Page 90 of Fighting for You
Itake off into the woods, Margot’s screaming my name behind me, but I see him. He’s heading farther into the forest, fleeing the scene of the crime. I can’t let him. I can’t allow him to get away, not after everything he’s put Margot through and now shooting Keaton.
Tree branches slash against my face as I charge forward. I don’t think he knows I’m following him just yet, and I have no idea if he’s still armed. There was no gun at the house from what I saw, but my concern was finding Margot.
As another branch hits my cheek, I wonder if this was a bad idea. What if he’s got the gun and shoots at me? On the other hand, what if he’s unarmed and this is a chance to catch him?
I gain on him, and he must hear me because he turns around, continuing to move away from me, his eyes widening when he realizes he’s no longer alone. Just as he moves his arm to point the now very apparent gun at me, his foot catches on a root, andhe goes crashing to the ground. His grunt echoes through the forest, and the weapon flies out of his hand.
As he clambers to get it, I jump on top of him. “Absolutely the fuck not,” I say through gritted teeth as I pull his arm away from where the gun landed.
“Get off me!” he screams, throwing a punch in my direction. I block his fist, pinning it above his head so I can finally get a real look at him. He has disheveled dark hair with wild, dark eyes to match. He’s mildly attractive but overall, just a normal guy. Someone no one would ever think twice about if they saw him walking down the street. And from what Margot has told me, he’s a renowned surgeon. Someone people should be able to trust with their lives.
But he shot Keaton. He stalked Margot. Despite his accolades in his career, he’s anything but a good person. He should be thrown in prison with no chance of parole for everything he’s done.
He’s still fighting to get free, his eyes boring into me like he’ll murder me on the spot once he gets his hands on the gun. I can’t let it happen.
Shifting all my weight so I’m leaning over him, I keep his arms pinned beside him as I quickly survey the forest floor around us, searching for where the firearm landed.
Suddenly, he stops struggling and goes lax under me. “I know who you are,” he says, so casually it sounds even more eerie.
“I’m no one.”
“Exactly. You’reno one. I’m someone.” He pauses and looks at me, his eyes now seeming empty, the unhinged look from before gone. “I can give Margot everything she wants and needs. Do you think she honestly wants someone like you? Someone who parades other women in front of her? Someone who doesn’t have a real job? She deserves better,” he grits out as I scan the area around us again, desperately hoping to find the gun. Hiswords bring my attention back to him, which is probably what he was hoping for. “You think you’re good enough for her?”
“Oh, fuck off,” I say with a laugh. The man is truly delusional.
As I look back up, I finally spot the gun under some foliage. He must realize what I’m about to do because the second I let go of him to go for it, he flips over and scrambles in the same direction, his fingers clawing into the earth for purchase.
We grapple against each other, both reaching, our fingers brushing against the cold metal of the weapon at the same time. The ground below me, wet from the melted snow and sleet, seeps into my clothes, chilling me to my core.
Just as my fingers wrap about the barrel, Julian grabs the handle, pulling it toward us. Using my legs, I try to kick him, leverage him away so I can pull the gun closer and get a better grasp on it. He leans back, missing my foot and gaining some traction.
Dirt goes flying in the air as we fight for the weapon. And just as I think I might have the upper hand, a fist flies toward my gut, and my hold on the gun shifts.
The sound of the gunshot is deafening; I watch as a flock of birds fly off through the trees. My ears ring, and the adrenaline coursing through my body has made me numb. Unsure what I’ll find when I look down, I take the risk.
Chapter Forty
Margot
Ihaven’t stopped crying for five days. My eyes are so puffy I can barely see. No matter what I do, I can’t stop the tears. Even when I feel numb and disconnected from what’s happening around me, tears flow.
Looking around my small home, my eyes land on so many people: Cary holding Thea in the corner, Ripley staring blankly at the art on my walls, even Billy from the hardware store is sitting on the sofa, munching on something Cary had delivered from RED. There are a lot more people here than I thought there would be. He never would have believed this many people would show up for him.
Slowly but surely a new wave of sadness and self-blame hits me. I recall everything from my last morning with him. Everything I should have done differently. Everything I should have said. I shouldn’t have gone to the house knowing Julian was still out there, I should have told him I loved him one more time.
I should have never come back here.
I had just gotten him back. We should have had more time. It was supposed to be the first day of a fresh start for us.
The what-ifs tumble around in my head, muting the noises around me. I’ve been moving as though through a fog since the day he died, a fog dense with all of my regrets and grief. I can’t seem to pull myself out of it.
Hayes steps in front of me, his eyes glassy too. He hands me a tissue, squeezes my shoulder and walks off. He’s barely holding it together. I know he’s trying to put on a brave face for me, but I know my brother. He’s dying a little inside everyday. He’s got his regrets too.
I’m just about ready to shoo everyone out of my house when strong arms wrap around me from behind, immediately followed by the scent of bergamot and leather. I lean back into Brooks’ strong chest and let him hold me up for a few moments.
“I’ve got you, baby,” he murmurs into my ear. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have him. He’s been picking up my pieces and slowly fitting them back together day and night, holding me through the worst of the heartache of losing my dad. He hasn’t left my side, making sure I eat and sleep.
I turn around and wrap my arms around him, enveloping myself in his firm hold. His heart beats steadily under his suit jacket, and I’m once again breathing out a long sigh of relief that he’s still here with me.
