch as he spoke until he was screaming in her ear, spittle flecking her skin. The back of my neck prickled and I gritted my teeth to brace myself. I had to keep a clear head. I had to focus. Perry’s emotions were too volatile to predict what his next move would be, and if he felt threatened, he would only grow even more erratic.

“You love her, don’t you?” I said.

Those few simple words, small and quiet, landed in the ringing stillness after Perry’s manic yelling. Kenna’s eyes flew open and her gaze fixed on me. Her eyebrows drew together into an expression of confusion and she mouthed,what the hell are you doing?

Perry jerked his head in a single nod.

“I do. I love her more than anything. I love her so much that…we…we have to be together. She needs me. She doesn’t know it yet but I’ll teach her. I’ll show her that I’m the only man who truly cares for her.”

I kept my voice calm and even as I gave my reply, knowing it would pour gasoline on the wildfire of his rage.

“How are you going to do that by threatening her with a gun?”

Perry hissed through his teeth. He clutched Kenna so tight, his fingers digging into her middle, that she whimpered.

“It’s none of your business what I do withmy woman,” he snapped.

“She’s not yours,” I countered. “Kenna chooses who she wants to be with. And she’s already made that decision. You aren’t in the picture, asshole. But I am. So is Baron—that guy you stabbed in the kitchen. And Troy, even if he still irritates the shit out of me. Kenna has three men who would give her the moon if she asked for it. You arenothingto her.”

Perry’s face twisted with anger. He trembled so hard that the gun rattled in his hand.

“That’s not true,” he sputtered, his voice laced with hysteria. “That’s not true!You stay away from my Kenna!”

Then Perry turned his gun on me. I pulled the trigger.

Kenna screamed as blood sprayed across her face and shoulders. Perry jerked backward and hit the floor, unmoving.

In two long strides, I crossed the room and scooped an arm around Kenna. I kept my gun trained on Perry as I looked down at where he lay, blood blooming beneath him on the carpet. A small, round bullet hole marked his forehead.

A sob tore from Kenna’s throat. She twisted her fingers into my shirt, pressing her face against my shoulder.

She was safe. It was over.

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