Page 37 of Reckless
“You crazy son of a bitch,” Phoebe screams. “You’re delusional!”
“Shut the fuck up,” Seth shouts and pulls out a gun of his own. He points it right at her, and I feel a blanket of cold wash over me at the sight of her on the other end.
I’ve never been afraid when it comes to losing my own life, but the thought of losing her? It scares me more than I ever thought possible.
“Let her go, man, and we can talk. Just you and me.” I point the gun at the ceiling. “I’ll even put my gun away if you do the same. We don’t have to do anything crazy. We can work through this. Just let her go, Seth, and we can talk about it. We’ll go somewhere else where she won’t be around. We don’t ever have to see her again.” I’m babbling now, and I’ve never babbled in my life, but I find I’m willing to say—to do—anything to save her.
Seth is shaking his head, his gun still pointed, unwavering, at Phoebe. “It’s too late for that, now, isn’t it? I tried to warn you. I tried to tell you she’d be just like Allison. If you hadn’t chased after her, this all could have ended quietly.”
I keep my gun up, unthreatening, but if he doesn’t work with me, I’ll have to get myself in the line of fire. Phoebe sees me shifting closer to her and begins to move my way in tiny, shuffling movements.
“You were just trying to protect me,” I say cajolingly to the guy I thought was my best friend. “You only wanted what was best for me. You always have. You’re the only one who has ever been there for me.”
Seth finally focuses on me instead of Phoebe. “You’re damn right I have. I’ve been there for you through everything. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be doing stunts for crap pay.”
“Because you protected me. Like you protected me from Allison.”
At this, Seth frowns. “She was going to go to the press. Tell them all the sordid details about your relationship. The stupid bitch was going to sell her story to the highest bidder. She would have ruined your shot with Arthur. She deserved what happened to her.”
“So that’s why you killed her. You rigged the accident. Made it look like I’d fucked up the stunt, and she paid the price.”
“You left me no choice. You couldn’t see how bad she was for you. Besides, even bad press is good press. All the tabloids were talking about you. Everyone in American knew your name because of me. Me. It was working. Until you met this one.” He jabs the gun in Phoebe’s direction. “If she hadn’t shown up, everything would have been fine.”
I’m nearly at Phoebe, within a few feet of her position by the couch. If I had to, I could throw myself in front of her and maybe make it in time to shield her. But who am I kidding? I may be fast, but I’m not faster than a bullet. Sweat beads on my forehead. I have to get her out of here before Seth really loses it.
“You’re a sick bastard,” Phoebe says. Her mouth. That’s going to be the end of me, I swear to God.
“You’re a good friend, Seth,” I say over her, hoping he stays focused on me and doesn’t hear her. “You were only trying to help. You were trying to scare her away with the break-in and those creepy messages.”
He lets out a relieved breath. “Yes, you understand. I knew you would. I’m just trying to think of what’s best for you. I promise it’ll all work out. You don’t need her when you have me.”
I want to think I could talk him down. He may be crazy and delusional, but he’s been my friend for a long time. But the moment Seth flicks off the safety, I know what I have to do. Before he can pull the trigger, he’s on the ground, blood and brain matter dripping from the hole in the side of his temple.
In the next moment, I have Phoebe’s shaking body tucked against my side, and I’m leading her out of the apartment before either one of us really realizes what happened. It’s as if my brain skipped over the few seconds it took me to reach her and pull her to me. As if it skipped over the fact that I just shot and killed my best friend in front of her. I’ve killed people before, but never a friend. Never someone I cared about.
She’s trembling—or maybe it’s me, but my hand is steady again when I pull out my phone and call the police. As I end the call, I press my face into her hair and try to keep from hurting her even though I want to crush her into me and never let go. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean anything I said.”
Tears are streaming down her face. “I was going to chase after you to tell you that you couldn’t leave me, but he was at the door when I opened it.”
I crush her to me. “I’m never leaving you again, I promise. I promise I won’t. You’re stuck with me.”
“It isn’t your fault.” When I don’t say anything, she takes my face in her hands. “It isn’t. He was sick. There’s nothing you could have done. You couldn’t have known. He was your friend.”
I close my eyes, trying to blot out the memory. “That’s what makes it worse. I won’t ever be able to stop thinking about him standing over you.”
She tilts my head down until I look at her again. “Then we’ll just have to make a million more happy memories until you don’t have room to think about him at all,” she says firmly.
I pull her close as sirens grow louder. “I love you, Phoebe. I don’t care what happens after this. I almost lost you. I don’t want to lose you again. Move in with me,” I demand impulsively.
“Don’t you think that’s being a little bit reckless? We’ve only known each other a few months,” she answers.
“Reckless is my middle name,” I tell her. “Now, tell me you love me, too.”
“I love you, too, Griffin,” she repeats with a smile.
Chapter Nineteen
Phoebe