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Tanit spun around and aimed the gun at me, letting out a shrill shriek of a maniacal laugh. “I could shoot you right now, you know.” She stalked toward me. “With one gentle squeeze from my finger, I could take your last breath.”

“Tanit, please stop this before—”

“It’s thrilling, don’t you think? To know you hold a person’s life right in the palm of your hand.” She grazed her teeth on her bottom lip, and when she placed the barrel of the gun against my temple. My entire body froze; even my hands no longer fought against the ropes.

My heart pounded against my ribs like it would break bone at any minute. Every limb was numb, my mind a frenzy of fear and panic. My lips trembled, and tears rushed down my face uncontrollably. “Tanit, stop.”

“Right now, I can experience firsthand what it feels like to be God. How does that saying go?” She feigned a look of thought. “He giveth, and he taketh away.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the blow. Waiting for the moment I would no longer be here. The moment I would take my last breath.

“Tanit!”

Granite’s voice echoed off the walls, and I jolted the same time Tanit jerked around.

“Granite? What are you—”

“What are you doing, Tanit?”

Granite cautiously stepped in, never taking his eyes off her. The relief that swept over me when I saw him was indescribable, yet my heart kept racing. Tanit was a loose cannon, and I knew she could explode at any time. All she needed was one tiny thing to light the fuse. And right now, she was facing Granite, still clutching the gun in her hand. Jesus. She wouldn’t hurt Granite…would she?

“Granite, t-this is…” she stuttered. “What…what are you doing here?”

Granite glanced in my direction, eyes wide and alert, then turned his focus back to Tanit. “Put the gun down, Tanit.” He lifted his hands and calmly moved closer, taking one slow, carefully placed step at a time. “What are you doing?”

She brushed hair out of her face with the back of her hand still clutching the gun. A tear slipped down her face. “I’m sorry, Granite. But I couldn’t just sit on the side and watch her take you away from me.”

“So, you kidnapped her?”

I watched silently while desperately trying to stay calm. Granite’s face remained soft, gentle, his eyes not showing the tiniest bit of resentment.

Tanit wiped at her face. “I didn’t know what else to do, Granite. You rejected me…twice, because of her.” Tanit’s face snapped in my direction, her eyes dark, glowing orbs of hate.

Granite quickly moved forward. “Tanit, look at me. Look at me.” She turned his way, and he held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”

A sudden look of bewilderment clouded her face, and she took a step back, narrowing her eyes at him. “You won’t give her up, will you?”

“Give me the gun, and we can talk about it.”

Movement by the door caught my eye, and I saw Onyx standing to the side, gun in hand and out of Tanit’s view.

He noticed me looking at him and placed his finger in front of his lips, telling me to keep quiet. Suddenly, I was back there that night they took me, the night Onyx shot the man who had a gun to my head.

A shiver ran down my spine, and I was struggling to keep the bile down. The fear I experienced that night did not come close to the terror I was feeling now, knowing Granite was also in danger. That night, I didn’t know him. I didn’t care.

Today…I cared.

“Listen, Tanit,” Granite started, and he hunched his shoulders forward slightly in a bid to make himself seem smaller. Less intimidating. “Give me the gun, and I promise we can talk this through. No one needs to get hurt.”

“I got hurt.” She pressed the muzzle of the gun against her chest. “I got hurt when you brought this slut to your bed and tossed me out like I was nothing. Do you have any idea how that feels? For months, I was your secret midnight fuck.” Tears mixed with snot ran down her mouth and chin. “And then she came along, taking my place in your fucking bed.”

Granite pinched his eyes closed, biting his lip. “You knew, Tanit. You knew right from the start that what you and I had, it wasn’t serious. You agreed. I was honest with you from the beginning, and you were okay with it.”

“Because I thought you’d change your mind, that maybe if we spent enough time together, you could love me.”

I glanced from Tanit’s sorrow-filled face, to Onyx lurking by the door. His aim was on her, but Granite was half-blocking his way. It was like Granite knew his brother was there, and he knew Onyx would shoot if he had the opportunity. Through all this, Granite was trying to protect her. He was trying to protect us both.

“Tanit, listen,” Granite slowly started to move toward me, “I’m going to untie her and let her go. Then you and I can talk this through. Alone.”


Tags: Bella J. American Street Kings Dark