“And this counts as an emergency,” I replied.
I cut through everyone’s zip ties, ending with Jenna who looked a little worse for wear. Her hair was matted against one side of her head, and dark circles lined the creases beneath her eyes. “Thank you,” she muttered when her restraints were finally off. Everyone rubbed at their wrists as they slowly got up from the floor.
Knix took control and moved behind Stover as Texas trained the gun on him. Texas had moved to the side to keep the other men in his sight the entire time. I tossed Marv one of the cells I had kept and he quickly dialed.
“We need to get out of here,” Jenna said.
“I’m calling the authorities,” Marv said. “You may still get to see him in court, but there’s no doubt Stover is going to prison.”
Hearing him, Stover rounded on the room. “I deserved that money!” he screamed. “They were—where are you going?” He turned again as he spotted the two men in black, one helping the fallen one up as they slipped down the staircase.
Texas moved to follow them. “Let them go,” Knix barked, making him freeze and turn back. “We just want Stover for now. We can get them later.”
“No,” Stover backed up, away from both of them. His eyes wide and wild. He shook his head from side to side. “No, I don’t—No!”
“Stover, don’t be stupid,” Grayson warned as he put his hands out and circled the man.
But he was going to be. I could see it. He was beyond help. Overexertion had made him shiny with sweat. His gaze darted around, never landing on one thing or one person long enough. And then they settled on me.
“Stover, don’t do anything stupid,” Bellamy warned, moving closer to me as Jenna backed up, her brow puckering. She knew something was up. Stover was losing it far too quickly.
The man was shaking so hard, I could practically hear the rattle of his bones. My body ached from how tight my muscles were coiled. The world slowed down to a frame by frame set of images as I watched Stover reach behind him. One of his hands going to the desk he had backed himself into.
My head lifted at the same time that he swung the gun my way. His lips tried to shape words, but I couldn’t hear anything. The rushing in my ears made it too loud to hear anything. It all narrowed down to the barrel of the small pistol Stover pointed at me.
His gaze was unfocused, his face red as his finger pressed against the trigger. In the distance, I heard shouting. Bellamy was the closest to me. Out of my periphery, I saw him dive, aiming for me. The bullet slammed into me a split second before Bellamy did, trying to cover my body with his own. The air was knocked from my chest.
I blinked as I collapsed. My eyes were open, but I couldn’t feel the pain yet. My whole body didn’t seem to be working. My limbs were immovable and though I tried to focus on where I was hit, tried to feel where the bullet had entered, I still couldn’t feel or hear anything.
A flurry of movement erupted past me. Bellamy’s face appeared above me as he ripped his shirt off and pressed it against my stomach. Of course, Stover wouldn’t miss. Even as shaky as he’d been, it would have been hard to not miss with how close we were.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My eyes trailed down the hard lines of Bellamy’s chest. He was beautiful. Even when his eyes were full of terror. Marv’s head came over me as well. A phone pressed to his ear once more as he tried to ask me something.
I shook my head. I couldn’t hear him. The room was fuzzy, the edges of my vision blurring out and growing dark.Shouldn’t it hurt?I wondered. Getting shot was supposed to hurt.
“Harlow?” The sound of my name made its way into my brain and I cracked my lids open. When had I closed them? “Stay with me, stay with us. Help’s on the way.”
My tongue felt swollen in my mouth. My eyes slid shut on their own accord and this time, they didn’t open again.