Page 19 of Forever

Locatelli dropped the knife from his hand and stared at me.

I’d never held a gun before. I’d never even imagined killing someone before. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I used to dream of offing Mr. Pruitt for what he did to Brooklyn.

But this guy in front of me? Practically a complete stranger? I clenched my jaw. He’d kidnapped Brooklyn. He’d been seconds away from killing her. He deserved to die.

The gun shook slightly in my hand.

I could feel everyone’s eyes on me.

“Get over there,” I said to Magnus King. “With him.”

“I’m not with him. I don’t agree with anything he’s fucking doing.”

“Over there. Now.”

Magnus kept his hands in the air and walked over to Locatelli. I saw him eyeing something on the side of his desk. It looked like there was a button hidden at the top of one of the legs. A panic button probably. But he hadn’t hit it.

“Matt, don’t,” Brooklyn said. She’d grabbed the knife off the ground and was working on cutting through her restraints.

“Rob, help her.”

Rob hurried over and grabbed the knife. He quickly got her free and helped her to her feet.

“Get her out of here,” I said and held the gun a little tighter. I didn’t want her to see this.

Sixteen years ago, Mr. Pruitt took Brooklyn away from me because he thought I couldn’t protect her. He thought Miller would do a better job taking care of her than me. But Mr. Pruitt was fucking wrong. I could protect her. I’d do anything to keep her safe. But the fucking gun kept shaking in my hand.

Rob tried to pull Brooklyn out of the room but she refused.

“Matt,” she said.

I took a deep breath and stared at the man I was about to kill.

“Matt, it’s okay. We can just call 9-1-1.”

Nothing about this was okay. “Miller wouldn’t have even hesitated.” So why the fuck was I hesitating?

“You’re not Miller.” She gently put her hand on my arm.

I can protect you too.I clenched my jaw. I had to do this.

“This isn’t you,” she said again.

But it needed to be. For once in my life I fucking needed to show up. The gun started shaking more in my hand. I just needed to pull the trigger. I needed to show her I’d always be there to protect her.

“I don’t want you to be anyone but you, Matt. Please.”

I turned to look at her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her beautiful blue irises were rimmed with red. I refused to ever forget the color again. I refused to let anyone ever take her away from me. The gun kept shaking in my hand.

Brooklyn wound her fingers around my arm. “I love you exactly the way you are.”

I felt tears falling down my cheeks.

And a gunshot echoed in my ears.

No.

Blood splattered on the wall behind Luigi Locatelli’s head and he fell to his knees. The shot had gone clean through his forehead.

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