Before the Dawn(98)

No, he wasn't.

He was going to kill them both. He'd just admitted it-a dumb admission because Tucker had only been standing back because he didn't want Dawn to be hurt, she knew that.

But if Anthony was just going to kill them both, then she had nothing to lose. I love you. She mouthed those words at Tucker once more.

He gave a hard shake of his head but she was already moving. She drove her elbow back into Anthony's stomach as hard as she could. He grunted and his hold jerked on her. She slammed her right heel down on his foot and her left kicked back and rammed into his shin. He snarled but his grip finally loosened and she sprang to the side-

He fired. The bullet hit her in the back and she sprawled onto the floor as the pain of that hit burned through her.

She expected another bullet to slam into her. Expected to hear the rapid pounding of gunfire, but there was only silence. Silence and an odd...gurgle.

She turned her head to the side and looked to the right. Anthony was still on his feet but there was a knife in his throat. Tucker was in front of the guy-she hadn't even heard him move. 

"I always choose her." Tucker snatched the gun from Anthony's slack fingers and he drove his fist into Anthony's face. Anthony fell back, hitting the floor. His fingers rose as he struggled to grab the hilt of that knife. He was choking, making that terrible gurgling sound.

He's dying.

Tucker grabbed the knife and yanked it out of Anthony's throat. Blood splattered. Anthony's body spasmed.

Tucker turned away from him. Tucker's frantic gaze found Dawn and she saw the terror there. He ran to her. She was still on her stomach, sprawled on the floor. Her back hurt, but she'd been lucky, the bullet had hit a few inches to the right of her spine. She could feel it in there. Burning.

But at least it hadn't slammed into her spine. She could move her body. She just hurt.

"Baby." Tucker dropped to his knees at her side and his hands reached out to her. "Just stay still. Let me check you out..." She could feel his hands trembling against her.

Her head was turned, pressed to the floor, and her gaze was on Anthony. He was still jerking. "He's...still alive..."

"He doesn't fucking matter. You matter. Baby, the bullet is still in you."

"I...I know."

"I'm calling an ambulance. You are losing too much blood."

Not as much blood as Anthony. "S-stop blood flow..."

"I am," he promised. She could feel the pressure on her back. "I've got you. You're going to be okay." Then he broke off and started barking orders into his phone, demanding that an ambulance get there right away. A moment later, he dropped the phone and he leaned closer to her. His lips feathered over her battered cheek. "Everything is going to be okay. Help is coming. I've got you."

He did, but she could still see Anthony. He was dying before her eyes. Was she just supposed to watch him...

The way Tucker's father had watched their mother die?

The way Tucker had watched his father die?

"You're...better..." She forced out the words. "Help him."

Tucker stiffened against her. "I'm helping you. You're bleeding too much. I'm not leaving you to help his sorry ass. I don't care if he is my brother...you are my everything. You're the only woman I've ever loved. The only person who has made me feel like I belong anywhere. I won't lose you, I can't-"

She caught his hand. "You won't." She made her lips curve for him. "I'm...not going anywhere. I'm...stronger...than I look."

He'd bent before her and now he blocked her view of Anthony. "I know you're strong." His face was grim. "But I can only help one of you and, by God, I will always choose you. I love you, Dawn. Now, forever. I need you in this world. I need you in my life. So don't ask me to turn away. You matter too much."

Just as he mattered to her. More than anything and that was why she couldn't let him watch again as someone else died. Not another brother, even if he is a monster. Not another-

Her broken front door banged open. She heard it slam against the wall. "FBI!" a female voice called out.

Macey? Macey's voice? And then footsteps were thundering toward her. Dawn tilted her head a bit and saw Macey. Macey sank to her knees beside Dawn. "I knew it was him!" Her voice broke a bit. "I knew it. T. D. Anthony-Tony Deveraux. He was at too many scenes...at the coroner's lab, deliberately keeping me outside because he wanted to give Julia time to die. He was at the motel with Red, he was there-"


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Give Julia time to die... "Julia?" Dawn whispered, eyes tearing.