Freed (Bad Boy Hitman Romance) (24 page)

Tanner hesitated, then looked back at Emily. “Go back to the car, and if I’m not down there in twenty minutes, leave and never come back.”

Emily’s eyes, identical to Rebecca’s, shone with worry. “No. I’m not leaving.” She took a couple steps towards Tanner, but Tanner raised his hand stopping her. “This is non-negotiable. Go, now! I shouldn’t have let you come up here in the first place. If things get worked out and become safe, then I’ll come get you.”

She looked like she was going to protest again, but nodded and wordlessly turned and left.
 

Tanner looked back at me and proceeded into the apartment when I stepped aside and waved him in. “Let’s get this over with.”

Chapter 25

Rebecca

“I’m going after Emily.” I started rushing out the door to have Tanner grab my arm as I started down the hallway, nearly causing me to fall back onto my ass.

“No way.” He spun me around to face him, his hand tight around my upper arm, pinching it.

I yelped and attempted to pull myself free, but his grip was relentless. “Let me go!” I balled my fist and punched at his arm. His grip tightened.

“I know what you are, and I don’t trust you.” Tanner’s dark eyes looked deep into mine. They were like an empty abyss – cold and unyielding. “Do you seriously think I’m going to let you alone with her?”

“You’re damned right you will,” Kyle’s voice growled as he stepped up, drew his hand back, and slammed his fist into Tanner’s jaw. The attack threw Tanner off just enough that his grip loosened on my arm, and I was able to pull it free. Tanner fell back a few steps and against the wall, his hand going to his jaw where Kyle had punched him.

Kyle charged, and at that moment, Tanner drew his gun. Instead of pointing it at Kyle, he pointed it at me, the barrel of his gun less than five feet away from me and aimed at my head.

“Back off Kyle, or your girlfriend is losing a head.”

Kyle didn’t even look in my direction, but I saw the cold mask he used to wear when I first met him appear. “I already shot the bitch to get you here. Do you honestly think I give a rat’s ass about her?” Despite his words, he halted his approach. “You know what I am as much as I do. Who are you kidding?”

Tanner looked from me, to Kyle, to me again – the gun unwavering.

“So you won’t care if I just fire a warning shot?” He lowered the gun, and a whoosh sound came from the gun, the sound being supressed by the silencer. A split second later, I felt my left leg burn as a searing pain shot up my thigh and sent a tremble through my entire body.

I crumpled to the floor, my hands going to my bleeding leg.

Someone grunted, and there was a crash, but I didn’t look up.

Pulling the leg of my jeans up, I inspected the bleeding surface wound. The bullet had grazed me, but it didn’t go through. Anger rushed through me. How dare that mother fucker!

Looking up, I saw the men on the floor. Tanner was on top of Kyle, his fist slamming into Kyle’s face over and over. A glint of silver caught my eye. The gun. Stumbling to my feet, I grabbed the gun, and leaning against the wall, all weight on my good leg, I pointed the gun with the hand from the uninjured arm and leveled it at Tanner. Between my two injuries I was in a world of hurt, but I did my best to ignore the pain as adrenaline shot through me.

“Get off of him!” I growled. I actually kinda surprised myself with how forceful my voice was. Both men froze, and two sets of eyes peered up at me. Once I had their attention, I motioned with the gun for Tanner to rise. “NOW! Or I’ll fucking shoot you and then who will be around to protect Emily?”

That seemed to do the trick; Tanner rose, and once off his opponent, Kyle stood as well, hauling off and slamming his fist into Tanners midsection. Tanner grunted and doubled over. Kyle was about to land another punch, but I stopped him, standing in his path, the barrel of the gun against Tanner’s chest.

“Back up into the apartment, before someone comes.”

Tanner’s jaw clenched, and he looked down at me with raw fury. His lip was beginning to swell where Kyle had landed the initial punch. I couldn’t chance a look over my shoulder at Kyle. Tanner wasn’t someone I could let my guard down for, not for a second. He’d kill us both if he felt it would help – I knew this as surely as I knew my next breath was coming.

Without a word, he began to slowly back into the apartment. Once a safe distance was between us, I hobbled after him, trying not to wince with each step. Fuck my life – seriously. A gunshot wound to both my leg and my shoulder. I seriously needed to consider getting a frequent visitor card for the hospital. Treat 4 gunshot wounds, get medical attention for the 5
^th
free.

Kyle followed behind me and closed the door once we were all in the apartment. “Just head to the sofa and sit down. We all need to talk.”

His jaw clenched again, but he did as told. As he was sitting, Kyle grabbed the gun from me and I let him. I held back snapping that a little thanks for saving his ass would have been nice. I examined him as he walked to the front of the sofa, and while keeping the gun aimed at Tanner, sat down across from him.

