Page 35
Story: Ache For Her
The door to the room finally burst open. Grandpa held a hand up and the flurry of activity ceased. “I’m dealing with it,” he said.
I looked that way. Guards sneered at me, silhouetted by the light of the hallway. I’d grown up with most of these guys. They’d known me since I was little. Didn’t anyone believe me just a little bit? “Please,” I said, begging now. “I didn’t do anything.”
The guard who’d walked me in frowned. He shifted from foot-to-foot but said nothing.
“Tell me who you’re working with.”
“No one! I was taken for ransom. I had no part of it. He wanted you dead because you killed his mother with drugs. He—”
“Lies!”
The gun started to come down again, but this time, it halted. About a second later, I heard the crash of a window breaking. In a blink, I looked up, and saw Simon standing there, his hand on my grandfather’s stopping his forward momentum. The look on his face was pure fury. He ripped the gun from my grandfather’s hand and then threw him to the ground.
Shots rang out. I cowered down on the floor, my heart beating a mile a minute. Simon. What was he doing here?
Another shout rang out as more glass broke. “I told you to fucking wait.”
I cringed, recognizing the deep tenor as Galen’s. GalenandSimon? Was Kayleigh here too?
There were more shots. I crawled to the side and looked up. Guards kept running into the room shooting, but Simon and Galen were making quick work of them. I peered over at my grandfather. He crawled toward the bookcase, his hands shaking. My stomach bottomed out. There was another gun hidden there. I’d seen him retrieve it from there once.
I crawled after him, but I was too late. He’d already reached it. “Watch out!” I screamed. Grandfather turned and shot while I lunged for him. Fire ripped through my shoulder as I tackled my grandfather to the floor. I cried out in pain as he struggled underneath me. Through the blinding ache, I fought for the gun until hands came over and pulled me off. I recognized that feel, that touch.
“Give me the gun,” the voice whispered.
My whole body relaxed. Simon. He’d saved me. He’d been trying to save me this whole time. Maybe that was never his intention, but it’s what happened. First, he showed me I didn’t have to live with my grandfather. He showed me I was more than just a Greene. He showed me what a lie my life had been. He showed me that even though there were all different kinds of love, that didn’t mean that his was any less.
I shook my head, only just realizing that I’d gained control of the gun. “He shot me.” I peered down. Grandpa was on his back in front of me. I stood above him, leaning heavily on Simon.
“I know baby,” Simon said, his voice strong. He put his hands on my wound, and I cried out. “I know, I know. We’ll get you fixed, just give me the gun so I can end this.”
“He thought I did it.”
“Your grandfather’s a coward,” he seethed. “He has only one care in this world, and you never fit into that.”
I raised the gun, my hands shaking. Grandpa cowered into the bookcase. I felt a body at our side. I knew without looking that it was Galen. He would never leave Simon to do this for himself. Another one neared, too. Since all the gunfire had stopped, I imagined the guards were all dead, so the only other person in the room alive would have to be Kayleigh. “Don’t let her do this,” she said. “She’ll never forgive herself.”
“He never loved me,” I said, my insides breaking.
“Maybe she’s more like me,” Simon said. “Revenge heals the heart.”
“No one’s like you,” Kayleigh snapped, her tone harsh.
It made me flinch.
“Galen,” Kayleigh warned.
My finger tensed on the trigger. I could do it. I could pull this tiny little lever and then work out all my sorrow over his dead body. He never loved me. He tried to kill me. He didn’t care or come after me when I was kidnapped. He never thought of me as a family when I loved him. He was the only family I’d ever known, and he never cared.
A sob ripped through my chest.
Kayleigh tensed. “It’s not worth it.”
“So you say,” Simon said.
“W-who are you?” Grandpa asked, his eyes wide, fear finally striking him as we all stood before him like one unit.
“They’re not the Irish,” I said coldly. “They’re not the Polish either, Grandpa.” I gestured toward Simon. “Meet Simon. He’s the one who took me.”
I looked that way. Guards sneered at me, silhouetted by the light of the hallway. I’d grown up with most of these guys. They’d known me since I was little. Didn’t anyone believe me just a little bit? “Please,” I said, begging now. “I didn’t do anything.”
The guard who’d walked me in frowned. He shifted from foot-to-foot but said nothing.
“Tell me who you’re working with.”
“No one! I was taken for ransom. I had no part of it. He wanted you dead because you killed his mother with drugs. He—”
“Lies!”
The gun started to come down again, but this time, it halted. About a second later, I heard the crash of a window breaking. In a blink, I looked up, and saw Simon standing there, his hand on my grandfather’s stopping his forward momentum. The look on his face was pure fury. He ripped the gun from my grandfather’s hand and then threw him to the ground.
Shots rang out. I cowered down on the floor, my heart beating a mile a minute. Simon. What was he doing here?
Another shout rang out as more glass broke. “I told you to fucking wait.”
I cringed, recognizing the deep tenor as Galen’s. GalenandSimon? Was Kayleigh here too?
There were more shots. I crawled to the side and looked up. Guards kept running into the room shooting, but Simon and Galen were making quick work of them. I peered over at my grandfather. He crawled toward the bookcase, his hands shaking. My stomach bottomed out. There was another gun hidden there. I’d seen him retrieve it from there once.
I crawled after him, but I was too late. He’d already reached it. “Watch out!” I screamed. Grandfather turned and shot while I lunged for him. Fire ripped through my shoulder as I tackled my grandfather to the floor. I cried out in pain as he struggled underneath me. Through the blinding ache, I fought for the gun until hands came over and pulled me off. I recognized that feel, that touch.
“Give me the gun,” the voice whispered.
My whole body relaxed. Simon. He’d saved me. He’d been trying to save me this whole time. Maybe that was never his intention, but it’s what happened. First, he showed me I didn’t have to live with my grandfather. He showed me I was more than just a Greene. He showed me what a lie my life had been. He showed me that even though there were all different kinds of love, that didn’t mean that his was any less.
I shook my head, only just realizing that I’d gained control of the gun. “He shot me.” I peered down. Grandpa was on his back in front of me. I stood above him, leaning heavily on Simon.
“I know baby,” Simon said, his voice strong. He put his hands on my wound, and I cried out. “I know, I know. We’ll get you fixed, just give me the gun so I can end this.”
“He thought I did it.”
“Your grandfather’s a coward,” he seethed. “He has only one care in this world, and you never fit into that.”
I raised the gun, my hands shaking. Grandpa cowered into the bookcase. I felt a body at our side. I knew without looking that it was Galen. He would never leave Simon to do this for himself. Another one neared, too. Since all the gunfire had stopped, I imagined the guards were all dead, so the only other person in the room alive would have to be Kayleigh. “Don’t let her do this,” she said. “She’ll never forgive herself.”
“He never loved me,” I said, my insides breaking.
“Maybe she’s more like me,” Simon said. “Revenge heals the heart.”
“No one’s like you,” Kayleigh snapped, her tone harsh.
It made me flinch.
“Galen,” Kayleigh warned.
My finger tensed on the trigger. I could do it. I could pull this tiny little lever and then work out all my sorrow over his dead body. He never loved me. He tried to kill me. He didn’t care or come after me when I was kidnapped. He never thought of me as a family when I loved him. He was the only family I’d ever known, and he never cared.
A sob ripped through my chest.
Kayleigh tensed. “It’s not worth it.”
“So you say,” Simon said.
“W-who are you?” Grandpa asked, his eyes wide, fear finally striking him as we all stood before him like one unit.
“They’re not the Irish,” I said coldly. “They’re not the Polish either, Grandpa.” I gestured toward Simon. “Meet Simon. He’s the one who took me.”