Page 69 of Kian's Devotio
His jaw clenched and he tried to touch her again, and this time, she balled up her fist and she punched him, hard in the face, making him stagger back a few steps.
“I just told you, you do NOT get to touch me. Ever.”
Carlos growled right in her face, “Then I guess your leverage is as good as dead.”
Then he pulled his gun from his pants and shot Kian twice in the chest.
The chair Kian was in fell over backward, and she screamed his name, trying to get around Carlos to get to him.
He pulled the gun around to her, pointing at her, “You think you could come in here to give me orders? To not touch the merchandise, I bought and paid for? I always get what I want. And you owe me.”
She glared at him, feeling herself shake with hatred and anger. Trying to keep the pain of Kian’s death pushed down, otherwise she couldn’t focus.
Then she pushed him hard, making him stumble back another few steps and he brought the gun up, firing once.
She expected it to hit her, and she waited for the pain, but it didn’t come.
Instead, her mom was on the floor at her feet, holding her chest, with blood welling from beneath her fingers. She had jumped in front of the bullet.
Blood was pouring from Lenora’s chest now, and Carlos looked down at Lenora and then back up, “Well, at least she can’t take two bullets for you.”
He held up his gun again and Karalee stood still, staring him in the face and waiting for the inevitable, but before his gun went off, another gun sounded, and the bullets hit Carlos once in the back of the chest and once in the back of his head.
He was dead before he hit the ground and she looked over in shock to see Gray standing in the back door, his gun up and breathing hard.
He dropped to his knees by Kian, and Karalee dropped down next to her mom.
Lenora’s mouth was ringed with blood and she was letting out gasping, rattling breaths.
“What did you do mom? You hate me. Why did you save me?”
Lenora slowly shook her head, “I wanted to believe I hated you. You always reminded me of my mistakes. My problems and how I ruined my life. Ruined your life.”
Karalee shook her head and Lenora went on, her voice fading as she spoke, “I’m sorry girl. I never meant to ruin your life. I couldn’t ever be the mom you wanted. Not until now. He told me you wanted to give me a funeral I didn’t deserve for the death I faked. I couldn’t let him kill you. Then have to live life with that on my conscience. Live your life girl. Be happy and move as far from this soul sucking town as you can. You are better than this place. Always have been. Just know that I loved you. Even if I never said.”
Karalee felt the tear slide free, “I love you too mom.”
Lenora shut her eyes and her breathing stopped.
She needed to get to Kian now. She would mourn her mother’s death later, and the front door opened, letting the police swarm in.
Including the guys. Xavier looked pissed, but she hurried to Kian’s side.
In the seconds it took to hear her mom's last words, Gray had ripped open Kian’s shirt to reveal the bullet proof vest he wore underneath it.
The two bullets were close together and she could see just how deadly they should have been.
He undid the tight Velcro and Kian let out a gasp and opened his eyes.
The duct tape had come off sometime in the hustle and as he gasped for air, he looked around frantically and when his eyes landed on her, he let out a sigh of relief.
She went to untie his hands but noticed that he had already.
The fabric ties were slippery with blood and hadn’t held him.
He gathered her into his arms and hugged her.
Just holding her until her body stopped shaking and then he stood, taking her with him.
