Page 39 of Biggest Regrets (Breaking Free #1)

M ax held his gun up and away and then crouched down as if to lay it on the ground behind the sofa.

He met Levi’s eyes and gave the nod before he dropped the gun with a thud.

When Max straightened back up, Chris drew the gun from Lily’s shirt and pointed it at him.

“You know, I followed William when he took your jeep, Max. You didn’t have Lily with you,” Chris cackled. “You’re too fucking stupid for her.”

From his spot prone on the floor, Levi took aim beneath the sofa, listening to Chris boast about how he had outsmarted Max.

That’s what you think, asshat.

Bang!

Levi fired a round dead center at Chris’ ankle. The bullet shattered the man’s bone. Chris screamed and his gun discharged three times. Max dove for cover, grabbing his own gun from the floor.

Levi was up in seconds and around the edge of the couch.

Chris stumbled into the wall and swung his gun around crazily.

Boom!

The sound reverberated through the room.

Both Max and Levi ducked for a split second, but then Max saw the hole blown through Chris’ chest.

Blood had spattered the wall, fireplace, and Lily.

In the bedroom doorway, Jethro Snow stood holding a twelve-gauge shotgun in his gnarled hands—the barrel still smoking.

Max raced to Lily and tore at the ropes holding her tied to the chair.

William rushed in with his gun up and ready, but lowered it when Levi stalked over and checked Chris.

“He’s dead,” Levi announced.

Jerking the ropes free from Lily, Max lifted her from the chair and carried her to the sofa. He yanked the throw blanket he found on the back of the cushions and pulled it around her shoulders, shielding her shivering form.

As gently as he could, he helped her pull the duct tape from her mouth and then he drew her into his arms.

She clung to him, and he was worried.

There were no tears.

The running mascara had been a sign that she had cried earlier, but there were no signs of tears now.

Snick, snick.

Max glanced over at the sound of a silencer going off.

Levi had twisted a suppressor on his weapon and put two bullets in Chris’ head.

“How in the hell are we going to justify that?” Max snapped.

Levi threw Max an annoyed glance. “I don’t exist, remember?” the man growled. Blood soaked the side of Levi’s shirt and Max frowned.

“You should get that checked,” Max told Levi.

“It was a pencil.” The man scowled and walked out of the guest house. William followed Levi and Max hoped that Will could talk some sense into Levi, pencil or not, to get to the fucking doctors. He couldn’t even count the number of times Levi refused prior treatment for injuries.

Jethro Snow walked over and pointed the shotgun at Chris’ head.

Max placed his hands over Lily’s ears before her grandfather pulled the trigger. The sound should have been muffled for her, but he grimaced when the echo blasted his own ears.

“There, evidence gone,” the old man said when Chris’ head exploded into a dark wet mess of blood and brains.

Jethro dropped the shotgun to the floor and walked to his granddaughter. The older man’s face was bruised and blood dripped down the side of his head.

“It’s better that way,” Jethro said and sat beside Lily. She leaned against her grandfather as the man patted her hair.

Max wanted to agree with Jethro, but he wasn’t so sure.

Hopefully, the cops wouldn’t see anything but the shotgun wounds on the fucker.

And if Levi were to be questioned, the man knew enough powerful people to come away unscathed.

Lily’s bedroom was quiet and the woman lay very still curled on her side in the wide bed.

She had showered, washed her hair, and dressed in jeans and a blouse before lying on the mattress.

Max had stood helplessly by—at the bathroom door as the shower ran and now at the edge of the bed.

She had cried in the shower, and it had taken every ounce of his will not to break the door down and hold her.

Now, she lay dry-eyed.

“I’m okay,” she said, her voice cracking and then grew stronger. “I promise.”

“Yeah, but it can hit you later,” Max said, sinking down to sit on the edge of the bed next to her.

She took his hand. “Thank you.”

He closed his eyes. He really hadn’t done anything except distract Chris, and it had been a group effort with support coming from her grandfather of all people.

Otherwise, Levi would have put his next bullet in Chris after shooting the guy’s ankle. Of course, Levi had put two more in Chris’ head, but those didn’t count—shooting dead bodies didn’t count.

“Should we go help your grandfather?” Max asked and linked their fingers, smoothing his own over the tops of hers. The cops had arrived and were still combing the guest house and grounds.

“You do know he is a retired judge, right?”

“Um…” Max shook his head. “I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, so most of those guys down there—if they don’t personally know him, they know of him. Besides, Roger is with him.”

Max nodded, keeping his eyes on their linked fingers.

“Today made me realize something,” she said, shifting on the bed so she could fully look at him.

“Oh?” He held his breath, his heart squeezing so tightly that he couldn’t even draw a breath.

She had every right to not want anything to do with him, he didn’t have a very good track record with her, but he wanted…no, he needed to have one more chance to show her he wouldn’t fuck this up.

Fuck them up.

“Yeah. I realized that life is short and we never know if we’re going to be here from one day to the next. I thought he was going to kill my grandfather and I couldn’t remember the last time I had slowed down long enough to have a meal with him. Thanksgiving had been the first in a long time.”

“Family is important,” he agreed.

She held his gaze. “And I didn’t want another day to go by without telling you that… I’m still in love with you.”

He was speechless for about two seconds and then he snatched her from the bed and buried his face and burning eyes into her silky fall of hair.

She held onto him, her embrace warm before she pulled away and gazed at him.

“I don’t know where this leaves us,” she said honestly.

“All I’m asking for is a chance,” he said, not above begging if needed.

“A chance for what?”

“To correct the mistake I made years ago. I love you, Lily. I want to marry you and grow old with you,” he said gruffly.

“We will see.”

Max searched her face and found hesitancy, but also love in her summer blue eyes.

He could work with that.