Page 30 of The Price of My Sins

I reached for the door handle, eyes still scanning the lot out of instinct more than anything. My fingers brushed the cool metal, but before I could grip it, everything shifted.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me from behind, locking around my waist like iron bands. I gasped, but the sound barely escaped before a hand clamped down over my mouth, smothering it. Panic detonated in my chest. Then, bam! My body was slammed hard against the side of the car. Pain shot through my shoulder and ribs. The jolt knocked the breath out of me, and the bag dropped from my hand, splattering food across the pavement. That’s when I heard his voice.

“You thought you could get away from me, bitch!” Josh's voice was muffled and menacing. “I told you… I’m always gonna find you.”

My chest rose and fell fast, my breath coming in short gasps. I tried to speak, tried to push him off of me, but he was too strong.

“Josh… what the hell are you doing?” I finally managed to say, my voice shaky and small.

His hand slammed against the car next to my head, and I flinched. “Shut the fuck up!” he roared, snapping, his voice cracking like a whip. “You don’t talk. You listen. Tell your boyfriend that his days are numbered. And so is yours. You are going to pay for crossing me! I’ll be seeing you…” He ran his hand up the side of my leg, up my dress, and reached between my legs. When his hand landed on the fabric of my lace panties, I flinched. “Tell that nigga… have fun with this pussy while he can. After I kill him, I’m definitely going to get one last taste of this good-ass pussy before I put a bullet in your head,” he whispered against my ear, and his words slid down my spine like ice. And just like that, this nigga walked away, disappearing down the block like a thief in the night.

I stood there for a second, completely still, like my body needed time to catch up to what had just happened. My hands shook as I bent down to grab my phone off the ground. Thankfully, it didn’t crack. The BBQ was a lost cause, though. The bag had split, ribs scattered across the concrete, sauce dripping like blood against the ground. I didn’t care anymore, although a few moments earlier, I was ready to devour the food. I just needed to get to Bo now.

I got in the car, slammed the door, and locked it with trembling fingers. I sat there gripping the steering wheel while my heart tried to crawl its way out of my chest. My breath was uneven, and my thoughts were spinning out, looping Josh’s voice over and over again in my head.

I blinked hard and shook my head, trying to force myself back to my center. This wasn’t the time to fall apart.

I started the engine of the car, determined to drive until I was wherever Bo was. As I pulled out of the lot, I checked my mirrors obsessively. Every car behind me felt like him. Every shadow made me cringe. I turned the music off and rolled the window down just a crack, needing air. I needed something real to holdonto, and the air wasn’t going to work because it wasn’t Bo. He was my safe haven—my solace.

The gun range was fifteen minutes away, but the drive felt like forever. My heart was still racing when I turned into the gravel lot, the crunch under my tires grounding me just enough. I spotted Bo’s truck parked near the back, like always.

Safe.

I parked beside him, cut the engine, and leaned my forehead against the steering wheel for a beat. Josh was unraveling, and if I didn’t do something fast, he’d take me down with him.

A knock came at my window, scaring the shit out of me. My head shot up, and there stood Bo. His face, usually unreadable, calm like the trigger finger he kept trained, was tight. His eyes scanned mine, then swept over my face, pausing on the smeared makeup on my cheek.

He didn’t wait for me to roll down the window. He yanked the door open, asking, “O, what the hell happened?” His voice was quiet and firm, but not with fear, with fury.

I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat. The moment I opened my mouth, the weight of it all crashed in, stealing the breath right out of me.

Bo crouched down beside the car door, one hand gripping the frame, the other gently reaching for my chin. He turned my face toward the light, jaw clenching harder when he got a better look. “What’s wrong, baby?”

I swallowed, finally finding my voice, even if it shook. “Josh… he…” I sobbed, not able to finish my sentence.

Bo’s eyes scanned the lot one more time, hand still holding mine. Whatever he was thinking, I could see it darkening behind his stare—silent and dangerous. Without another word, he bent down and scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing.

“Bo, I can walk…”

“I know you can,” he said, voice rough but gentle. His grip was solid and secure. It was the kind of hold that made you feel protected even when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

He carried me through the front entrance of the range, past the empty front counter, and straight down the hallway to his office in the back.He kicked the door shut behind us and walked over to the leather couch tucked against the wall. He sat down with me still in his arms, settling me into his lap like he wasn’t letting go any time soon. His hands stayed on me; one on my thigh, the other wrapped protectively around my waist.

I rested my face on his chest, finally letting myself breathe. Bo didn’t speak, but he didn’t have to. His racing heart let me know that he was in his head, and that wasn’t a good thing.

“You’re shaking, baby. Talk to me. Tell me what you feel. Because right now… I’m ready to go find that nigga and end his life.”

I shook my head, never looking into his eyes. “No. I can’t let you do that, Bo. This is my fight. I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to you because of me. I’m just afraid he might go to the cops with those texts I?—”

“Look at me,” he said as a command, soft but unyielding. “What did I tell you?” I lifted my eyes to his, my heart slamming in my chest. His face was composed, but there was something else in his gaze, something raw and unshakable. Something sat in his eyes that made me feel like he wasn’t just sitting there with me; he was right beside me in this fight, ready to burn it all down if I asked him to.

“You told me you got me,” I whispered.

“And I meant that shit,” he said without hesitation.

He moved closer, capturing my lips. Bo kissed me with so much passion that it stole the breath right out of my lungs. I melted into him, letting the fear slide off my shoulders just for amoment. I was allowing his warmth to remind me that I wasn’t alone in this mess.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine. His breath was warm, his voice even warmer. “You don’t have to worry about any evidence of that night pointing to you. I took care of it.”

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