Without warning, he whipped around and aimed his gun at me. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, I pleaded, “Please, Drake. Let’s just talk this thing out.”
“You had your chance.”
“But until tonight, I didn’t even know what you wanted from me.” There was still no sound coming from the back hall, and I started panicking that they were all dead. I hadn’t seen Widow, Timms, or Duggar since the shooting began, and considering they hadn’t come to our rescue, it was impossible not to think the worst, and that chilled me to the bone. To make matters worse, Drake’s friend still had his gun aimed at my head, and Braylon wasn’t looking good at all. His face was pale, and his clothes were soaked in his blood. I tried to buy us both some more time by distracting Drake. “If you’d only been honest with me and told me what was going on, then I would’ve been more open to the idea of us working together.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Drake roared. “From day one, you wanted nothing to do with me. You were repulsed by me. I could see it in your eyes whenever we talked... and I can see it in your eyes right now. You’ve always thought you were better than me, but I’m here to prove you wrong.”
I thought we were alone until I noticed a strange movement out of the corner of my eye by the crumbled section of the office wall, but it was too dark to see much of anything. I wanted to believe it was Widow or one of the others coming to save us but figured the possibility was slim at best and convinced myself it was only my crazy imagination. I turned my attention back to Drake with a defeated sigh. I was losing ground with him, and I didn’t have a clue how to turn the tables. I kept my voice low and steady and said, “You’ve already proven me wrong, Drake. Clearly, there’s more to you than I ever knew.”
“Damn straight there is! I’m—”
Before he could finish his sentence, there was an unexpected roar of gunshots. I froze as I watched Drake’s eyes widen and his head fall back. At first, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening, but then I saw the blood and realized he’d been shot—right through his temple. He stood still like a statue with his eyes locked on mine for a split second, and then his body collapsed to the ground—right next to his partner in crime who’d had his gun trained on me for the past half-hour. I was stunned. They’d both been shot at the same time and were lying dead on the floor. It was difficult to make sense of it. One minute Drake and I were talking, and in the next, he was lying dead on the floor. I didn’t move. I simply stood there in utter dismay. I didn’t even notice that Widow and Duggar had walked up until Duggar asked, “You two okay?”
Still in a daze, I nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m fine, but Bray’s hurt. He needs to get to the hospital.”
“I’m okay,” Bray argued. “Right now, I’m more concerned about you.” He lifted his hand up to my face as he said, “You’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine, Bray. It’s just a few scratches.” Noting his seeping wounds, Duggar took off his shirt, then knelt down next to him and quickly wrapped the fabric around Bray’s thigh. It was clear I wasn’t the only one who thought his wounds needed to be checked. “You, on the other hand, need to get to a doctor and have them check you out.”
“Bullet went straight through the shoulder, and the other is just a fucking graze. I’m fine.” Sorrow filled his eyes as he looked over to Jackal. “Is he?”
Tears stung my eyes as I watched Widow go over and kneel down next to Jackal. Anguish marked his face as he rolled the prospect onto his side. Widow laid his hand on his brother’s chest, then muttered something under his breath. My heart was breaking as I told Bray and Widow, “He died trying to protect me.”
“I’m not surprised. He was a good kid ... a damn good kid.” Widow stood, then stepped back over to us. “He did what he came here to do.”
“Same for Timms,” Duggar announced, causing my heart to drop to my stomach. “He put up a good fight. Even took down one of them with him.”
I’d done my best to keep it together, but the second I learned about Timms, the dam broke, and I started to cry. He was like family to me, and I hated that he’d lost his life trying to protect me and the Manor. I was sobbing when the front door swung open, and Grayson and Menace charged inside with Hawk and Lynch following close behind. Grayson’s eyes were fixed on mine as he made his way through the others and over to me. He took me in his arms, holding me close in a protective hug. “Tell me you’re okay.”