He pulls out what looks like a burner phone and puts on a simpering face and a high falsetto as he texts out loud. “Hi, it’s me, Gina. I’m out in the garden. I want to talk to all three of you. Can we talk?”
Tommy cackles. “Now watch as I take all three of these fucks out.”
My heart thunders with rage as Tommy goes over to the sniper rifle and gets in position. Of course, Tommy would do it this way. Of course, he’d shoot them all from afar without giving them a chance to defend themselves.
I’ve been so scared of him for so long. But he’s not strong. I realize that now. He’s nothing but a coward.
I can’t let him do this. I can’t! And my hands are tied, but not my feet.
In a sudden moment of clarity, I know what I have to do.
I stand up as far as I can, then dip my head to charge at him.
And to my surprise, it actually works.
Tommy is so busy reaching for his gun that he’s totally unprepared for my hit. He goes flying, and I run over to the weapon.
With my hands tied as they are, I can’t reach for the rifle. So I bump into the stand as hard as I can. My heart rises when the dangerous weapon goes flying out the window, stand and all. The next thing I hear is the sound of it crashing to the ground.
But the men I love still aren’t clear of danger. I stand at the empty window and scream at the top of my lungs, “Don’t come out here! It’s a trap!”
But then I abruptly stop screaming when I see that the expanse outside the back of the cabin remains empty. Nobody’s come out. Oh, thank God. All three of them must not have been home for some reason.
“You bitch!”
I turned back around in my crouched position just in time to see Tommy scramble to his feet.
I brace for a fight. But then instead of coming at me, he looks to the side.
I follow his gaze and see the glint of his service revolver lying on the floor near his mattress. No!
We both charge for it at the same time.
I don’t know how I’m going to stop him from getting to it. All I know is I have to keep him from using it on me. Or the men I love.
Thank goodness, I reach the gun first. I drop to my knees beside it, preparing to use the chair’s legs as my first line of defense.
Suddenly, someone grabs at my tied hands.
I try to pull away. I can’t let Tommy have this gun!
But then a gruff voice says, “Hold on, Gina. Let me get you out of these ropes.”
Jeb! Oh God, it’s Jeb!
He makes quick work of the ropes and turns me around to face him. His expression is worried and rough, but he informs me, “Your ex can’t tie a knot for shit. You okay?”
I don’t laugh. I have to warn him, “Jeb, you have to watch…”
The “out” fades from my voice when I see what’s taking place beyond his shoulder.
Nico and Mitch…they’re taking turns again. But this time not with me.
They’re throwing punches into Tommy’s face like he’s a bag designed specifically for their fists.
Jeb picks up his hunting rifle from where he laid it on the floor when he was untying my hands. He watches them for a long, cold moment before saying, “That’s enough.”
Mitch stops, but Nico grabs the front of Tommy’s shirt and keeps going. “You thought you could come here and just take our wife, you worthless sack of shit?” Punch! “We’re going to make you pay for hurting her.” Punch! “That’s our woman you hit. Our baby you tried to claim. And you’re never going to hurt them again!” Punch!
Nico might have gone on like that, if not Jeb for saying, “That’s enough, Saint Nic! Let him go!”
Violence shines bright in Nico’s eyes, but he lets Tommy go.
As it turns out, Nico’s hand fisted around his shirt was the only thing holding him up. Tommy slumps to the ground like a pile of Irish bricks.
“You won’t get away with assaulting a cop,” he mumbles through his bloodied mouth. “All of you are going to jail.”
“You’re right. We can’t get away with assaulting a cop,” Jeb says, coming to stand over him. “So, we better make sure no one ever finds out.”
That’s all the warning Tommy gets before Jeb cocks the gun and shoots him point blank in the face.
We all stare at the dead body for a frozen moment.
Then Nico turns to me and says, “So your real name is Gina, huh? And what’s this we hear about you being a state beauty queen?”
Epilogue
One Year Later
Yes, my real name is Gina. And yes, I’m a former Princess Georgia.