Page 67 of We End With Us

Bass is quiet next to me. Eyeing him, it frustrates me that he can’t come clean to us.

“Talk, Bass, now,” Cass demands, turning in his chair to face him. King eyes him through the rearview mirror. Exhaling, Bass studies us all before he opens his mouth, “What the fuck?” he growls, gaining our attention to where he’s staring.

Grant walks up the driveway, a smile across his face.

He’s been watching the house.

“Drive now,” Bass growls.

King floors the truck up the driveaway, Grant is nowhere to be seen.

We all pile out and race up the steps. The door is ajar and we push it open, then remove our weapons from our backs and slowly walk inside.

“Upstairs,” King murmurs. We all follow him, hearing a muffled scream, we start to run. I burst through the door first, slamming the wood with my shoulder. Grant has an arm wrapped around Nova, with a gun pointed at her head.

“Hello, boys.” He smiles, moving his nose along Nova, as if he’s smelling her. “I was wondering how long it’d take you.” He sneers.

“Let her go,” King growls.

Grant leans into Nova, and she whimpers when he begins moving his nose along her neck before stopping at her ear.

“I’ve waited a long time to have you alone again, Nova.” He kisses her neck, and I watch as he uses his tongue. Nova’s face curls up in disgust as she moves away.

“She’s mine, it’s my fucking turn,” Grant hisses, pushing the gun harder into Nova’s skull.

Tears slide down her face and I’m ready to leap toward them and break every bone in his body.

“Guns down, now, or she dies,” he says.

King eyes us all nodding, and slowly we all place our guns at our feet.

Grant nods. “Kick them toward us.” Following his orders our guns fly across the floor stopping at their feet.

Cass begins to move.

“Nah-uh, lover boy,” he says, pointing his gun toward Cass, and flicking it sideways to usher Cass back to his spot.

“We’re going to walk away now, you follow us, she dies. You pick those guns up, she dies. You even think of jumping me, she dies.” Closing his hand around the gun more and holding it up higher, he pushes it into Nova’s head.

My gaze darts to hers, her entire body is shaking as Grant begins walking forward dragging her with him.

“Should have left your shadows where they were, Nova,” he tells her as he slips past King and me, while we all watch him, never taking our eyes off them.

With only a moment's hesitation, we follow behind them and watch as Grant drags Nova down the stairs, slowly we follow.

“I said don’t move,” Grant growls, shoving the gun into Nova’s head one more time. She cries out when he wraps his hand around her throat.

“Be careful with her, you fucker,” Cass hisses.

We all stop, standing on the stairs as Grant reaches the front door.

Releasing it open, a gunshot sounds and Nova screams, then Grant’s body falls to the floor next to Nova.

We start to move, but Miller grabs her pointing a gun at us. “Long time no see, sis.” Miller grunts, focusing on Nova while his gun is pointed in our direction.

“Fuck you, Miller,” Nova snaps.

“Is that any way to speak to family? I mean right, Bass.” Bass growls, moving forward ready to attack Miller. King catches him, forcing him back with his arm.

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