Page 69 of Trust In Me

I’m met instantly by two guards, who I take out without even a moment's hesitation. My heart races as I bring up a blueprint of the house in my head, and mentally instruct myself the safest way to get to the action. I don’t know exactly where the guys have been dragged off to, but I can hear sounds of scuffles in the rooms next to the dining room. As I approach down the corridor, I’m met by two more security guards. They are manning the door, and in a move that I saw Liam and Kian do not ten minutes earlier, I turn the corner, crouch down and shoot, catching both guards by surprise. They drop like flies, but I’m very aware I now only have two bullets left.

I approach the door slowly, keeping my back to the wall so that nobody can catch me unawares. Keeping low the way Liam did, I slowly move into the dining room. I manage to get all the way into the room before one of Kyle’s father’s bodyguards spots me and raises his gun to aim at me. I don’t even hesitate, I shoot before he’s able to shoot me. He drops to the floor, blood spilling from the wound in his chest.

I quickly assess the situation. Kyle’s father, the registrar, and a bodyguard are in the north-west corner of the room, and I can hear his bodyguard talking on his communication device asking for a team to get Mr. Fratacello out of the house. His job now is to make sure Kyle’s father walks out of this alive, and so I don’t think he will be much of a threat. Over in the north-east corner of the room, Kyle has a gun pointed at Mia’s head, and his bodyguard has a knife at Shayla’s throat.

“Fuck! I only have one bullet!” I thought I had said that in my head, but clearly I said it aloud as Kyle begins to chuckle.

“That’s too bad. It looks like you’re going to have to give up now. No matter who you choose to shoot with your last bullet, it will not end well for you. If you aim for me, as I suspect you will, Lionel here will slice this pretty girl's throat, while Malcolm—my father’s bodyguard—will shoot Mia here. Then once you have watched her bleed out slowly, my father will exact his revenge by killing you slowly. So, I would think very carefully about your next move.” He sounds like a psychopathic lunatic, something I’d definitely not thought after our last meeting. His voice almost sounds like a hiss as he threatens us all.

I look over the camera, silently asking Bree about my back up. “I’m sorry, Kel. They’re all still busy. It doesn’t look like it’ll be long, but for now you’re on your own. There’s a car that’s just pulled up, and from what I can tell, they’re getting ready to extract Mr. Fratacello. I think it would be in your best interests to let him leave, then you only have two hostiles to deal with,” Bree explains, and I nod slightly to let her know I hear her.

Bree called the situation right because Mr. Fratacello holds his hands out in a sign of surrender and drops his gun to the floor. “Look, Kellan, is it?” he asks and I nod in confirmation, my eyes continuously flitting between him and his son, making sure this isn’t a trick to split my attention. “I never wanted a war with Mrs. Doughty, and I don’t agree with what my son is doing right now. If Mrs. Doughty is the leader I know she is, then I’m sure she is here somewhere and can hear me.”

I nod in confirmation. “She can hear you.”

“Good. I would like to ask permission to leave this room. I will leave the country and I promise not to return. I understand what my son has done here will be seen as an act of war, but I want you to know I had no part in it. I didn't even know this wedding was happening until a couple of hours ago, and believe me, I’ve tried to talk him out of it. I know you need to end his life as punishment, and as much as I would like to beg for his life, I understand your situation. All I ask is safe passage for myself and my wife. We will go to a European country for a while. Maybe one day when the dust has settled we can start to build bridges again, but for now I appreciate the damage is done. So, Mrs. Doughty, I beg for your mercy and ask for forgiveness.” Mr. Fratacello keeps his arms raised, and he speaks as though he has the utmost respect for Bree.

“What the fuck are you doing, Father?” Kyle spits, and his father turns to him, a look of pure anger spreading across his face.

“I’m trying to get your mother out of this fucking mess with our lives. You have fucked up, Kyle, and you will have to accept the consequences.”

Kyle laughs manically and his hold on Mia must tighten because she yelps. I look at her, something I’ve been trying not to do since I entered the room. I know if I look at her and see her pain, I’ll get distracted. But, the more she sobs in pain, I can’t help it. Tears stroll down her face, and I do a quick scan of her body to find out why she’s in pain. I see that in the hand gripping her hip, holding her against his body, Kyle has a small dagger. He clearly doesn’t even realise he has it in his hand, but every time he pulls Mia against him, the knife is slicing into Mia’s abdomen. Her bright white wedding dress is stained with bright red blood as the wound seems to get bigger.

Fuck! I can feel my pulse pounding in my head as I try to evaluate this shitshow of a situation. Then I hear Bree’s voice over the pounding and she instructs me to repeat what she is saying aloud. “Mr. Fratacello, I’m repeating what Bree tells me word-for-word, so please take in exactly what I say.” He nods and I listen for Bree to take over.

“Mr. Fratacello, I can’t even begin to say how disappointed I am in this situation. The people fighting your men are my family and friends. Your son has put us in a terrible position, and you are correct in saying he will need to pay with his life. However, I’m not sure I can just let you walk away like this, with no punishment at all.”

