Page 84 of Unraveled Love

All the fear and anger and pain I’d dealt with in the last few weeks coiled so tightly inside of me and exploded at the sight of him. I struggled, fought against the man still holding my hands in a death grip, and kicked my legs out, throwing my body back into his.

“Fuck,” he cursed, but he maintained his hold on me. His elbow slammed into my temple so hard spots dotted my vision, and that taste of vomit rose in my throat.

I fought through it all. I would not throw up in front of Daniel. I wouldnotbe weak. Not ever again.

“I hate you!” I screamed, and had I been closer, I would have spit in his face, kicked him in the balls, raked my fingernails so deeply into his flesh he’d have scars for the rest of his life.

Daniel smiled, amused by my outburst, and his gaze flitted to Shawn.

He moved slowly, keeping his gun aimed at the man behind me but putting himself in a position where he could see both of the men who had invaded our home. He kept his gun trained on them, while the guy still holding me stepped past him and closer to the door.

Shawn took a step around us, and his eyes bounced from Briggs to me. Calculations sped through his gaze, and I knew he was trying to figure out who to shoot first, who would put me at the smallest risk.

“You should have shot me with my back to you,” Shawn said, his gaze coolly sliding toward Daniel and his gun at the back of Briggs’ head.

For his part, Briggs looked as relaxed as always, minus the small tic in his jaw. But he did that any time anyone interrupted him from playing at his computer, so it wasn’t all that startling. His hands were at his thighs, resting palms up, easily, almost as if he had been in the middle of meditating when Daniel broke in.

How had thishappened? They’d been prepared. They had security. Someone getting past the security system Briggs had set up?

And how in the hell had that guy gotten into the room where I was in the first place?

“That would make me a coward. No, when I kill you, it’s going to be with Addi watching so she knows you’re lost to her forever.” He grinned at me, a slick, sleazy smile that I swore, if given the opportunity, I’d wipe off him in a way that would mean he’d never be able to smile again. “I thought I told you once that you were mine and no one would ever have you. You should have listened.”

My eyes narrowed. Fuck him. Fuck him and his sick obsession with me and his twisted reality. “Well, I don’t like you very much.”

I saw the man’s fist this time, right before it landed in my stomach. The butt of the gun slammed into my kidney, and I cried out in pain, knees buckling right before what felt like a boot slammed into the back of them.

I fell forward, hands braced out to catch me, but right before they slapped the wood floor, another burst of blindingly hot pain shot through my scalp, yanking me back.

My hands flew up, toward the fist at my hair, and the gun returned to my temple.

“Don’t fucking touch her again,” Shawn growled, and when I was able to blink, clearing away the dots clouding my vision, he was closer, gun still calmly aimed at Daniel, but that expression?

It’d make me piss my pants if it was aimed at me.

Daniel clicked his tongue, getting Shawn’s attention.

“Landon.” He said one word, and the man behind me yanked me back, bowing my spine, and my knees slipped on the floor.

I wanted him dead almost as much as Daniel. I ached everywhere, and all the pain swirled, clouding my thoughts. It was impossible to think and why…why…why hadn’t I pressed Shawn on self-defense classes. That would have been more helpful than gun shooting.

My gun! How stupid! How I had I forgotten?Landon pulled my hair again, and this time he yanked me up so I was forced to get back to my feet as Daniel started talking. For the first time since he’d burst through the window of my room, I was thankful he’d grabbed my hands. He’d never touched the small of my back where my gun was hidden and holstered beneath the oversized sweatshirt I’d thrown on.

Yes.I twisted my hands in his grip. If I could relax, get him to think I would comply without fighting, maybe he’d relax his hold enough so I could grab it. At least then I’d have achanceat helping.

“Now, my friend and I here, we’re going to take Addi with us. I’ve missed her, and it’s time she remembers who owns her and what her place is in my life.”

As much as I wanted to spit in his face, I blanked my expression and arched my back. I pressed my hands to my lower back, and for the first time in the last ten minutes of this insane hell, relief washed through me.

Glancing at Shawn, I caught his brows rising, and I gave him a wink.

Finally. We could get the upper hand. If only I could…

The door behind us banged open. I was spun, and a loud, ear-piercing thunderous sound echoed through the air.

The man behind me fell back and screamed, letting me go as he ducked out of the way. More shots pierced the air, and I dropped to the floor, grabbing the gun at my back. It snagged on the holster and it took me a couple of tries, but finally, I climbed to my knees, gun in my hand, and flicked the safety off right as Landon, who hadn’t been shot, lunged at me.

I pulled the trigger without thought, and before I registered more gunfire, red bloomed in his stomach and he fell backward.

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