Page 140 of Beautiful Revenge

My insides seize.

“I need to clean up this mess. I’m not going down because everyone around me is incompetent. I needed you to lead meto Harlow. I’ll take care of you first,” Allen growls before turning his sneer on me. “And you’re next.”

I lurch when his grip on the handgun tightens. “No!”

It happens fast.

Janie topples to the side.

The front door of Grandma’s house busts open.

A gun discharges.

And I see stars.

Devon

“Harlow!”

All I saw through the window as I was running to the house was Allen pointing a gun at Janie’s head and Harlow watching in horror.

But I was too late.

A fucking split second too late.

Echoes ring through the old house when the gun discharges.

Harlow screams, and Janie falls to the floor.

And Allen ... I take him down.

Allen crashes across the room, and I land on top of him.

He tries to twist his hand with the gun. I grab his wrist as another shot rings out over my head.

“Devon!” Harlow screams.

An elbow connects with my temple as I slam his hand with the gun to the floor, over and over.

But he won’t let go.

I press the side of his face to the dirty wood, but all I can think about is Harlow.

I press my thumb to his eye socket until he bellows in pain. He finally gives up his grip. The gun slides across the floor, and I hear scrambling behind us.

“Give it up, Foster,” I grit out.

“Fucker,” he growls, but he doesn’t stop, so I don’t let up on his eye.

Janie’s voice calls out in a blood curdling scream. “No!”

And then, another gunshot.

Allen freezes beneath me.

I turn my head.

Harlow is standing by the front door, blood dripping down one arm, holding the gun pointed toward the ceiling in the other. She’s trembling and stares past me straight to Allen. “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done to my family.” Her glassy eyes shift to Janie. “And don’t ever speak about my mother again.”