Page 85 of Unraveled Love

I glanced back and found Cort stumbling inside, smoke coming from the barrel of his gun before a flash of orange light so brief I barely caught it.

I ducked, spun, and jumped to my feet right as Daniel’s gun aimed my way.

“I hate you,” I screamed as I pulled the trigger again. I missed, and he smirked, but Briggs was moving, grabbing a gun from beneath his desk. He shoved his chair back, knocking Daniel off his legs, but as he did, Daniel’s gun went off and Shawn cried out.

“No!” I pulled the trigger again. Did it again. I kept firing until it there was a faint click and two arms wrapped around me from behind.

“Shhh.” It was Cort, and even though I recognized his voice, I struggled in his hold, flailing my feet in the air and trying to fight against him, but he was like a brick. “Shhh. You’re good, Addi. You got him.”

A pressure valve released in my chest, and I sank into his hold—until I caught sight of Shawn.

On the floor, his hand at his side, blood soaking through his shirt and running through his fingers like a mighty, rushing river.

“Oh God. Shawn!” I scrambled against Cort’s hold again, and this time he let me go.

I rushed to Shawn, falling to my feet, and my hands went to his bloody one and helped apply pressure.

“You did good, honey. So damn proud of you.”

His eyes glazed over, rolled back into his head, and then fluttered closed.

29

Addi

Two men. Two good men.

Dead.

Because of me.

Because of the drama I’d brought to their lives. Mason and Lincoln were both gone. Men I barely knew but had respected. They’d given their lives for me. More were gone.

Daniel was pronounced dead. So was Landon.

Cort was awake when they loaded him in the ambulance but still bleeding from the shot he’d taken.

Me? I almost punched one of the EMTs when they tried to pull me off Shawn. It was Briggs who pulled me back, holding on to my arms while they worked on Shawn, and once they loaded him into the ambulance, Briggs all but carried me to one of the SUVs and practically rode the ambulance’s ass following it to the hospital.

I prayed like I hadn’t done since I was seven years old and still thought God loved me.

It was hours later. Jaxon was in the waiting room next to me. I had no idea when he’d been notified, but he’d shown up two hours after I got there. Cort and Shawn were in surgery. Charlie had tried to sit with me and hand me clothes or scrubs, and when she’d tried to get me to wash my hands, I’d slapped at hers.

Vaguely, I registered the looks I got as people walked by, but it took one word from Jaxon for them to leave me alone. I wouldn’t leave my chair until I knew Shawn was okay.

“It’s taking so long.” My foot hadn’t stopped bouncing since I sat down.

“He’ll be good.”

Jaxon’s comfort didn’t settle me as much as Shawn’s. Nothing would, I was certain of it.

On my other side, Charlie tried too, but as she spoke, all I thought about was all the men who were dead because of me.

Lincoln.

Mason.

All of Daniel’s men.

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