“I know…” I shrugged. “It was always you.”
“How’s it feel!” He laughed. “How’s it feel being the other loser of the two brothers! How’s it feel??
??
“Horrible,” I choked. “I may not survive it.”
“Ha! And I did! So what does that say about me?”
“You’re amazing, baby…” Lisa took another step forward. “Now, give me the gun.”
Taylor swallowed and looked down at my dad. “But we can’t have witnesses. They need to be punished, punished for hurting me, for doubting me.”
“Not having Lisa is punishment enough,” I said quickly.
My father moved to stand. “And knowing my son has bested me in intelligence is… more than a father can bear.”
“Ha!” Taylor did a circle in place. “I win. Don’t you see? Regardless, I win, I win, I win! I’m better than all of you. I’m not sick, Dad.” He spat out the name like it was a curse. “I’m healthy. I’ve died and been reborn!” He turned his gaze to Lisa. “You know I still have to punish you.”
Lisa gave him a pout. “But I always enjoyed your punishments.”
“Which is why I have to make it hurt, love. I’m so sorry. But I need to make you understand that I’m the only one for you. Not my brother, not Jack, just me.”
“Jack helped you?” I asked.
“Jack was a fool. I promised him Lisa… I promised him revenge, and then I drugged him. Guy was tripping.”
“That’s okay,” Lisa said quickly. “He was horrible to me. He tried to take me from you.”
“I know.” Taylor nodded. “I know.”
He brought the gun slowly down over his head and grimaced, shaking his head back and forth. “Now, you know… the voices are quiet. It’s because I finally finished my task, but one more thing… one more thing. Lisa, I’m sorry, but you need to hurt like I hurt.”
My breath hitched as Taylor pointed the gun at Lisa and pulled the trigger. She fell back against the couch just as the door burst open and police in SWAT gear exploded through the opening.
Shouts of “Drop the gun!” reverberated off the walls.
Taylor didn’t move.
He didn’t run. Simply watched in fascination as Lisa’s chest rose and fell slowly. Crimson blossomed on the right side of her chest, spreading in a downward pattern as it soaked into her gray T-shirt.
“Drop your gun!” shouted the cop closest to Taylor.
A tear ran down the side of Taylor’s face, and he shook his head. Before I realized what he was going to do, he pointed the gun at his temple and pulled the trigger.
Through a slow motion filter, I watched blood and brain tissue blast through the air and settle around me like ruby rain. The splatters and splotches landed everywhere, but I stopped seeing the gory horror show as I rushed to Lisa’s side and covered her wound with my hand. “Stay with me! Stay with me, Lisa! Stay with me!”
Around me, the SWAT team buzzed like bees in a hive, securing the scene, I supposed. “Clear!” one of them called out.
EMTs arrived four minutes later and shoved me out of their way. I knew I should step back, but I was terrified that if I left her side, I’d lose her, and I couldn’t lose her.
Finally, it was my father who pulled me back and then stumbled to the floor, weeping.
“She has to make it.” Tears streamed down his face. “I’ll never forgive myself… she has to!”
The last sound I heard was one of the EMTs yelling, “She’s suffocating!”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE