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He curses and kicks her again, hard, sending her body crashing against the wall.
My mind tells my body to move again.
This time it listens.
I get up, almost falling back to the ground when the room spins. I regain my footing and press my hand to my head. Zeke’s wailing stops abruptly as he sees me. Our eyes meet and I pause only a moment before charging at Devin.
He’s busy with Abi, so he doesn’t see me coming. I slam him into the wall, his face caving in the sheetrock. He falls on top of Abi, and I drag him off of her. Blood rushes from my brain with the movement, and I lose my momentum. I fall, and as I go to get back up, Devin slams an elbow between my shoulder blades.
My chest slams to the ground and Devin rolls me over. He wraps his hands around my neck, and squeezes. Air traps in my lungs.
Devin’s eyes are frenzied. So much adrenaline must be pouring through his system right now, and he has the upper hand. My head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, and my mind isn’t working right. I’m already woozy, and it gets worse with every second my brain is depleted of oxygen. My hands are on his, trying to pry him off, my teeth grit, and my legs kick, but I can’t quite get him off.
A flurry of blonde hair enters my vision, and Zeke pounces on his father’s back as Abi had. His hands don’t go to choke Devin like Abi’s did. His nails claw at Devin’s face, and he digs them into his eyes.
Devin yells, loosening his grip enough that I can shove him off me. Zeke rolls on the carpet, and I climb on Devin.
I hear nothing as my fists rain down on Devin’s face. Abi’s groans, Zeke’s screams, it all drowns out. His face is a bloodied mess in my vision, and I don’t stop.
Not until searing pain explodes in my shoulder.
I fall off of him, my hand cupping my shoulder. I lift my hand off enough to see it covered in blood. Blood seeps from a hole in my shoulder.
My hearing comes back, and I look up to see a man I don’t recognize standing several feet away from me with a gun raised.
The Mr. of the house.
“Who the fuck are you?” he sneers.
“Kill him.” Devin’s words garble, but everyone in the room hears what he says. He doesn’t lift off the floor. His face is unrecognizable with swelling and blood. “Kill the son of a bitch, now!”
“Shut up!” the man yells at Devin. “What the hell have you brought into my house? A neighbor had to have heard that shot and all your screaming. The cops are probably on their way right now. I should’ve let him kill you, you fucking bastard.”
Devin yells, but his words are too garbled to understand this time.
The man scoffs. “I should’ve never listened to Fowler and let you stay here. As far as anyone is concerned, I didn’t. You’re all trespassing.”
His eyes train on me again, and his finger covers the trigger.
He’s going to shoot.
Not just me, but Abi.
Zeke.
All of us.
I throw my head toward Abi. She’s sitting up now, clutching her ribs with one arm and cradling Zeke with the other. Her eyes hold nothing but fear. Pure, certain, fear.
I open my mouth to tell her I’m sorry, but then I hear the shot.
No pain follows, and my body doesn’t fall backward. I look toward my chest and then back at the man. I go to jump to my feet, thinking he chose to shoot Devin first.
We still have a chance.
Maybe I’ll get to him in time.
Maybe—