Unsteady (The Torqued Trilogy Book 1) (49 page)

“No! Too little too late, Lenny. You had your fucking chance for that.” He glances at me, wild eyes and quick breaths. “I don’t want
you
anymore.” His voice stings my face like a blast of cold water. “And because you’re such a fucking pain in my ass, I’m going to kill them both while you watch.”

There’s no doubt in his words as he loads another bullet in the chamber. Nothing unsure about his actions. He wants to destroy my future, a future I deserve without him in it. There’s a brief second when I look into his volatile scowl, beg him to think about what he’s doing. He can’t. His head has long since spun and made sense of anything he’s doing.

My gaze shifts to Red. He’s fixated on Ben, never moving. He looks at the gun and I see the severity of what’s happening reflected in his eyes. The realization Ben is not just making empty threats, but there’s also no way in hell Red’s going down without a fight.

Ben shifts so that he’s facing Nova and aims the barrel of the gun straight at her temple. Red takes a step toward him, his fist clenching, his jaw tight as his mouth clamps shut.

“Daddy! Please!” Nova screams again.

“Everything is going to be fine, Nova. Just stay calm and trust me, okay?” Red urges her, his grip tightening on the crowbar in his hand.

“If I were you, I’d stay out of this,” Ben says, not bothering to even look at Red, his eyes locked on me, the one who’s betrayed him. “I won’t miss the next time.”

“No. Fuck you.” Red moves forward another step, not caring. “Put the gun down now!” His voice is sharp, a menacing growl that makes me flinch as he defensively blocks Ben from Nova and me. He doesn’t touch him, but he’s close enough, aware of the weapon in his hand. “Get away from Lenny and my daughter or I promise you you’re going to leave here in a fucking body bag.”

“I doubt that.” Ben aims the gun at Red now, agitation in his jerked movements. “You see, Red, you’re forgetting something very important right now. I hold the power.”

Red’s shoulders tense, his eyes cold and detached. “The only reason you’re not dead right now is because you’re holding a fucking gun like a pussy because you can’t fight like a real man.” I shift slightly, hoping to block Nova from Ben’ sight. I’m not sure if it’s from shock, or what, but she’s not saying anything now. Her eyes are sharply focused on what is happening in front of her. Her face red, blotchy marks color her cheeks and neck, the only indication of her fear.

Please don’t let this ruin her. Please don’t let her remember it.

Ben looks to me, his eyes intent, darkness and drugs restricting his mind. “How’s it feel, Red?” His focus shifts back to him, his anger abated somewhat under the warm glow of his patronizing smile. “Here you are again. It’s like déjà vu. Another situation where you can’t protect the woman you love. Well, who’s it gonna be, your kid, or my wife?”

Red swallows hard, trying not to reveal his anger. “Neither, you stupid son of a bitch. It’s going to be you if you don’t put that gun down.”

“Leave us alone!” Nova yells out of nowhere as she lunges and slams Ben’s knee with a wrench.

“Fuck!” Ben yells as his body jerks in pain. His reaction gives Red the opening he’s been waiting for to lunge and knock the gun out of his hands.

They collide with a grunt against the lift. Red gets the first swing in and knocks the gun to the floor. The next hit is a heavy blow that connects with Ben’s jaw and attests to Red’s strength and power.

The intensity of the next few moments has me forgetting how to breathe. They collide and fall to the concrete floor, wrestling around, taking swings. Red’s punches are quick and with a force I never imagined he was capable of. Sure, he’s a big guy, but this is something else entirely. It’s fueled by pure rage and pent-up emotion.

There’s something more here than him protecting his daughter. Each blow confirms it. His intention is to take back what was taken from him two years ago, a situation so similar but he’s determined to make sure it ends. He wasn’t going to let Ben walk away without getting the vengeance that was rightfully his to recover.

Red’s hits come with relentless force and for the briefest of moments, I stare in disbelief at what I’m seeing. I’ve witnessed the harshness his temper could release, but this is entirely different. It’s almost animalistic. A lion protecting his territory. The problem is, Ben is high and doesn’t feel the same pain. Nothing can stop him and that’s against Red.

They part for a split second as Red wipes the back of his hand over his mouth and lunges for Ben again. They slam into a car, Ben’s head snapping back with the force of Red’s body plowing into him.

Red’s wild eyes, mixed between fury and fear, land on mine. He knows this can twist at any second allowing Ben to get the gun at their feet. “Lenny, GO! Get Nova the fuck out of here!”

Ben thrashes around, struggling against Red’s grip as he tries to free himself as blood pours from his mouth and right eye. It’s then with Red’s attention on us, Ben gets a solid hit in on Red. He staggers back against the lift, trying to find his footing.

As they fight to gain control over one another, I rush Nova across the shop, our feet scrambling against the concrete to the exit. Once we’re outside, I turn to Nova, my hands shaking as I wipe away her tears. “Nova, baby, listen to me. I want you to run upstairs and get Tyler!” I rush her toward the stairs. “Tell him to call 911!”

She turns and starts to run up the stairs. I wait for her to get to the top before rushing to get back inside. I’m hoping that I can somehow distract Ben so that Red can take him down until the police get here. But before I can get one foot through the door the sound of a bullet exiting the chamber cuts through the blood whooshing in my ears. It’s like a crack of thunder, but it’s Nova’s scream that makes my heart stop. I look up and she’s standing at the top of the stairs, her hands fly to her ears, her wide eyes fixated on mine.

