When I reach the end of the hallway, Bray is facing the entryway. His eyes snap over to mine, and we both know he just made a mistake.
“Come out, Becs. Or do you really want me to shoot him?”
Bray shakes his head at me, but I know I have to. What choice do I really have? Rounding the corner I see Nico standing in the entryway with a gun pointed right at Bray. His eyes look wild, and I can tell he’s using. His usually tan skin is now pale with a sheen of sweat. His dark hair is messy and unkempt, and it looks like he hasn’t seen a shower in a few days. He’s still as big as ever, but he’s so twitchy from the drugs that it’s like he’s scarier. I’ve seen the same look on my brother’s face.
“Nico, please,” I plead, placing myself between him and Bray. “I’ll come with you, just let me get my things.” It’s all I can think of to say in order to stall for time. But he shuts that down quickly.
“No, you don’t need anything. Come over here and kiss me.”
Jesus, he’s fucking crazy. I think his obsession with me started because I was the first person to tell him no. I didn’t fall at his feet and do what he said, so he saw me as a challenge. Now, with all the drugs floating around in his head, his fixation on me has eaten away at his sanity.
Bray growls from behind me, and I turn in time to stop him from charging forward. Nico laughs and points his gun at my head, and we both stop moving completely.
“Nico! Calm down,” I say. “I’ll leave with you. Please, just don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Do that again and I’ll shoot her.” He glares over at Bray who looks like he might explode any minute, but puts his hands up. “In fact I think it’s time for a lesson in manners. How about I let Becs suck my cock, and if she does it good enough, I’ll let you live.”
“Over my fucking dead body,” Bray seethes. I can feel the anger roll off of him in waves, filling the room with it.
Nico aims his gun back over at Bray. “That can be arranged,” he taunts, and I have no doubt he means what he’s saying. He’s looking for a reason to hurt Bray.
“You’re fucking crazy,” I yell, trying to get his attention back on me. Just a little more time, I reassure myself.
“I’m crazy? I’m fucking crazy? Did lover boy over there tell you his father killed his mother because he was so obsessed with her? Crazy is what you get if you stay here. I mean look at the guy. It will only be a matter of time before that happens to you.”
My heart breaks for Bray. I know what he told me was painful and having Nico throw it in his face must hurt.
“See, he didn’t even deny it, did he? You that obsessed with her?” Nico asks, drawing our eyes over to Bray. I can see the shame he feels at the question. But isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black? At least Bray’s obsession is loving and caring. Nico’s is just fucked up.
“You’re right, I’ll go with you like I said I would.”
“That wasn’t up for debate, Becs. What is up for debate is how bad you want Bray over there to live. I want a little payback for him taking you from me. Does he know you showed me your pussy? That I got off at the sight of it?”
Bray takes two steps forward at Nico’s taunt, making him point his gun back at me. This time it’s aimed at my stomach. “Tsk, tsk,” he says with a smirk on his mouth. “Now, come over here and get on your knees, Becs. I won’t ask again.”
Before I can move, I catch movement behind Nico, causing him to turn. Suddenly, two shots ring out from the entryway. I panic and drop to the floor shielding my stomach, and I feel a body blanket over the top of me. I know instantly it's Bray covering my body with his. His smell fills my lungs, and I try to focus on that instead of how scared I am.
“He’s dead.”
I jerk at the words, knowing who they came from.
“Sam!” I gasp, trying to break out from under Bray. He realizes my intentions and helps me up. When I try to go to Sam, he wraps an arm around me and holds me back.
Sam looks like he’s taken a good beating, and hasn't slept in days. Almost a shell of his former self.
“I’m so sorry, Becs. God, I’m so fucking sorry. You’re all I have in the world and I did this to you.”
Before I can respond, the room is flooded with cops. They spot Sam holding the gun and he’s slammed to the ground. It’s then I finally notice the white marble floor covered with Nico’s blood, his unmoving body in the center of it.
The next hours are chaos. I’m never far from Bray’s reach as he gives me comforting touches, but he seems distant once again. He tells me he’ll hire my brother the best lawyer he can find, get him the help and rehab that he needs.