Page 85 of Inked Temptation
“Stop right there,” a very familiar voice said far too calmly from in front of us, and the sound of the gun cocking sent chills down my body.
“Trevor?” I asked, my voice croaking. And not just because of the smoke.
My brother-in-law snarled in front of me, the gun in his hand sending cold chills down my body and through my soul. “You think you can just live after what you did? You killed my sister. You killed her! You killed her little girl. And you think you get to just live free, as if you didn’t do anything? As if you didn’t sacrifice them so you could have this house and this money? Well, fuck you.”
“Could we maybe talk about this outside of the burning building?” Archer asked, holding a sixty-pound dog in his arms.
I didn’t think Archer could see the gun, and I knew he was scared, hence the sarcasm, but I needed to protect my family.
There was broken glass and shards of wood everywhere, and though I knew mine and Archer’s feet were probably bleeding, he was still holding our damn dog to make sure she was safe.
Cora was growling, wiggling, but Archer kept still as I moved to the side to put my body between us.
“Just let them go. We can talk about this,” I said as calmly as I could.
“Fuck you. You just show up here with a fucking man that you’re screwing in your marriage bed. And you think this is okay? My dad says that you just show up at the graveyard like you have the right to. Have the right to come to her side and talk to her as if you matter. You killed her, and you have the audacity to be here?”
“Trevor. We need to get out of this building. It’s not safe.”
“You built it. It’s probably just going to kill your little lover over there just like you killed your wife. That’s what they’re going to say, you know. That you were worthless, that just like you killed your wife, my goddam sister, you killed your lover because you can’t even build a house correctly. It’s your fault the wiring was screwed up. It’s your fault that the windows kept breaking, that the structural integrity isn’t there.”
Of course, it was Trevor this whole time. Not some kids, not some hiker who wanted to screw with my property.
It was Trevor. He literally hated me that much. But I had hated myself for far longer, and I refused to let Cora or Archer get hurt because of this man.
“It’s between you and me. Let them go.”
“Killian,” Archer snapped as he set Cora down, holding her collar. She barked, pulling at the collar, and when Trevor lowered the gun towards her, I screamed, my body shaking with rage.
“Don’t you dare!”
The gun went off as I moved, pushing towards Trevor. Archer shouted, throwing his body over the dog as Cora moved between all of us, barking and snapping her teeth.
Trevor screamed as Cora lunged. I looked around for blood but only saw the few cuts on our feet. The gun had gone off, but the bullet had embedded into the wall behind us.
But the fire was still going, the smoke still billowing, and I cursed, pulling Cora off Trevor.
“We’ve got to go.”
“I can’t just leave him here,” I spat, and I met Archer’s gaze.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
I tugged Trevor out by his waistband as he glared at me, throwing a fist. I punched him back, slamming my fist into his face. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“You killed her! You killed my sister. Fuck you.”
It was as if the other man had nothing else to say, but I didn’t care. I refused to let Danielle’s brother die for his own hatred, as long as I could keep my family safe.
“We have to get out of here. I’m not going to die for you.”
“You should have died along with her. You were the one driving. It was your fault.”
I coughed, my body shaking as embers began to fall on us. “Trevor! The road was slick, and another car came at us. I will regret every day of my life that I wasn’t good enough to stay on the road. That I was the one that they pulled out, that they didn’t pull my little girl out or my wife out in time. I know they’re gone. I will always blame myself, but I’m here. We are both still here, living.”For now.“Don’t ruin that.”
“Screw you.”
He reached out again, trying to punch me and I ducked, pulling Trevor with me as part of the roof caved in.
