Page 48 of Grace's Redemption

Nine

GRACE

As the truck pulled away, I rolled onto my back.

My right ear hurt like hell.

I touched it and groaned.

The gunshots had ruptured my eardrum and my head felt like it was going to explode.

I looked up, through the tree branches.

Mase brought me here when we were kids. He told me nothing bad could ever happen.

“Fuck.” I said as I pressed my hand to the bullet wound in my side. The bleeding had slowed down. I reached underneath me. The bullet went straight through.

Mase shot me.

I lay in the dirt.

I held my hand in front of my face. It was covered with a slick black substance. When I heard nothing for a while, I sat up. I crawled and scooted over to the tree, the same nook we’d sat in together so many times. It shielded me from the street.

I should feel some sense of relief. Mase couldn’t kill me, but he might as well have.

I was alone.

I had nowhere to go. He may have saved me, but essentially he threw me out, left me bleeding and alone.

I dropped my head.

I was so stupid. I actually thought up until the moment he shot me, he would choose me.

He didn’t.

He shot me instead.

“Fuck him, fuck Papa Scott and the SouthEast Dragons, too.” A maniacal laugh escaped my lips.

I was pissed and in pain, but I needed to get myself together. I had to get out of here.

I pushed myself up off the ground. I pressed my hand to my side and grunted. I tested my legs and they seemed to work.

I stumbled down the hill and traversed the path back to the house.

I slipped through the back gate on the property and around the side to the garage.

Mase said to take my bike, but I didn’t think I could stay on it. I’d lost too much blood and my fingers were numb.

I grabbed the first aid kit, and threw it into the truck.

I opened the center console and the gun was still there. I pulled it out and sat it on my lap.

I looked in the back. My duffle bag and the money sat behind the passenger seat.

I breathed a sign of relief.

I pushed the button to open the garage door and started the engine.