That insane cackle returns, piercing through me. I glance over and see Hunter and Liam standing behind me, both with their arms up too, and realize the situation I got them into. Fuck.
I think about Sophie’s beautiful face and how amazing and sweet she is, and how long she’s been with this terror of a man. I wonder how many nights she’s gone to bed scared of him or, even worse, scared for her life. Just the thought of him hurting her has me seething all over again. She’s the reason I confronted him in the first place, because she deserves better than this piece of shit who lays his hands on her.
“Not so brave now, are ya?” He steadies his hand, continuing to aim at me. I look down the barrel, hoping these aren’t my last moments alive.
“Just put the gun down, Weston,” Hunter says calmly. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Weston snaps. “If any of you says another goddamn word…I’m pulling the fuckin’ trigger. Fully loaded, but one bullet is all I’ll need for each of ya.”
My blood pumps faster when he narrows his eyes at me. I’ve seen enough shit to know what happens next. In my mind, I can imagine it all so vividly, the evidence they’ll collect, and the pictures they’ll take when they find my splattered brains on the concrete. Everything seems to happen in slow motion, and I know whatever I do next has to be calculated with no sudden movements.
The gun clicks as he chambers a round, and the sound echoes in my ear.
This isn’t how I want to die.
This can’t be the way my life ends. The way all of our lives ends. Fear, guilt, shock—my emotions hit me in full force as I think about the Corrigan sisters and how this will destroy them. He’d kill us and then kill Sophie too if he gets the chance.
Fuck. I should’ve just let him walk away and let Lennon handle Sophie since they left the room anyway.
In my peripheral vision, I see Liam move slightly behind me, and Weston quickly points the gun at him. He aims right above Liam’s head and fires off a warning shot.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill you all if you try anything,” he threatens. “All. Three. Of. You.”
“Weston, we can all walk away from this,” Liam says slowly. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” Fear smothers Liam’s voice, but his actions are steady as he tries to gain control of the situation. I want to turn around and tell them both how sorry I am, how much I fucked up, and how much I love them as brothers. If these are my last moments, I’d at least want to make them count. However, I don’t want to add more fuel to the fire by talking and pissing off Weston.
“Now. What was that you were saying earlier?” Weston glares at me. “I’m gonna be dealing with you if I lay my hands on Sophie again?” His head falls back with psychotic laughter. “You don’t scare me, but by the look on your face, I scare the fuck out of you.”
“You’ve proven your point,” Hunter interjects. “Let’s just all calm down and leave.”
“Not fuckin’ happening,” Weston hisses.
I contemplate my options, which aren’t many at the moment. I could risk everything and charge him, fighting for the gun and taking him out, or it could all go horribly wrong and he could actually pull that fucking trigger. I’d take a bullet for Sophie if it meant keeping her safe, but if I’m going down, then so is this motherfucking bastard.
“Weston…” I start.
“You’re gonna listen to me,” he cuts me off. Weston continues running his mouth, feeding from the control and attention almost as if he’s performing for an audience. If only he was a paid actor with a fake gun sent here to play a sick prank, but he’s not. Instead, he’s a maniac with the need to feel power; that much is obvious. Weston continues to wave it round, talking shit and calling me every name under the sun. A car pulls into the parking lot, causing him to lose focus, and in that split second, I make a move and charge him with all my strength, just as I used to practice during my college football days.
We fall to the ground with me on top of him, but he keeps his arm above his head, causing me to struggle to reach it as he tries pushing me off. I knee him in the gut, and his arm bends just enough for me to reach his hand. He notices what I’m doing and pulls back, then points the barrel at me.
I hear Hunter on the phone, begging for the cops to come as I push against him. Liam shouts at both of us to stop, and I’m literally living my worst nightmare. I’m glad they don’t intervene, though, because Weston could easily turn it on them. I manage to grasp the gun in his hand so it’s no longer pointing at me, but his strength doesn’t seem to be waning as he continues to fight for control.