Page 89 of Royally Bad

Brick flipped the gun like he was a movie star. “I just needed time. My dad was going to let me lead the Deep Shots, and I had ideas, you know? Wanted to get you fucking Badds out of the picture ... get you fucked by the police a few more times until your lawyer couldn’t rescue you. Didn’t expect to discover you working with this bitch. Jackpot! Revenge plot spotted!”

He was busy sneering at me. This man wasn’t afraid of spraying his plans at us, because soon, he’d be spraying our brains all over as well.

I just needed a chance to get at my gun.

And that beautiful girl ... she gave it to me.

Bursting into motion, Sammy chucked something at his head from inside of her backpack. Glittery and surreal, the high heel clicked off his scalp, sending him falling as he groped at the back of his skull.

Any other time, and I would have stared blankly at the fact that not only did Sammyhavethe shoes I’d thought I’d hidden away in my room ...

She’s just used one as a fucking weapon.

I didn’t have the luxury of being shocked. My gun was hot in my palm; I yanked it free, aiming it at Brick. I was fast, but he wasn’t scared of hitting someone he cared about like I was.

The muzzle flashed, his first shot worming through my shoulder. He was spinning in the dirt, firing blindly. Bullets pierced the sky, vanishing off into the stars.

With a scream, Sammy dropped to the pavement.

“No!” I roared, pointing my gun blindly. Each and every shot went astray. Brick grunted, half turning as I landed one slug in his upper thigh.

I had one bullet left, but I didn’t waste it. All I could see was Sammy. I stretched over the ground, struggling toward her. I could hardly move, I was leaking life all over the place. How many bullets had he buried in me? My legs weren’t working right, everything was on fire.

Sammy doubled over, leaning on the car’s front tire. Hair stuck to her forehead; she lifted her hand, the crimson staining through her snowy-white dress.

Brick coughed, wiping at his scalp. He didn’t even check the hole in his damn leg. Studying the redness on his fingers, he looked from me ... to Sammy. Purposefully, he cocked his handgun. “Enough of this.”

No no no no!

His other shots had been on reflex; he’d hit me and her entirely by accident. I didn’t know how bad her wound was; she was cradling her stomach and looking at the ground. I couldn’t even see her face.

If Brick shot her intentionally this time, I knew she’d be done.

My soul was capsizing. I wouldn’t let Sammy die—I couldn’t. Let me die instead; I’d rise from my damn grave, cursing the heavens and guaranteeing that anyone who touched a freckle on her cheek would get dragged back into the cold ground with me.

Fear is the perfect divider for separating you from your fucked-up thoughts.

The last time I’d thought about that, I’d been plowing down the highway with Sammy hanging on to my back. I wouldn’t have guessed that this was where we’d end up someday.

I want to ride with her again.

I want to hold her.

Kiss her.

I wanted to have our damn fairy tale.

As I lifted my pistol, aiming it with the hope that after every fucking thing I’d been through—thatshehad been through—some karma would give me some luck, I realized ...

This was it.

One shot was all I’d been offered.

So I took it.

My last bullet slammed into Brick’s knee. He went down in a fury of arms, swearing and shouting through the burst of pain. I knew it hurt, I had lead burning away at me, too.

“You motherfucking piece of shit! I should’ve killed you first!” he bellowed.

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