Page 104 of Toy No More

Maybe I can get up. There’s still some adrenaline left in me. Even over the pain and the scent of Jasper’s pheromones making everything feel like the gravity is ten times stronger than it should be, maybe I can muster up some strength to get up and…push him. Overpower him somehow. I have to dosomething.

Jasper ignores me, giving me nothing more but a wrinkling of his nose in disgust.

His eyes stay focused on Apollo, almost like he’s turning him to stone with that overbearing energy radiating out of him. “The choice is yours.” He moves the gun back to Apollo’s temple, reminding him of the alternative. “You want to die? Or do you want to do the right thing? Be a good little doll and do what you know you’re supposed to,” he says against his ear.

Snuffling, Apollo bites down on his bottom lip and finally looks at me.

That’s it.I force a pained smile.

Come on. Do it. Do it for me. Do it and live.

He draws in a sharp, deep breath, preparing himself. “I’m n-not…” he whispers, swallowing a hiccup, “anyone’s fucking doll!”

It happens so fast.

Apollo twists his hand backward, making the barrel slip past his head and toward Jasper’s face behind him. The roaring bang of the gun follows the click of the trigger. I flinch as the painful ringing zips through my skull.

Something heavy thuds against the floor.

I see Apollo kneeling on the ground, clenching his head, while Jasper lies next to him. He twitches as the blood runs out of the bullet wound in his skull.

Oh my god.

“Apollo,” I mutter. Just opening my mouth still makes my stomach lunge. He doesn’t turn to me. I’m not even sure he can hear me. With his head low, he whimpers and shakes so hard it almost looks like convulsing. I realize it’s his ear that he’s holding. The one he fired the gun beside.

I desperately push my body to move. It’s so heavy, like I’m wading through quicksand, but I manage to crawl to him. “Apollo,” I say with a sharp exhale, putting my hand on his back. “Apollo, can you hear me? Apollo!”

He’s okay. Alive, at least. We’re…getting through this?

Glancing at Jasper again, relief washes over me. Powerful and invigorating. He’s not moving. Those threatening eyes are empty. Powerless. He’s gone.

“Dani!” I urge desperately, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

Finally, he pauses before slowly raising his head to me. He looks like he’s woken up from a dream. His red, tearful eyes, trembling lip…the vulnerable, terrified expression on his face, and yet it twists into one of worry as he cups my cheek.

“You’re hurt,” he whispers, tearing up even more. I don’t even want to know how bad I must look.

“It’s okay,” I say, carefully resting my hand against his nape. Squeezing him like I need to make sure it’s all real, I smile.

Apollo flinches in pain. Just getting close to his injured ear seems to be painful. I knit my brows, seeing the blood running down it.This can’t kill him, can it?

I still can’t believe he did that. Jasper’s dead.

Like he’s realizing it too, Apollo twists around to the body behind him. I feel the way all his muscles tense up under my touch, so I quickly pull him back to look at me. “Don’t,” I whisper, pressing our foreheads together. He puffs out quick, trembling breaths into my face, but with each of them, I sense him relaxing. As much as hecanrelax right now.

I’m careful about his ears as I hold his head still. With a deep exhale, I do my best to release my pheromones to soothe him. I’m so fucking tired and in pain, but I can do that for him. Apollo’s hands wrap gently around my wrists and he breathes out, hopefully feeling the effect of what I’m trying to do. Just his touch and his faint scent are enough for me to push through the pain that much easier.

Shots somewhere outside the door make us both jump.

Jasper’s people barging in is the first thing on my mind, but then I remember the feds. They were supposed to be here. They were supposed to come save me when I needed it.

The commotion becomes louder and more violent. When Apollo flashes me a terrified expression, I squeeze his hand. “It’s okay,” I say, nodding slowly. “It’s the cops.”

I hope.

Seconds later, the door gets kicked open, and the SWAT team pours in with warning shouts and the heavy rumbling of boots. We both raise our arms hastily. Or at least I do as far as I can without the sharp pain making it unbearable.

They secure the room, circling us and then ending up over Jasper’s body.

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