Protect Me(81)

“Shhhhh, it’s okay, beautiful. I’m right here. Everything is okay now,” I say as she fists my t-shirt in a death grip. I feel the wetness of her tears soak through the front of my shirt, but I don’t give a shit. She can cry all over the entire shirt if it means she’s in my arms.

After several minutes of rocking and just holding her, Lia finally settles down. I look down at her bright eyes and know that I’ll do anything for this woman. “Come on. Let’s go outside. Jake is gonna be here any minute,” I tell her.

“You came for me,” she says while still rooted in place inside the old shack.

“Of course I came for you. I love you too much to just let you go like that,” I confess and place a soft kiss on her lips.

Lia allows me to lead her outside into the night. We take about a half dozen steps away from the shack when I hear a twig snap somewhere close by. I stop and am instantly on high alert. If it were Jake, he would have announced himself by now.

“Stop,” I whisper. “Get back inside the shed. Barricade yourself inside and don’t open the door for anyone other than me or Jake,” I start to say, but before Lia can turn and get inside the building, I hear the sound of a gun cocking.

“I wouldn’t do that, Amelia. I think you should stay right where you are,” the voice says into the night. He’s close by, somewhere off to my right, but I don’t see him yet.

Lia grips onto my hand so tightly I’m afraid she’s going to break bones. Yet, I feel no pain. Her breathing is hitched and fear radiates off her body tenfold.

After a few moments, the man connected to the voice finally steps out from behind a tree. He’s pointing a large revolver at me as he slowly makes his way towards us.

Garrett. It’s the man from the alley.

I stand up straight and slowly draw Lia behind me. My dad’s .22 that I grabbed from Lia is still sticking out of the back of my pants, and I slowly reach for it.

“Don’t move,” he says. “I don’t want to have to shoot you, but I will. I’m here for Amelia. Whether you live or die is entirely up to you.”

“You’re not leaving here with her unless you kill me,” I tell the asshole in front of me.

“Well, then, that is your choice, Nate. Amelia, please come here, sweetheart,” Garrett says from his position about ten feet in front of us, pointing the gun steadily at my chest.

“She’s not going anywhere near you,” I spit back at him, gripping Lia’s hand tightly. Her body is pressed firmly against my back as she tries to hide. The sound of her crying enrages me even more.

“Oh, but she is. Amelia has been a very bad girl lately. I’m going to show her the error of her ways,” he says with a cocky smile. I’m going to punch that smile off his smug face.

“By beating her some more? You’re not a man. You’re a pussy. Anyone who treats women the way you do is nothing more than a parasite. You’re a fucking worthless waste of oxygen, you no-dick fuck. You want to knock someone around? I’m ready to play anytime,” I taunt the asshat in front of me.

“Give me my woman,” Garrett yells at the top of his lungs.

I make a quick grab for my gun and point it square at his chest. We’re in a standoff now, each pointing our weapons at the other. Neither one afraid to pull the trigger.

“Nate, he’s not worth it,” Lia whispers from behind. “I can’t let you kill him. Not for me,” she says in a small but firm voice.

“Don’t you understand? I will end this asshole so you never have to run scared again. The only thing I want in this world is your happiness. And if me killing him and going off to prison gives you that, then I’ll take it. For you,” I tell her as she steps around to face me.

“He’s not worth it,” she says as I try to push her back behind me. “No, Nate. I’m not afraid. He’ll never be able to take the one thing I hold closest to my heart and that is your love. He’ll never take that from me,” Lia says as she steps into my embrace.

My arm holding the gun remains firmly locked in place. Lia presses herself against my side. “Don’t kill him,” she whispers. “Please.”

I look down at her intense blue-gray eyes. Gorgeous eyes that are filled with so much love and affection. Without removing my eyes from hers, I slowly lower the gun to the ground.

“Dumbass,” Garrett laughs as he continues to points the gun at my chest. I don’t take my eyes off Lia’s. If I’m going to be shot, I want the last thing I see to be her amazing eyes and her beautiful face.

I hear the shot, but I feel nothing. There’s none of the pain I would imagine I’d have with being shot. Lia pulls herself tighter against me as I take in my surroundings. I check Lia over quickly but don’t see any blood. I finally look up at Garrett, and he’s lying on the ground, not moving.