Page 113 of Faith
She watched, waiting for the bullet to hit her, waiting for death to claim her.
Zeke shouted. His body flashed in front of Nina.
She flinched.
The sound of the bullet hitting Zeke was made worse by the way he collapsed to the ground in a heap, not bracing himself before he hit the floor.
“Zeke!”
“Come with me, Nina. We can call the police when we’re gone. They might survive. But if you refuse, I’ll kill you, too.” Gwendolyn pointed her gun at Nina again.
“Don’t go,” Monty breathed. He pressed something against her hand.
Cold metal. With a trigger.
Nina didn’t think or wonder or hesitate. She grabbed the gun and swung, pulling the trigger as many times as she could, bullets popping out like fireworks.
Gwendolyn jerked as a bullet hit her arm, then again when one hit her chest. Her gun slid across the floor away from her as she fell.
Nina drew a sharp breath. The silence was almost as deafening as the gunshots.
Laughter came from Gwendolyn, a wheezing sound breaking up the evil laugh. “I always knew you had it in you, Nina. That’s why I took you in.”
Nina went to Gwendolyn, standing over her as blood pumped out of her body. “What are you talking about?”
Gwendolyn grinned. Blood stained her clothes. Her teeth were red. Her blonde hair was copper. “That evil runs deep in you. You’re a killer, just like me. Your brother and your father were your first examples, but they scared you. I made you strong. I made you what you are today. I raised you well, Nina.”
“I’m nothing like you,” Nina breathed.
“I’m so proud of you, sis. So proud.” Gwendolyn exhaled and went still.
Nina stared at the woman. Tears streamed down Nina’s face. Her gut clenched with fear, her hand on the gun that gave her the power to take a life. “I’m nothing like you.”
24
The crackof wood splintering was immediately followed by the pounding of footsteps and shouts from a dozen people pointing flashlights and guns at Nina.
“Freeze! Hands up. Drop the gun!”
Nina took a step back and let the gun fall to the floor. Hands grabbed her, shoving her to the wall. A man pressed against her back, his hands sliding over her body.
Panic gripped her throat. Tears filled her gaze. She wanted to fight, to push back against the man feeling her up, but she couldn’t. She was done. She might as well be the one with a bullet in her, dead on the floor.
“What the hell happened here?”
Nina knew that voice. “Lorelei?”
“Nina. What’s going on? Let her go,” Lorelei commanded.
“She’s clean, ma’am,” the man said, letting Nina up. “No more weapons.”
Nina sagged with relief, falling to her knees.
“Nina, what happened? Why did you come here?”
“Monty said you couldn’t come until tomorrow. I didn’t want her to get away.”
Lorelei’s gaze landed on Gwendolyn and hung there.
