Page 80 of Angelic Acts
“It’s Lizzy,” I growl.
“Don’t start with that shit. You’re my Elizabeth.” I hear his eye roll more than I see it, and the way his jaw clenches is a clear sign he’s getting worked up.
“What do you want?”
“I want to see you. Aren’t you curious as to how I have your boy toy’s phone? And how I’m back from the grave you almost put me in?” He’s smirking while staring into Bash’s eyes. He’s trying to rile him up.
“I don’t want to see you.” I let all my hatred for him seep into my words.
“You don’t have a choice, baby. Get your ass over here now, or your friends die.” He pushes the butt of his gun against Bash’s head. The fact that he doesn’t know I can see him is proof enough that he’s serious.
“Don’t listen to him, angel!” Bash growls, staring into Vincent’s eyes. There’s no fear in his as he presses his forehead against the gun.
“Bash, he has a gun on you!” I cry out.
Bash curses as Vincent smiles. “So, she can see us? How interesting. Well, Elizabeth, sweetheart, you know the situation then. Get your sweet ass over here.”
“Stay right where you are!” Bash shouts, but behind his fury is fear. Fear over my safety as he’s the one with a gun on him.
“The funny thing about leverage is I only need one of you alive,” Vincent muses, then laughs darkly.
It happens so quickly. One moment, his gun is on Bash, and the next, it’s swiveled over to the floor where Nik’s waking up. Before I can process what’s happening, a shot echoes through the speakers and red liquid spreads across Nik’s grey shirt, directly over his heart. Nik slumps against the floor, a lifeless form. I pray to every god I know that it missed its mark. That the growing pool of blood isn’t too much. That despite it all, he’s still breathing.
“NO!” I cry through my sobs. Tears spill down my cheeks as sobs rack through my chest. I heave in a sharp breath, only to choke on the exhale.
“Hmmm. Maybe you were fucking him,” Vincent mutters into the phone.
“I hate you,” I seethe.
“Don’t care. Get your ass over here, or this one’s next.” He returns his gun back to Bash, and a harsh sob steals from me.
“Lizzy! I swear to God, if you don’t stay exactly where you are–”
Bash is cut off by the gun slamming across his face, throwing him off balance. As he tumbles to the floor, I know what I have to do. I know what’s going to happen. How this is going to play out. I only pray I can buy us enough time for his brothers to come save us.
“I’m on my way.”
I end the call, needing these last few moments to myself. Slowly I make my way through the house, taking in every detail of our life together. Of his life dedicated to me before Ieven knew him as more than my running buddy. Memories of our runs cross my mind, and in that moment, I make myself a promise. If it’s him or me, I’m going down. This is my fight. It’s my duty to Bash. After how he’s protected me the past six years, it’s my time to return the favor.
Men are outside Bash’s door, unable to penetrate what must be the bulletproof glass. The grins they have when they see me make my stomach roll. I’d forgotten what the stares of Vincent’s friends feel like. How invasive their lurking eyes feel.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door, and instantly, they swarm. They’re on me in an instant, hovering close enough that I can feel them but not touching me. I guess the one upside of Vincent believing I’m his is I’m off limits to these creeps.
“Come on. The boss is waiting for you,” one of them demands as he leads the way. I follow silently as we make our way to the fence. Another sob wracks through me as I think of Nik and Bash and everything waiting for me on the other side. Slowly, so slowly, I march to my demise. When we get to my back door, I take a deep breath before one of the goons opens it and pushes me in.
Inside, Bash is held by two men, a gun trained on him. But when he hears the door open, he turns to me, and his face falls. “Lizzy,” he whispers, his voice full of anguish.
“I’m sorry,” I mouth to him as he looks at me with a look of betrayal.
“Shut the fuck up,” Vincent growls at Bash, then turns to me. “Elizabeth, you’re finally here. How nice to see you, sweetheart.”
I ignore him. My eyes shoot past him to Nik, where he lies motionless in a pool of blood. His expression is blank, so unlike my jovial friend. The one who was joking with me not even an hour ago. His eyes are closed, and I tell myself he’sjust sleeping. That if I can put pressure on the wound, he’ll be fine.
“See, none of this would have happened if you had just listened the first time I told you to come over. You’ve always been so bad at following directions.”
One last tear trickles down my cheek, then I steel my spine and meet the eyes of the man who nearly ruined my life. The man who just ended my friend’s life. And I make my choice.
Chapter 44
