Page 115 of Blue-Eyed Jacks
Shock’s laughter died.“What are you going to do with that thing?Shoot m—”
Bang!
He stepped back, reeling from the impact of the bullet.
Bang.She fired again.Then she emptied the clip into his chest, not stopping until she stood over him, and the trigger clicked over and over again as she tried to pump more bullets into his corpse.
I approached her to take the gun from her hand, but she flinched and nearly pointed the gun at me, still pulling that damn trigger.
I held my hands up.“Zoe, it’s me.Mom.”
Her eyes were empty.
I tried again and put a little more force into my words.“Yourmom.You know, the woman who almost had you in the back of a squad car because you decided to be born in the middle of an ice storm?”
She blinked.
Her hand shook.
I took that as a sign to take the gun out of her hand.“It’s okay.”
She hit my chest like a freight train, hugging me so hard I had trouble breathing.
The weapon in my hand was hot.I shifted it away from her so she wouldn’t get hurt.Then I wrapped my free arm around her so she’d be safe.So she’d know she was loved, no matter what.I whispered it into her hair.“I love you.”
“Mom.”
The word caught in her throat.I tucked the useless gun into my pants pocket to hold my baby.Damn, all the safety tips Gina had drilled into my head.Hugging Zoe mattered most right now.I figured the gun had been dry-fired enough times to prove it was harmless.
Seconds later, I wished I hadn’t tucked it away.
Bandit groaned.
I spun, pushing Zoe behind me, and dug for the useless gun.Maybe he’d been out cold long enough that he didn’t know it was empty.Or maybe I could bluff my way through this bullshit.
He was slow in sitting up, making all sorts of noises a healthy young man shouldn’t make.
He rubbed at his chest.“Fucking bullshit cheap-ass vest…” he spat out as he struggled to catch his breath.
I kept the gun trained on him.He finally noticed.
“Don’t shoot.”
“Then don’t move.”I sounded calm on the outside, but inside I was wondering what the fuck would happen next.This night rivaled some of my worst nightmares.
“Don’t plan on it.”He leaned heavily on his arm.As he did, he stared at the flotsam of blackmail surrounding him.He shifted a page to see what was underneath.“We need to pick this up.”
He was on his own with that.“I don’t thinkweneed to do anything.You can.”I lifted the gun a bit higher.
He squinted at me.“Woman, I heard at least seven shots.That gun’s empty.”He shifted and displayed his weapon.“And this one ain’t.”
“Zoe, this time,listento me.I want you to run.I don’t care where, and I certainly don’t want your opinion on it.Just do it.”
Bandit set the gun on the floor.“Damn it.I’m not going to shoot you.I just… need some help.”
“No.”
“Please?”