As much as I wanted to stay in the room and witness what was being said, the bleeding was beginning to saturate the denim. I needed to do a quick bandage job.

“I’ll be back.”

“You going to be all right, babe?”

“Yeah.” I was feeling a little light headed, but other than that, I was fine. Some sugar and a bandage was just what the doctor ordered, but with one hand, it was going to be a pain in the ass.

~*~
 
TT ~*~

Kyle

The great Tanner. The man sitting on my sofa and glowering at me had been the son my father had always wanted. I was never hard enough. He never said that to my face, but I knew. It had pissed me off. My father thought so much of this man, but I didn’t see what he saw. The man was a flesh peddler, as reformed as he may claim to be. Sure, maybe I wasn’t all that much better, but still.

I could easily fire a bullet into his head and end this. Flynn preferred him alive so he could do it himself, but I could make it seem like it had to be done, and I had no choice in the matter.

But I wouldn’t – no, couldn’t. Because of Rebecca.

“How are you, Rebecca?” I called out to her. It hadn’t looked like a serious wound, but you never knew. It was not like I was in the position to go check on her at the moment – not with Tanner waiting for an opportunity where he could spring into action and overpower me.

“Fine. I’m okay,” she called back from the bathroom. It was stocked up, so she’d be able to make due. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable for her considering she was dealing with her injured shoulder, but she was a fighter, so she’d manage.

So, back to Tanner.

“Flynn wants you dead.”

“I know. As I said, Emily and I are starting a life. We took off because we’re done with this world. Once Emily sees her sister is fine, we can disappear again. This only needs to be difficult if you make it that way, Kyle.”

“Right.”

He continued. “I figured this was a trap. Sensed it. But Emily insisted in coming to see that psychotic bitch of a sister of hers.”

Rage filled me, and my finger tightened on the trigger. I forced it back. “I’d be very careful on how you talk to me about Rebecca. Your baby may end up being without a father, which may not be such aa bad thing, all things considered.”

“Fuck Kyle, you must have it bad. We both know what I’m saying is true. I know she’s just like us. I knew it the moment I set eyes on her.”

“Then why in the name of God would you bring a pregnant woman here?”

“Because she’d come regardless. She doesn’t understand people like us – not really. She’s naïve, and I like it like that. She doesn’t know what her sister really is, and she’d never believe it. She’s under the illusion her sister is as pure and selfless as she is. But we both know she’s not.”

Rebecca. Selfless. I mulled that around in my mind. Rebecca was a survivor. She took what she wanted, when she wanted it. Sure, there was a coldness to her, but at the same time, something had formed between us. I couldn’t explain it because I didn’t understand it myself, but the bond between us was solid.

“So what about you?”

He cocked his head to the side and eyed me a moment. “What about me?”

“What about you and Emily? You were never the loving sort, but you left the life you had for her.”

The mask he wore fell a moment, and I saw something there – affection? Love? The last person I could have ever dreamed of falling in love was Tanner. He was a cold, sick bastard, but there it was. The mask he wore dropped, and he was exposed. Emily was his kryptonite.

“Emily can love, and she’s shown me a way to share those feelings. There’s a difference.”

I was getting angry again. Was he implying he could find a way to access those emotions, but I couldn’t? Fucking prick. The urge to shoot him here and now became almost undeniable.

Tanner continued. “You and Rebecca.” He laughed. “It’s infatuation. How can a person learn how to love and give and receive affection if neither person is capable of the emotion or has ever felt it?”

“You’re being pretty presumptuous and cocky for someone who has a gun to his head.” The fucker was saying he was better than me. He was able to find love, but I couldn’t, and Rebecca couldn’t. In his mind, that made him superior.

“I’m just speaking the truth.”

Fuck this shit. Tanner was going to my father in a body bag. I began to pull the trigger. My mind was blanking out and rage consumed me. How dare he look at me with that smug grin, thinking he was better than me!

“Kyle!”

I released the trigger and looked over at Rebecca as she hobbled into the living room. I felt something. Regret. She was in pain. Sure the leg hadn’t been my fault, but the shoulder was.

But it had been the only way. And it had worked.

That was only a minor consolation.

As she drew closer, I could see how pale she’d become. Her complexion, which was normally sun-kissed, looked ashen. She wobbled on her feet. “I’m fine.” She attempted to smile, but at the moment she began to smile, the life seemed to drain from her, and she fell to the floor.

Tanner wasn’t even a consideration at that moment. My mind was on one and only one person, Rebecca. Maybe the wound wasn’t superficial like I’d thought. Maybe he’d hit an artery?

I silently prayed she was fine. If she wasn’t, I’d rip Tanner and his world apart – be damned the consequences.

It was at that moment
 
I realized something. My entire world, my entire being was all connected to Rebecca. Was it love? I wasn’t quite sure, but I knew I couldn’t live without her.