Page 68 of Tick Tock, Boom!

“Natalia Ramirez.”

There was a long pause before he replied. “Which man are you referring to?”

He knew damn who the hell it was. “He knows damn well who it is,” I half muttered, half groaned.

“Who else would be at my place at this hour? Tick Tock.”

“Well, fuck.” He gave a solemn response.

“I'll send someone out. What happened?”

She walked back over to me, gun in hand as she looked down at me. “He got shot.”

“Who shot him?”

She paused before responding. “I did. And I suggest you come get him quickly before I change my mind and put another bullet in his skull.”

My sweet, gorgeous, innocent woman no longer existed. I could see in her eyes how serious she was. She was set on killing me and I couldn’t blame her. I broke her trust and her heart and there was no going back from that.

“Ahh, hell.” Knuckles shouted orders in the background before returning to her. They'll be there in fifteen. And Natalia, if he dies, I'm not the one you'll have to respond to. And I can tell Jameson doesn't take lightly to his men being killed in cold blood.”

“Self-defense,” she corrected, Crouching down by my side as I continued to cough.

“Doesn't. Matter. He better be alive when we get there.” The line went dead, and she just stared at me. This dark, cold look in her eye.

“What the fuck are you doing in my house, Tick Tock?”

“Knuckles said you were alive. I didn’t believe it.”

“So, you decided to break into my house to what? Double check?”

“I didn't break in. I used the key.”

“Smartass,” she whispered.

She set the gun on the kitchen counter and returned with a towel that she pressed to my chest. “Take deep breaths,” she said, and I did as she said, breathing her in and just staring at her.

“I thought you were dead,” I slurred, my vision blurring as I took shallow breaths.

“Might as well have been. While you were killing my father, I was left at the mercy of that rat, Rancid. What did you expect me to do? Wait around for what, exactly? I could never love a murder.”

I didn't say a word, just let my head drop. I knew begging for a second chance wasn’t an option in our story. In the intense silence, I heard a small voice.

“Momma.”

Natalia's head jerked up. She pressed one hand to my chest and pressed a finger to her lips. “Keep Pressure on the wound.”

She stood up quickly and walked around the counter, keeping me hidden. “Hey baby, what are you doing up?”

“I'm thirsty, momma.”

Okay, well, run on upstairs and get into bed and I'll come bring you a glass of water into a minute, honey.”

“But, Momma…”

“Just do as I say, I'll be right over.”

I heard a shuffle, then silence before she returned, a look of concern in her eye. “I want you out.”

---