Page 63 of Choose Me

"Choose me." He mouthed, his words painfully clear.

I looked at James again. This time, he gave me a slight nod, giving me permission to pull the trigger on him."It's okay, baby. You have to do this. I'm so sorry for everything. I love you so much."

I closed my eyes, willing for a moment of clarity, but all I could see were their faces, full of love and concern. I couldn't bear the thought of losing either of them. The gun felt heavy in my hands, cold and heartless, and I knew I couldn't do what she asked of me.

My breath hitched, and a sob wracked my body, tears streaming down my face. "I can't," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"How boring." She let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Fine. If you don't choose, I'll have to do it myself."

"NO! Wait!" I protested.

My heart shattered into a million pieces as I forced my arms up, positioned my fingers on the trigger, and aimed, my hands shaking.

The sound of a gunshot sent chills through my veins, and a scream wrenched from my chest. I let go of the gun, clutching my ears as the door was kicked open, and Brock came into the room, aiming his weapon at Margaret. "Drop your weapon!"

She clutched her shoulder and stumbled toward me, moving faster than I could comprehend. Within seconds, she had maneuvered behind me, pulling me to her, using my body as a shield, and pressing her knife against my throat, firm enough to draw blood.

I winced, feeling the sting of the blade against my skin. I tried to pull away, but her grip was unyielding.

"Let her go!" Brock yelled.

"Margaret, don't do this. You have me. I'm not going anywhere. Let her go!" James yelled, fear in his eyes.

"Back off." She spat, her voice laced with venom.

Brock tensed, his finger twitching on the trigger of his gun. "Let her go, Margaret. You have nowhere to go." His voice was low and steady, but I could hear the fear underneath.

"I have nothing else to lose," she snarled. "You people took everything from me. My freedom, power, baby, and the only person who loved me. Now, you want to take my revenge away from me, too? You can't have everything, I won't let you."

"Margaret, let her go, and I will let you walk out of here alive." Brock's voice was gentle, pleading almost.

But she wasn't having it.

"No more talking. I'm going to walk out of here with Ava, and if you don't let me, I will slice my blade into this pretty little neck of hers."

Margaret's breath was hot against my ear, and I could feel her smirk against my cheek when Brock lowered his gun and stepped back.

"No!" James yelled. "What the fuck are you doing, Brock? Kill her!"

Everett echoed his sentiment with his own expletives.

"Looks like I win after all," she whispered, her grip tightening on me. She walked slowly, keeping my body between her and Brock, circling Everett and James. They both fought against their restraints, but it was of no use.

I walked in step with her, letting her guide me through the dilapidated hallway, careful to keep her eyes on her surroundings and me as her human shield. Before I knew it, we walked hastily down the riverbank onto a worn-out wooden dock where a boat was tied to a post. The fog-covered river churned and gurgled softly against the shoreline, but near the dock, it seemed to roil and crest in anticipation of what was to come. A thick layer of fog covered the river and the trees lining it. I knew if she got me on that boat, I would be dead. I waited for her to reach down with one hand to release the rope from the post, and I shoved her.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out like I planned because her grip on my arm was too tight, and instead of her falling alone into the water below, I tumbled in with her. The murky, cold water of the river enveloped me as I plunged in, filling my lungs, her grip dragging me down with her. The icy chill numbed my senses and left me gasping for air. The current pulled both of us further down the river, and the darkness of the depths pressed against me, threatening to swallow me whole. I fought to remove my arm from her grasp, kicking at her, fighting for my life. She let go of me briefly, and I kicked like hell toward the surface. My arms broke the surface of the water, and I gasped, coughing up the river water that had invaded my lungs.

I saw her rise to the surface, gasping for air, and I swam toward the shore, fighting against the current. I made it to the dock and struggled to pull myself up, and I saw Brock, James, and Everett racing towards me.

"Ava, look out!" James cried, his face panicked.

Before I could register what was happening, a crushing grip clamped down on my ankle and yanked me back into the water. The icy current pummeled against my body, thrusting me further beneath the surface. As the current dragged me under again, I fought to get my head above the water. Hands clutched my shoulders, pulling me back under the surface. My back hit a rock with enough force to knock the breath out of me, and the current sent me reeling through the water. My lungs burned, the pain was excruciating, and I prayed for the strength to hold on for a few moments longer. I was floating in a void of darkness, on the edge of consciousness. A shadow loomed over me, and I closed my eyes, surrendering to the darkness.

"Breathe, baby. Please breathe." James pleaded, his voice cracking.

"Come on, Ava. Come back to us." Everett's voice followed.

Their muffled voices sounded so far away.