Page 16 of Twisted Violet
My face lands just beneath the edge of the open driver’s door.
That’s when I see it.
A glint of black beneath the seat.
Tucked in tight, almost hidden.
Atlas’s gun.
I lunge for it.
The man grabs my ankle behind me, trying to drag me back, but I twist, scrambling half-under the dashboard.
My fingers close around the grip.
Safety’s already off.
I roll onto my back, raise the weapon with both hands, and fire.
Bang.
He stumbles, lets go, and grunts in pain.
I scramble up to my feet and fire again.
Bang.
This time, he drops.
I hit the ground hard, knees slamming into wet gravel. The gun falls from my grip with a clatter.
My stomach heaves, and a stream of vomit forces itself out.
Rain is everywhere. In my eyes, in my mouth, and soaking through all of my clothes.
I can’t hear anything except the pounding in my chest.
My lungs are working but I can’t feel the air.
I want to run, I want to scream, but I can’t.
I just sit there, frozen, staring at the lifeless body in horror.
I don’t know if he’s breathing, I don’t know if I hit anything that matters, I just know he’s not moving, and I can’t deal with this alone.
I reach for my phone with fingers that don’t feel like mine and swipe blindly at the screen. It takes three tries to find his name.
Niko.
I press the call button and bring the phone to my ear.
He answers on the second ring.
“Vi?” His voice is low, clipped. Alert.
Just hearing his voice on the other end makes me breathe easier.
I open my mouth to answer him, but nothing comes out.
