Center Mass (Code 11-KPD SWAT 1)

I couldn’t believe that she was saying all of this in the parking lot. I may be towards the back of the lot, and hidden mostly by the building, but this wasn’t private by any means.

I looked at her, trying to blank my face to mask my ‘you’re crazy, bitch’ face, and said, “Reese and I didn’t do anything. The only part we’ve played in it all was staying away from each other. We didn’t help Weston do anything.”

Movement from the corner of the building caught my eye, but I didn’t dare look. The woman was smart, I’d give her that, but she was also unpredictable. There was no telling what she’d do if she found someone at her back.

The crazy bitch leaned down, her hugely pregnant belly sticking out in front of her as she came down to one knee.

“You want to know the funny thing?” She asked. “I didn’t even love him. I only stayed with him because he was stable and he didn’t have any connection to the mafia. I had some stupid idea of fixing things, getting out before I lost my life by doing something stupid for my father. Doing something for this kid. I was always so tired of being daddy’s gofer. Then he tried to set me up with some fucking kiss ass who wanted an in back with his family. And stupid fucking me, I thought I’d at least give it a try, but daddy doesn’t know when to quit.”

My hand itched to go for my gun, but I knew I wouldn’t get it out in time if I tried. So I stayed still, going against every ingrained sense in my body that told me to move.

“You know, you can tell your friend over there, when you see him in hell, that you’re sorry for ending his life,” she smiled, pressing the barrel of the gun at my temple.

My heart started racing, and with that the pulse of my headache ramped up, throbbing in tune to the beat of my heart.

I smiled. “No, I won’t be telling him anything, honey. You’ll be going there alone.”

With that, I lifted my leg and planted it on the ground, and rolled away from the mad woman.

Two gun shots sounded, and a searing pain along my brow had me gritting my teeth.

I was still alive to feel pain, though.

Bonus!

Rolling over to my hands and knees, I looked up and took in the area.

Only one of my eyes seemed to be working, but I didn’t let that bother me.

I stood quickly, looking from the woman on the ground to Nico who was standing over the woman, his gun still aimed at her.

Nico had shot her in the chest, on the right side, missing her heart but still incapacitating her.

She was writhing on the ground in pain, and blood was steadily filling out around her, spreading in an ever-widening pool. My eyes were fascinated as it started to run down the slope of the driveway, intermingling with the water from the sprinklers that were currently running.

Nico dropped down to his knees beside the woman, using what looked to be his shirt to staunch the flow of blood.

I could’ve told him that would be useless, that it was probably the exit hole at her back that was doing the most bleeding, but Nico looked like he needed that false sense of accomplishment. He looked ragged, torn apart by doing what he’d done.

I snapped out of it, using the mic clipped to my belt to call in a medic.

It proved uncalled for, though, since the next moment we had nearly the entire force of police cars rolling up to us. Full lights and sirens.

The ambulance would come once the scene was declared safe, which proved to be not fast enough because the woman on the ground shuttered, and her body went lifeless.

“Ambulance, now!” I bellowed.

The cops that were taking in the scene were looking at me in horror, but my voice jolted them out of it long enough for them to relay the message of needing an ambulance.

My head started to go lightheaded again, so I sat down on the curb and tried my hardest not to pass out.

My head fell in my hands, elbows resting on my knees, taking a small rest.

I blinked and lifted my head when I realized that there was someone in front of me talking to me. Realizing that it was Tai, a medic for Kilgore Fire Department, I blinked and tried to come back online.

I nodded when he asked if I could stand, and walked with my own power to the ambulance.

That was about all I had the ability to do, walking to the medic and collapsing on the cot with the white sheet.

The last thing I remembered was thinking, ‘That blood’s never going to come out.’Chapter 28Don’t half ass anything. Whatever you do, use your full ass.

-Coffee Cup

Reese

“He was shot twice. In the head,” I stated, clarifying what I’d just heard from Nico.

He nodded his head. “Yeah, once from the back of the head. The other grazed his brow. Both are superficial, though. Although he bled like a stuck pig.”

My mouth opened and closed, eyes wide. I didn’t know what to say.

“He’s getting sewn up right now by a doctor, and they’re giving him a transfusion of blood since he lost so much. I just wanted to warn you that he looks pretty gruesome, and not to freak out when you see him,” Nico said woodenly.

My brows knit together, and I took a longer look at Nico.

He was wearing quite a bit of blood himself. Was that all from Luke?

“Nico, are you okay?” I asked.

He looked at me for a few short moments, emotions pouring through his eyes before he replaced his blank mask. “Fine. Why?”

I walked up to the scariest man I’d ever met. The one that had given me comfort the night I found out about my husband suing me for full custody of Rowen. The one that watched over me. The one that had saved my future husband’s life…and walked into his arms.