Mr. Fratacello shakes his head, the look of defeat is apparent on his face. “Apologies, Mrs. Doughty, I don’t mean to offend, but let me be clear, if you allow me and my wife to leave this mess, I will not be leaving unpunished. I’m being forced to flee from the very good life I’ve built here. I know you will freeze most, if not all, of my assets, so I’m not even in a position to live comfortably. I’ll also have to explain to all of my business partners that I’m no longer in business, which could place a very big target on my back, if you’re not able to replace me quickly. But the biggest wound of all will be knowing my only son—my only child, in fact—is dead. That is a pain no parent should have to suffer.”

Bree replies and I speak her words aloud. “That’s something I can agree with you on. I lost a child and there’s no pain like it. Unfortunately, mine was never given the chance to take its first breath. Yours, on the other hand, has put the lives of all the people I care about in danger. I cannot save him. But, I do grant you permission to leave. Go now and don’t look back. But, let me make this very fucking clear, Mr. Fratacello. If you even think about double-crossing me, or about stabbing me in the back, I’ll end you personally. Do you understand?”

Mr. Fratacello agrees, and along with his bodyguard and the registrar, he starts to leave. I quickly back up so my back is against the wall and I can still cover his exit and Kyle. Kyle’s face drops and his eyes bug out like you see in a child's cartoon. As his father leaves the room, at first he is stunned into silence, then the rage starts. “Fuck you, Father. How dare you fucking abandon me. We were winning. We have him outnumbered. He only has one fucking bullet left. What the fuck are you thinking?” he shouts manically, his face turning feral as he spits through the snarls.

Mia’s cries of agony get louder, and I see her cut is getting worse. Fuck, if I don’t end him soon the wound is going to be too deep and he could cause some real fucking damage. My eyes glance between Mia and Shayla, and my heart races as I try to work out what to do. Kyle’s right, whoever I shoot, there will be casualties. But now that his father and his bodyguard are no longer a factor, there’s only one gun—Kyle’s. If I take him out, his bodyguard can come at me with a knife, but that will give me a chance to fight him off. Either way, I need to take out the only remaining gun. The problem there is I don’t know what Kyle’s bodyguard will do next, and that puts Shay in a whole heap of danger. He could lay down his weapon if his boss is beat, or he could slit her throat in retaliation and charge at me. Both are very real possibilities, but I have to act.

Shay must be able to see the indecision and pain in my eyes, as she meets my gaze with a sad smile on her face. “Kellan,” she starts, and the bodyguard slams his elbow into her stomach to silence her, causing a scream of pain. But, she doesn’t let that stop her. When she speaks to me, I can see the pained expression on her face as her eyes fill with tears. “I understand what you have to do. Save Mia. Live a long and happy life together. But, please promise me you’ll look after Hallie. Mia, I gave you my blessing to be her mum. Maybe one day you can tell her about me, that I fought for her, even when it didn’t look like it. I will always love our little Hallie Bear. Please, Kellan, save your family.”

Shayla manages to get the whole thing out before Lionel slams his elbow into her again. The tears that started to flow while she was talking, now they stream down her face as sobs rack her body. I know exactly what she’s telling me. She’s saying that I can only save one of the girls, and she gives me permission to save Mia. Shayla knows she’s going to die, and she’s okay with that, but I’m not.

“How fucking touching. Why don’t I take the decision away from you and shoot you first?” Kyle asks, but he keeps the gun trained on Mia. If he even starts to move it in my direction, I will have no choice but to shoot him.

“Bree, is there any backup coming?” I mutter into my communication device, hoping the boys have got rid of the security guards by now and are on their way to help me.

“I’m sorry, Kellan, more arrived and I can’t free one of them. Do you want me to come?” she asks, and I don’t even hesitate.

“No. I’ve got this.” Bree would be coming in blind with no weapon and no safety vest, as I took the last. We didn’t bring more stuff than we needed, as the helicopter can’t carry everything. I’m on my own, and unless I want Mia to bleed to death in front of me, I need to act now.

“Do it, Kellan,” Shayla shouts.

Mia must see the moment I make my decision, as her scream rips through the room. “No!”

I turn briefly to Shayla and give her a small smile. “I’m sorry.” As soon as the words leave my mouth I lift my gun, aim with the precision I was taught by Desmond as a kid, and I gently pull the trigger. Everything seems to happen in slow motion. The bullet travels from the barrel of the gun, aiming straight towards Kyle’s head. Seeing the bullet coming, he tries to move his gun to aim at me, which is exactly what I hoped he’d do. Obviously he didn’t get far before the bullet connected with his skull, smack-bang in the middle of his eyes.

Mia’s scream echoes loudly as she drops into a heap on the floor, Kyle’s body crumpling behind her. At first I thought it was just the terror of what she just witnessed that scared her, until I look down and see Kyle’s dagger sticking out of my beautiful girl’s body. Her hands are next to the knife, not really sure if she should touch it or not. I rush to her, but I don’t get far before I hear another scream from beside Mia.

In all the drama, I’d almost forgotten it wasn’t just Mia in the room. I look over just in time to see Shayla trying to fight back, but Lionel is jabbing at her repeatedly with his knife. Blood is squirting everywhere, and it’s obvious given the amount of blood and Shay’s screams that he’s hitting his target. Fear freezes me. I know I need to help her, but I don’t know how. That’s when my brain suddenly kicks into gear.

Sliding across the floor to where Mia is crumpled on the floor, my instinct is to comfort her, but I need to make it safe first. Grabbing hold of Kyle’s gun, I quickly check it’s loaded, take the safety off, and aim.

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