I inhale a quick, sharp breath and run into the shop just in time to see Red fall to his knees.

Have you heard of Newton’s third law of motion? Every action has an equal and opposite reaction? It all goes back to one saying. You’re able to choose, but you’re never free from the consequences of your actions. There’s no reset, there’s no takeback, there’s an action, and an outcome.

My consequence is this. Red, lying motionless before me, the front of his shirt soaked in blood.

It’s the distant howl of sirens that brings me back and Nova reacting to the scene before us. She cries, nearly uncontrollable begging for her daddy to wake up.

“Red, please hold on!” I scream when his head lulls to the side, but between the rush of my blood and my pounding heart, it sounds like a whisper.

His head turns at the sound of my voice, his bloody face causing me to gasp at the sight. I hadn’t realized he’d been hit that much. His face is swollen, his chest, mouth, and hands bleeding and I know he’s in trouble. I have to find where he’s been shot.

Just as I’m searching, lifting up his shirt as gently as I can, Tyler comes barreling through the door. “Holy shit! What…?” His voice fades when he sees Red on the ground and Nova screaming. “Oh my God.”

I have his shirt open and then wad it up to make a ball to put pressure on the reddened hole in his chest that’s oozing with dark congealing blood. The moment pressure is applied to his chest, he moans weakly, trying to lift his hand to mine. It’s breaking my heart to cause him more pain, but I have to stop the bleeding. A sob rips from my throat. “I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry!”

Tyler stops and stares down at Ben, ten feet from Red where he lays unconscious in a pool of blood with a torque wrench beside him. Red must have hit him with it.

“911 is on their way.”

“Is he dead? Get the gun away from him!” I bark orders at Tyler, and he checks his pulse after kicking the gun away.

“He’s alive… I think.” Tyler whispers and then rushes to Red’s side.

As I sit here trying like hell to stop the blood pouring out of Red’s chest, to save his life, all I can think of is ending Ben. I can see the gun. It would be easy. He deserves to die, but I can’t, not from some moral obligation, but because finishing Ben would mean leaving Red and I can’t leave Red right now. So I remind myself that with the bastard alive, at least he will have to pay for what he’s done.

I don’t focus on Ben. I can’t because seeing Red on the concrete is more than I can take. Hatred and sadness rush through me. I brought this here to him. A scream dies inside my throat as I cry next to him, not just any cry, it’s the kind of cry that might never stop. It’s the cry of someone who is undeserving, but dared to take anyway. It’s the cry of someone witnessing the worst possible pain and knowing I’ve put this family in this position.

It hurts to look at him, burns even worse when I look at Nova kneeling beside him, Tyler’s arms wrapped around her. I ache so badly that tears sting my eyes, burning like drops of acid. My chest tightens with each breath as I watch him dying in front of us.

“Daddy… no. Please no!” Nova shakes her head, screams bursting from deep within. “You can’t leave me!”

Red’s eyes flutter open at the sound of her voice, his breathing short and ragged. Looking at me with so much pain and fear, he tries to lift his head, but it’s clear he has some broken ribs from the bullet and by his rattled breathing. His left hands grasps mine on the floor beside him. “Keep her with you, please.” His voice wheezes as he coughs up blood. He turns his head to look at Nova. His hand shaking as he tries to reach for her, his eyes brim with tears, red and puffy. “I love you… Nova…. Don’t… l-l-let her… go,” he whispers, his eyes closing.

“Red! Red, please don’t close your eyes. Stay with us, please. Help will be here soon and then everything will be okay. Just please don’t close your eyes.”

He doesn’t respond. His body’s still except for the sound of his labored breathing, the only evidence that his body is fighting to stay alive. I press harder on his wound hoping that the pain will cause him to open his eyes. But he doesn’t react.

My tears fall uncontrollably as I lean down and whisper in his ear, “I won’t leave her,” I vow. “I promise. I’ll take care of her until you come back to us.” I’m fading, my tears constricting my vision.

Suddenly the world comes back into focus, and I can hear the sirens out in front of the shop. Before I know it, the paramedics rush inside and I’m told to move so they have room to work.

It’s the last thing I want to do. To let go. I don’t want this to be the last time I ever feel his warm skin under my hand. I stay there knowing I need to get out of the way, but afraid to leave. Tyler comes up behind me and reminds me of what I have to do. “Lenny, let them do their job. You have to let go. Nova needs you.”

THEY AIRLIFT RED to Portland on a life flight, and he’ll be heading immediately into surgery as the bullet punctured his right lung.

The moment they load Red in the helicopter, Tyler and I take Nova and begin the hour drive to the hospital. The last thing I want is to bring Nova with us, but the most important thing is getting to Red. And because I’m too scared, Tyler calls Mia on the way there to let her know.

When we finally get to the hospital, Tyler runs to the emergency room registration to find out where we need to go. They inform us that Red was brought directly into surgery and directed us to the family waiting room. So we do as we’re told and begin the long wait, hoping every time the door opens it will be someone who can give us information as to what’s going on.

When we’re seated, Tyler looks at me. “Do you want some ice for your face?”