Shallow River

I’m already driving towards the house before Amar can say so. Billy is not anywhere in this park. What other reason would he have to drive through here? A gut feeling settles in my stomach. I just know this is where River is. I can feel it.

My hands threaten to tremble, but I force them steady. The adrenaline is becoming more potent in my bloodstream as I drive up towards the house. I see a flash of movement through one of the first-floor windows. The movement was too quick and I hadn’t been close enough to make out who it was to be sure, but it looked like a flash of black hair.

My car crests the driveway and Billy’s car comes into view. My foot is slamming on the brakes and just barely do I shift the car into park before the door is open and my ass is off the seat. I round my car and charge towards the front door, just as said door is flung open and my girl comes barreling through, her eyes wide with panic.

“River!” Her eyes fix on me, and when they do, tears flood them. She nearly tackles me, throwing all her weight into my body.

“Mako! Watch out!” The last thing I see is the barrel of a gun being pointed directly at my head.

Twenty Eight

River

THE SHOT FIRES, THE loud, abrasive sound echoing. I feel Mako jerk beneath me, right before we both topple to the ground. Another shot rings out. I squeeze my eyes shut tight, waiting to feel the burn in my back, but all I feel is Mako’s still weight beneath me.

“Don’t move another fucking inch!” a voice screams from behind me. I turn my head and see Mako’s partner pointing a gun at Billy, with the latter pointing his right back, holding onto his bloody shoulder.

Whipping my head back around, I lift up and inspect Mako. Blood is pooling beneath him, but his eyes are open and lively, and his teeth gritted in pain.

“Mako! Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay,” I say, the words spilling out of my mouth as I carefully scramble off of him. He wheezes from the movement.

“I’m fine,” he grits.

Liar. He’s not. He’s been shot and is bleeding.

“Where are you shot?” I ask. He’s wearing a black shirt, which is concealing the bullet wound too well for my panicked eyes. All I can see is blood. Blood everywhere.

“My chest,” he gasps.

No, no, no. Before I can raise my hands to apply pressure, he’s lifting himself up. A long groan hurdles past his tightened lips.

“Stop it!” I gasp, attempting to push him back down. He evades me, though, and is on his feet before I can process that this man has just been shot in the chest and is standing up. And not just that but lifting his own gun and pointing it at Billy.

Billy is also bleeding, his injured arm dangling and now holding the gun with his left hand. Amar must’ve shot in retaliation once Billy shot off his round.

Billy dares to take his eyes from Amar, watching Mako rise and point a gun at him with an evil smile on his face. “Hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it?” he taunts from the porch.

I growl, charging back towards my captor, but Mako’s free arm scoops around my waist and shoves me behind him. I’d send a fist into his back in defiance if a bullet didn’t just pass through it. Or did it?

Oh, God, it could be lodged in there for all I know.

“I know, baby, you don’t need me to save you,” Mako placates, his eyes still on Billy. “I’m only going to murder him, that’s all.”

Billy tips his head back and laughs at Mako’s words.

“You think you can kill a god?” he asks, his blue eyes bright with excitement and pure incarnate evil. He’s enjoying this stand-off. Even being completely outnumbered and already shot, he’s getting a sick pleasure out of it. Billy always did love the thrill of his life hanging precariously close on the edge of death.

I step aside, still keeping the majority of my body behind Mako’s, only if it means to keep him from stressing further. “You’re not a god, Billy. You’re just a washed-up old man that has no loyalty. That’s why you keep killing everyone, right? You can’t trust a single soul in this world because everyone despises you.” I spit the words with every ounce of hatred I can.

Billy’s lip curls. My words eat at him because he knows it’s true. The drugs have crippled what little sanity he had left. He’s too paranoid now. Too nervous. That’s why he inserted himself into Mako’s investigation. He thought if he could pull strings on the inside as well, no one would catch onto him. The last thing he expected was for me to have a relationship with a detective and get close enough to spill the truth. Billy has killed so many people. Hurt so many families. He has an enemy within ten feet of him at all times, and he fucking knows it.

“I gave you life, bitch. I will take it away,” he growls. I laugh at his words. At his audacity to think that killing me is the worst thing he could do to me. He’s already done his worst. He’s already ruined me for life. I’ll never be normal because of him. Killing me would be a mercy.

“The fuck you will,” Mako intervenes before I can say anything else. In one quick movement, Mako flips the gun in the air, catching hold of it by the barrel, lifts his arm and throws the gun directly at Billy’s head. His aim strikes true, the butt of the gun smacking Billy directly in the forehead before he can process what’s happening.

The moment the gun left Mako’s hand, he charged towards Billy, seemingly confident the gun would hit. Billy’s head knocks back, and he falls to the ground.

“Fuck!” Billy shouts, his hand whipping to head, now spilling blood profusely from where he was hit. “You motherfucki—” He doesn’t get to finish his sentence. Mako’s upon him, lifting Billy up despite his own gunshot wound.