Page 45 of Temptation and Treachery
“Guard,” Holiday stated with a sniper’s calm, a split second before the shot rang out, then the body hit the ground. Celeste screamed.
Rio lunged, twisting in midair to shoot Leonard while trying to cover Celeste. He hit shoulder and upper chest, sending Leonard off balance. His face was a mask of disbelief as he stared at his father, a dark spot sitting where the bridge of his nose had been. The gun clattered to the ground, then his body landed with a thud as cars screeched to a halt around them.
“Noooo,” Celeste wailed.
Rio rolled, covering her as he aimed at Ayala. Celeste slammed her palm on the pavement over and over. “Don’t shoot.” She kicked at him, pushing up on her elbows. “Don’t shoot him.”
Ayala lay on his side, gun pointed away, the raw devastation on his face painful to behold.
Celeste jammed an elbow into his side. “Don’t…” Her voice broke. “He’s my fa-ther.” She dragged herself from under him, her palms digging into the hot asphalt in an effort to reach him.
The team descended. Rio rolled onto his back, his side throbbing. A hand reached down to help him up as Gatlin pulled Celeste off the ground. He held her as she fought to go after the men taking her father. Defeated, she looked back at him, face wet, eyes lost, hurt, and disgusted. Then she turned, stumbling to get away.
Words played at the edge of his mind. Deep, powerful, life-changing words he thought he’d never say to a woman. Yet he stood there like a fool while she walked away—again. Everything inside him felt compressed, ready to explode with the things he wanted to say. With the very words he hoped would make her stop.
But her words echoed in his head again. I hate you. How could he blame her? Her brother was dead. Her father was on his way to prison. And he’d shot them both. She deserves better. He mumbled a thank-you to whoever helped him then shoved his gun behind his belt. Gatlin held her, letting her cry as she needed. She bowed her head but wouldn’t look his way, flaying him with every second that ticked by. Straightening his spine he dragged his emotions together and walked away.
Leaving was for the best. Deep down he knew it. But he hadn’t expected it to hurt so damn much.
