Every Way (Brush of Love 4)

“Their blood spills on this knife,” the man said. “Now, where’s the money you owe me for the drugs that were lost in your fucking art studio?”

I couldn’t stand by and watch this any longer. I didn’t know what the hell the police were waiting for, but this wasn’t going on a second longer than it needed to. I barged out of the shop and stood in front of Hailey, my eyes piercing the man as he held the knife out in front of him. He smelled disgusting, full of mud and dirt and everything else you would find in a sewer. The man’s eyes were bloodshot, and his hand was trembling, but he moved quicker than I could’ve ever imagined.

He thrust his knife into his pocket and pulled out a gun just as the policemen from the shop came out with their guns drawn.

“Drop the weapon,” the police officer said.

But Ben kept his gun trained on my chest.

“Look, man, my brother is dead,” I said.

Ben’s eyes grew wide as the gun trembled in his hand.

“He’s dead, this girl’s dead, and your cousin’s dead. Hasn’t there been enough suffering? Are you really going to point a loaded gun at a pregnant woman to get money you’re not entitled to?” I asked.

“Someone has to pay,” Ben said.

“Sir. Drop the weapon,” the police officer said again.

I saw the man’s trigger finger tick, but the police must not have. They were standing there like lunatics, allowing this man to point a gun at us. What the hell would it take for them to shoot his man and get it over with? What would it take for someone to reach for their fucking handcuffs and end this damn nightmare? Part of me wanted revenge. I wanted to watch the cousin of the man who killed my brother bleed out right here on the gallery floor, but the other part of me wanted this to be over. I wanted him walking out in handcuffs and out of our lives forever.

“This is for your brother,” Ben said.

He squeezed off a round, and I threw Hailey to the ground. I flung myself on top of her as the police officers charged the man. Gunshots went off, and Ben started to groan. I covered Hailey with my entire body as I shielded her from all the commotion.

“Bryan,” she said breathlessly. “Bryan, we’ve, uh, I’ve-I’m ...”

I pulled myself away from Hailey’s body, and all I could see was blood. She was clutching her stomach, blood pooling on the beautiful white and blue dress she had worn to work that day. I looked down at my body, wondering if I was the one who had been shot. But there were no holes in my shirt or any pain ricocheting through my body.

“She’s been shot! Hailey’s been shot!”

I could hear myself screaming as I stood to my feet.

“Get me a fucking ambulance! Hailey’s been shot!”

I felt something warm and damp clamp around my wrist as I looked down. Hailey’s hand was wrapped around me as she tried to stand. I wrapped my arms underneath hers and lifted her to her feet as the blood started trickling down her leg.

“No, no. I’m, shit, not shot,” Hailey said.

“What? What did you say?” I asked.

I helped Hailey sit down on the stool as I bent down to inspect the damage. She was groaning in pain as her body hunched over. I peeled up the fabric of her dress, trying to figure out what the fuck was happening to her. Blood was everywhere, and fluid was trickling between her thighs.

Hailey hadn’t been shot.

Hailey was in labor.

Chapter 26

Hailey

I felt a nauseating pop as I hit the floor of my gallery. People were shouting, and someone was fighting back. Gunshots were going off, and my head was spinning. Everything happened so quickly that I wasn’t really sure what had gone on. All I knew was that a gun had been leveled at Bryan before his body was thrown into mine.

As he covered me on the floor, I felt a gushing sensation between my legs. I grimaced as the pain became overwhelming, robbing me of my breath. I tried to breathe as Bryan continued to cover me, fluid leaking out onto the floor. I could feel my abdomen warming with something as I squirmed underneath him.

I tried to call out his name, but I couldn’t catch my breath. My head was spinning, and my back was beginning to ache. My legs were trembling, and my vagina felt like it was on fire. It wasn’t until Bryan removed himself from me that I could sit up and evaluate what was going on.

And the moment my eyes saw the fluid between my legs, I knew what had happened.