Page 73 of Seduce & Destroy

That was the moment the first shot rang out.

The casket fell to the floor as I fell to my knees. Hands over my head.

Pomegranate juice stained my knees.

But it was mixed with a deeper red liquid. Thicker. Warmer.

When I lifted my head, a scream lodged in my throat.

PART III

Descending

Chapter 26

KILINA

Seeing her was a risk. It was commencement day. The deadline. I should’ve stayed on the estate, but I couldn’t let go. Laney might not understand my reasons, but she understood who showed up. It was going to be me, if no one else. At least that was what I was banking on.

That was before the first shot rang out and nothing but regret coursed through my veins. I should’ve known something would happen here and now. I’d hoped it would be contained at the estate.

The second shot was much worse.

A warmth spread on my side. When I touched it, my hands came up sticky, and when I looked at it, all the blood drained from my face. This was bad.

That’s when it started to burn. The echoing sound of my whimpers filled my head, no other sounds managed to penetrate through my skull.

I held my hand over the wound, the blood loss forced my thoughts to run into overdrive. It’s just a bullet graze. You’ve gone through worse, Kilina, grow up. The thoughts circled in my father’s voice. Get up. Keep moving. That one sounded like my brother’s voice. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. I didn’t recognise that one. It wasn’t in my memory. Kil, move now, bitch. Lennon. My friend. Oh my god, Kenna, oh my. Kenna? Kenna.

“Laney, get the fuck away from me.” It sounded more aggressive than I intended as reality faded back into view, though, my eyes stayed glued shut. Still, I knew it was her.

“I’m not leaving you,” she said.

“Silly girl.” I chuckled and coughed. With no vision, I clambered into a seated position from where I’d lain slumped on the floor. My knees had caught most of my weight. I pushed away the hand she rested on my arm. She needed to be gone. Anywhere but here right now. “Go!”

“Don’t move.”

Only when I got to my feet could I open my eyes again. Laney crouched low to the ground where I had been laying. Chaos was all around us. Feet were stamping in every direction, the quick motion blurred my vision. What was happening?

I looked down at the gun in my hand. I was meant to hit Richard. That was the plan. I did that. So, how did the bullet find me?

Laney pounced, then standing firmly in front of me. I took a deep breath. Her smell intoxicating. It didn’t help me keep a clear mind, but it soothed my heart. My breathing slowed.

When I looked up, I found Neenan standing in front of us, and we were staring down the barrel of a smoking gun. I couldn’t decipher the words they said, unless I really concentrated and when I did, they were arguing.

“She’s a Karstein, Laney, how can you defend her?”

She had her arms out wide. Sinking her knees a little, she pleaded for my life. “Gunfire is not going to solve this. There’s another way, Neenan.”

But the bullet hadn’t come from him. I knew it. It came from the man that stood behind him. Olive skin. Dark hair. Carved wrinkles.

Aldo Novelli.

He was being held back by some guards, his gun must’ve been thrown to the floor as it lay scuffed and ten feet behind him. His bucking was fruitless, but he was screaming at his usual elevated volume. Over and over. I didn’t miss this.

“I knew it. It was her!” He commanded. “Shoot her. At once.”

I looked down at my side and back at him dumbfounded. My brain lagged like I was trudging through a humid fog. Sweat formed on my forehead. I had to grab hold of Laney’s jacket to stay upright. My weight made her shuffle forward.