I get out of the car and glance up to the fourth floor. I find Nic’s apartment with every single light on, telling me that the stupid fucker didn’t take himself to the hospital like he was supposed to. My guess would be that when the paramedics arrived, they treated him on site, and gave him enough painkillers to last a lifetime, and then Nic threatened their lives and sent them on their way.
I stand out in the deserted street, and as I look up at his apartment, I pull out the gun and raise it up into the air.
I take one definitive shot and my arm instantly jumps back as the bullet is freed from the chamber.
The sound is deafening but it does exactly what I need it to do. My heart races and my palms begin to sweat, knowing that this could either be the end of me or of Nic, but either way, only one of us is walking free from this tonight.
With the sound of the gunshot echoing through the streets of Breakers Flats, Nic appears in his window, instantly looking down. Only two seconds later, Kairo appears, then Elijah, and right after that, my sweet Sebastian.
Fuck. I can’t do this with them here.
The boys instantly disappear from the window, no doubt on their way down here as the tears begin falling from my eyes.
How could I be so stupid? Of course the boys are here. After everything that went down today, they’d all be talking it through. Trying to work out their plan to keep their men alive and making sure that Nic doesn’t do anything else stupid.
I nervously glance back at the Audi. I wonder how far I could get before they catch up with me? Maybe I’d be able to get into Blaxlands Grove and seek protection from the Wolves, but how would they protect me? All their weapons are gone.
I’m a sitting duck, and I can guarantee that each of the boys have a gun on them somewhere, all with much faster reflexes than mine.
It’s four against one, and I’m at a loss. No matter how strong I look on the outside, they will always win. They know me too well. They know how to break me.
It feels like forever as I wait for them to come down, when in reality, Nic breaks through the door of his complex so fast that Sebastian and Elijah are rushing to keep up with him. Kairo takes his sweet ass time though, acting like nothing is about to happen. He wasn’t there today, so he couldn’t understand just how badly this tore me apart.
Nic comes storming toward me with fury in his eyes. He tries his best not to limp, pretending that the bullet hole through his leg isn’t bothering him, but I can already see the blood seeping through his jeans from here. He probably just tore his stitches wide open.
The boys instantly fall in behind him, flanking him like I’ve seen them do so many times, only I’ve never been the one standing on the opposite side.
They get a few feet away when I raise the gun and point it straight for Nic’s head, my hand steady while the rest of me is in a fearful, desperate panic.
All four of them come to an immediate stop, all eyes on me.
“Don’t move,” I growl, standing my ground and letting them see just how serious I am.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Nic spits, acting like this is all some kind of joke. “Here to shoot me again?”
“That’s exactly why I’m here,” I say, having to physically remind myself why I need to hate him so much. “You killed twelve of my men today.”
A grin pulls at his lips and he holds back a laugh. “And they sent you to finish me off?”
I shake my head. “I told them to back the fuck off so I could do it myself,” I tell him proudly. “After all, I'm the only one who could get close enough, and besides, I want to see the look in your eyes when you finally pay for everything you've done.”
Sebastian’s hands fly up, the first to grasp onto just how serious I am. “Okay, guys. Let’s just chill. This is getting out of hand.”
I turn my gaze on Sebastian. “I suggest you step aside,” I tell him. “Unless you’d prefer to be covered in your boss’ blood.”
“Ocean,” Eli says, his voice low and filled with warning. “Put the gun down, girl. We don’t want to hurt you.”
I scoff. “Really? So you weren’t on board with the whole ‘kidnap Ocean off the side of the road, throw her in the back of a dirty van, and chain her to chair in the middle of Nic’s dirty little murder house’ plan?”
“The fuck are you talking about?” Kairo grunts as Nic’s jaw clenches, his dirty little secrets being aired for the world to see.