Worth Fighting For (Fighting to Be Free 2)

any that I had thrown before. I watched with wide eyes as it flew through the air and sheathed itself in the side of Mateo’s neck.

His body jerked, his hand coming up to clutch at his throat as blood gushed out around the knife. His mouth moved like he was trying to say something, and his shoulders hunched before he fell back, eyes still open, bleeding out, just like he had threatened to make Ellie do.

Now that’s ironic, I thought, pushing myself to my feet. I wasn’t exactly pleased with the fact that I had killed him, but I didn’t regret it for a single second.

I held up my hand, shielding my eyes from the low afternoon sun as I looked toward where Ray was camped on top of the container, sending up a quick thank-you wave. Dodger had just delivered a punch to a guy’s throat that sent him to his knees, gasping for air. Dodger’s face was still contorted with menace, determined, as he looked around at the scene, checking for more danger. My body relaxed. It was over, and we were all safe and relatively unharmed.

“Ellie?” I called, closing my eyes and taking a couple of deep breaths. Adrenaline made my hands shake as I opened my eyes and looked in the last direction I saw her. I stepped over Ed’s body, pushing my gun back down the back of my jeans. “Ellie, where are you?”

She peeked around one of the containers, her eyes meeting mine. I smiled, relief washing over me as I took another step toward her. She drew in a big breath and then was staggering toward me, tears rolling down her cheeks. As she reached me, she crashed against my body, holding on to me awkwardly with her still-tied hands.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry I got you into this. Are you okay?” I asked, pulling away and holding her at arm’s length, cupping her face in my hands softly. “Shit, your face.” I winced, looking at her bloodshot eye, the bruises, the raw skin where she’d yanked the duct tape off her mouth, and dried blood coating the side of her head. “What hurts?” I asked.

She whimpered and pushed my hands away, closing the distance between us and crying against my chest. I folded my arms around her, pressing my cheek against the top of her head. “I’m okay,” she mumbled against my shoulder. “I was so scared,” she whispered.

“I know, little girl, I know. It’s over now, though, it’s all over,” I cooed, stroking her back. I kissed her hair, noticing the gash on the side of her head and pulling back. “Are you sure you’re okay? We’ll get you checked out at a hospital.” I looked into her watery eyes and hated that she looked so frightened and timid, like a little mouse.

“I’m all right. I just got banged up in the crash.” She sniffed, reaching up to wipe at her face carefully.

I nodded, letting go of her long enough to step back and see Dodger sitting against one of the containers, wincing as he picked what looked like burned material from his side. “All right, Dodge?” I called worriedly.

He nodded and continued poking at his side. “Yeah, just got a bit too close to the car when it went up,” he answered.

Car? That was his plan for a distraction, blowing up a car? Nice.

“I need to sit down,” Ellie said, stepping away from me and leaning against the nearest container, sliding down until she sat on the ground. “Go see if he’s okay, he looks like the macho guy who tells you he’s fine even if his leg is falling off.” She smiled weakly and pulled her knees up to her chest, reaching up to tentatively touch the side of her head.

I watched her for a few seconds, checking that she was really all right before crossing the clearing and heading toward Dodger.

Behind me, a gasp sounded and then Ellie cried, “Look out!” just as Ed slammed into my side, sending us both sprawling to the ground. I gasped, struggling to get air into my lungs as he landed on top of me, his hand instantly going for my throat as his knee came up and collided with my ribs. Gritting my teeth, I gripped his shirt, rolling so I was on top of him, pulling back my arm and throwing a punch toward his face. He whipped his head to the side at the last second so my fist slammed into the ground, a knuckle popping audibly. Pain jarred across my fingers and zapped up my arm.

I cried out, gritting my teeth against the pain, and threw a punch with my left hand instead, this one finding its target and sending Ed’s head whipping to the side. I fumbled behind my back with my bad hand, trying to get my gun, but it wasn’t there. It must have fallen out when Ed tackled me.

I punched Ed again, this time in his side, making him wheeze out a breath.

“Ellie, no!” Dodger shouted.

Distracted, I turned my head to the right and saw that Ellie had picked up my gun. Her hands trembling, she pointed the barrel toward Ed, who was on the ground struggling under me.

