Page 88 of Cruel Proposal
"Summer, go get your ass in the car. I don't have time for this right now."
"Robert's a traitor." The desperation in her voice nearly gets me to look at her, but Robert is fighting like hell not to die.
I think this might be the most fight I've ever seen in him. And he does have something worth fighting for, but if he thinks he's going to make it out of this alive, he's wrong. That isn't happening. It's time to start ending this, beginning with his sorry ass.
Robert's head slams into my face, my nose crunching, more stars in my vision.
I think I'm going to be sick, and as blackness starts to creep into my sight, it's all I can do to hold on.
I swallow hard and punch him again, finally getting the upper hand.
Until I'm hauled off him and thrown to the side, Royce standing over me with a gun in my face.
Robert starts laughing and wheezing, blood dripping from his face, his hand clasped to his ribs.
I hold up my hands, not moving an inch.
A rock collides with the side of Royce's head, Summer standing there and turning her gun on her own brother the second he looks at her, Aiden gaping at the pair of them.
Aiden starts toward her, stopping when she points it at him too.
"Summer, this is ridiculous. We have a chance to end this now. We kill both of them, and then you come home with us. It's done. You don't have to worry about anything ever again."
"Touch him, and I shoot you myself." Her tone is dark, and the look in her eyes is dangerous. "Robert's a traitor, and he needs to be dealt with. The rest of you can swing your tiny dicks later."
Royce sighs. "We killed the rest of their men. You don't have to worry anymore. You don't have to protect him. We can leave. It's done, Summer."
Her voice drips venom. "It's not fucking done. And if you so much as think about pulling the trigger, I will shoot you. I don't give a flying fuck right now, Royce, and don't even think about trying to tell me what to do, either."
Aiden presses his lips into a thin line, looking like he's seconds away from losing his cool. "You don't understand what's going on."
Summer's glower is filled with a fury hot enough to melt metal. "Shut the fuck up and leave!"
Robert laughs and shakes his head, his chest rattling with the damage that's been done to him. "You really should listen to her. It's the best chance you're going to get."
Aiden can see the gears turning in his head as he looks between us. He's hedging his bets on who he thinks is going to win and who he's going to have to kill later.
I hope it's me.
I hope he chooses to let me live, even if it's just for one more day. I need to say goodbye to Summer. I need to make sure that she gets back to her family and that she's going to be safe from anyone who would even think about hurting her.
She can't be left with Robert, and if Aiden lets me live, he's not going to regret it.
Summer will be safe.
She'll be back with him.
I'll step out of her life and make sure she can live it however she wants.
Robert shakes his head, hesitant as he looks around like he's going to try running away.
I should've broken his ankle or his knee, so I'd have a good chance at him without having to chase him down.
More darkness creeps into the edges of my vision.
I let out a wavering breath, trying to get some sense of control even though it's not working. If they don't shoot me, I'm not going to be conscious for much longer. I can feel it.
Aiden hesitates for a moment before nodding to Royce. "This isn't our fight today."
