Page 121 of Wicked Sin

She turns to me, giving Amelia a wide target on her back. My heart starts again, racing triple time now.

“Sarah said I couldn’t let you know I was here,” Taylor says, the words tumbling out fast and furious. “But when I found out it was my mom, I needed to trade places with you.”

What the fuck? “No,” I growl out, shoving her behind me. I lock the door again, a show for her mother that this is fine. We’re fine.

“No,” Amelia says coolly. “Get away from the door, both of you.”

Taylor tries to get around me and glares at her mother. “Yes,” she says. “Let him go. He doesn’t know anything. He’s no use to you. I’m your vessel of secrets, right, mother? I’m your dirty little girl, just like you. So here I am. You’ve got me. You can let him go.”

“I think I’d rather hang on to both of you.” Her mother sneers, and my heart breaks for Taylor.

She really thought that would work.

But I know that’s not how it goes. Hostage takers don’t trade people. They shoot people. Especially when startled.

Amelia’s finger trembles against the trigger. “Or maybe I don’t need either of you after all,” she says softly.

Fuck, no. That’s the sound of someone giving up.

I twist around, throwing myself at Taylor, taking her down to the ground as the gun goes off twice. I hear it, I feel it, and then the whole house erupts in noise as darkness takes over.

38

Taylor

I’m still screaming.The window exploded over my head, the door behind me was busted open, and the room is full of cops in body armor and face masks. Dark shadows swarming, but I can’t focus on them. All I can see is Luke, still on top of me.

“Officer down,” one distant voice says. “Repeat, we have an officer shot on the scene. Suspect is shot. Two gunshot victims. Send in the medics, stat.”

Gloved hands roll Luke off me and I scramble to my knees, sobbing as I realize he’s been shot in the side. His hoodie has a hole in it, and I reach for him, but I’m dragged back.

His face is white and he’s not breathing.

He’s not breathing.

I scream again, his name now an agonizing prayer hanging on the air. No. No.Luke.

Different uniforms rush in now. Paramedics. They block my view, and then instead of getting busy saving his life, they just stop.

They just stop, and then they stand up again.

Why aren’t they working on him?

I sob uncontrollably as they move aside.

Luke holds out his hand and gives me a weak smile. “Come here, baby. I’m okay.”

I surge forward, falling on my knees at his side.

“Vest,” he whispers, his eyes closing again. He tugs at the bottom of his hoodie. “I’m okay. Hit my head on the way down, that’s all.”

That’s all.

Oh my God.

I’m moved out of the way again as the paramedics take over again. Another team is working on my mother, across the room, and I try to stand up, to go to her and see, but I can’t walk.

I turn to the cop holding me back and say something, but it’s garbled.

---