Ed’s fist connected with the side of my face, sending me sprawling to the right...just as the gunshot rang out. Pain ripped through my bicep, stinging, searing-hot pain. I’d never been shot before; it hurt a lot more than I’d imagined. Ellie’s cry of anguish behind me made my heart race, but I didn’t have time to think about it as Ed gained the upper hand, using my distraction as he brought his fist down, punching the bullet wound on my arm, making me scream with pain as my vision swam.

His hand was around my throat, squeezing, as I reached up with my good arm and tried to push him off. Suddenly he stilled, his eyes widening as he looked down at me almost fearfully. His fingers released my throat and I gasped for air.

My eyes adjusted, and I looked up to see a gun pressed against the side of Ed’s temple. I blinked, trying to make sense of it as I followed the gun up over the tied wrists, along the scratched-up arms, and over into the vengeful face of my girlfriend. Her chin trembled, but her eyes didn’t leave his face for even a second.

I opened my mouth to tell her no, to tell her that she’d never be able to take it back, that it would haunt her, but there was no indecision on her face.

“This is for my dad.” And then she pulled the trigger, shooting him in the head.

CHAPTER 29

I FLINCHED AS Ed’s blood splattered across my face. He fell at my side, his eyes open and lifeless.

Ellie was standing stock-still, gun still outstretched, her lips parted, her eyes wide as she stared at Ed’s unmoving body and the pool of blood that was rapidly forming around his head.

“Ellie, it’s okay,” I told her, using my elbows to push up to a sitting position.

My hand and arm throbbed, streaks of pain zapped down my forearm as I moved, and I could feel blood trickling slowly down my arm from where Ellie had accidentally shot me. She didn’t move or register my words. I wasn’t even sure she was breathing as she continued staring at Ed. Ignoring the pain, I got to my feet and stepped to her side, slowly reaching out and setting my good hand on top of hers, guiding her to lower the gun.

“Ellie, look at me,” I begged, wrapping my fingers around the barrel. She still didn’t react. “Ellie, please, can you look at me, little girl?” I coaxed, tugging on the gun gently.

Her eye twitched and she let the gun go, her head slowly turning toward me but her eyes still on the dead body. “He killed my dad. He was going to kill you, too,” she mumbled, her words all jumbling into one.

I quickly shoved the gun down the back of my jeans. “He did, and he was. You saved me. You did the right thing.”

I wished she hadn’t done it. Not that I didn’t want him dead—of course I did—but I would rather have done it myself to save her the remorse and guilt she was bound to feel over it. I wanted to protect her from everything, and if that meant I had to get my own hands dirty, then so be it.

With my good hand, I fumbled with the knots at her wrists, untying them and letting the cord drop to the ground. Ellie nodded, still not looking at me, so I cupped her face in my hands, being careful of her injuries and my own as I stepped directly in front of her, blocking her view of Ed’s body. “Ellie?” I whispered, bending my knees so we were on the same level.

Her eyes finally met mine. “He killed my dad,” she whispered back. “I don’t regret it. I’d do it again.”

“You won’t eve

r have to do anything like that again. I’m out of this all now. It’s just you and me from here on out, no more shady dealings, no more worry, no more bad guys after you. Just you and me. If you’ll have me, that is...” I trailed off, looking into her eyes, hating the pain I could see on her features.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I love you.”

I pressed my lips to hers, feeling the rough, cracked skin of hers brush against mine. “I love you too, so much,” I promised.

She sniffed, her shaking hands raised, touching my arm, and her fingers came away slick with blood as her face scrunched up in mortified apology. “Are you okay? I shot you!”

I smiled weakly, trying not to show her how much it hurt. “It’s just a graze, I’m okay,” I replied. It wasn’t too bad now that the initial pain was gone; it was just a burning ache, and my hand hurt worse than that. “You’re a terrible shot,” I joked.

Ellie didn’t answer, just reached up and gripped the zipper of my hoodie, undoing it and hastily trying to push it off my shoulder, her face etched with worry. “Take this off, and let me look,” she insisted, trying to ease the material down over my arm but stopping when I hissed through my teeth at the pain. “Sorry, sorry,” she muttered, wincing.