My mind is shutting down as my fight response fails on me once again. All the horrible things he’s done to me over the years come flooding back, and I’m that weak person all over again. I manage to press the call button without him noticing. I won’t be able to tell them my location, but maybe they can track me.
“Tatum!” I hear Easton call from behind a few times, his voice sounding closer each time he yells my name. Shit.
Justin speeds us up. “Your stupid dildo is gonna get hurt trying to rescue you.”
I try to break free and yank out of his grip, but his nails dig into my arm so damn tight, I know I’ll bruise.
Justin spins us around just as Easton comes into view.
“No!” I scream at him. “Stop!”
Justin bellows out an evil laugh, and it brings chills up my spine as he chambers a round. The sound of clicking makes me sick because I know what he’s capable of.
“He has a gun!” I scream as Easton sprints toward us.
Justin backhands me. “Shut the fuck up.”
My cheek stings as he grabs my arm again and forces me to keep walking away. No one’s stopped to help or get involved.
“Don’t do this, Justin,” I try to barter with him.
It only pisses him off more. He grabs a fistful of my ponytail and yanks hard. “Say another word and—”
Before Justin can continue, Easton collides with us from behind, and the three of us fall to the ground.
“Tatum, run,” Easton pleads before I even have the chance to get up. By the time I can, Easton throws a punch in Justin’s face. It hardly fazes him, and seconds later, Justin whacks Easton across the face with his gun.
“Stop it!” I scream at Justin. He leans over him, ready to give another blow when Easton kicks out his foot and trips him. They’re rolling around, swinging and kicking.
Fumbling to find my phone, I find it on the ground behind me and dial 911 again.
People finally realize something’s wrong and move toward us, the altercation becoming the main attraction.
“911, what’s your location?”
“Uhh…the summer festival,” I stutter out frantically. “Off Winnebago Ave.”
Before I can continue, Justin gets to his feet and spits out blood. Then he points his gun at Easton.
I drop my phone, ready to beg him not to hurt Easton. “Justin, no, please.”
“I’ll fucking kill you both.” He turns the gun on me. “You first.”
Three seconds later, a piercing gunshot rings out, and I scream out in horror.
Chapter Nineteen
EASTON
Justin collapses to the ground before I can comprehend what just happened. Tatum stands ten feet away in shock. Then I notice blood next to Justin.
“Easton!” Tatum rushes over, kneeling beside me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, baby.”
“You’re bleeding,” she tells me, and I touch my cheek. Then I notice red marks on her face where the bastard hit her.
People circle around us, and I get to my feet, pulling Tatum close.
We both look at Justin’s lifeless body in shock.
“What in the hell just happened?”
She shakes her head and lets out a whale of a cry as she wraps her arms around my neck. “I was so worried he was going to kill you.”
"I know. I'm fine. I'm here, baby," I tell her, wrapping her in a tight hug. As people crowd us, I see a man walk up carrying a sniper rifle. I hurry and push Tatum behind me, not willing to let anyone else try to take her from me. If I die, so be it.
The guy is enormous, a burly man with a dark, thick beard. He looks like he came out of a lumberjack magazine. His black eyes meet mine as I wait for him to point the gun at me. Instead, he holds out his hand, which confuses the hell out of me.
“Are you two okay?” he asks in a raspy, deep voice as he drops his hand since I didn’t take it.
"Yeah," I drawl slowly. "Who are you?"
“My friends call me Bear. I’m a friend of Tristan’s.”
Instantly, the tension fizzles. “My brother?”
"Yeah. He hired me to watch you guys because apparently, you'd use kung fu or some bullshit if someone attacked you. His words, not mine.”
My mouth falls open. “That son-of-a-bitch.” I can’t believe he never told me he hired someone. “How long have you been following us?”
“Just a couple weeks. You guys hardly left the house, so it made my job pretty easy.”
I snort. I have so many questions, but I’ll drill Tristan later.
"Good thing I was here. Not sure how that would've ended otherwise," he tells me.
“Yeah, you’re telling me. I turn my back for five seconds…” I grit between my teeth, angry at myself for not keeping Tatum glued to my side.
Bear turns and looks at Justin. “He’s dead.”
“Yeah,” I say, shielding Tatum from seeing the gruesome image. Sirens play out in the distance, and I know they’ll be here within minutes.