We parked the cars several feet away so that Connor wouldn’t hear us approaching, and then we quietly stepped up to where Nikita was standing near the cottage window, staring in. She looked terrified and terrifying. It would honestly be a toss-up between Deon and Nikita to see which one of them would have their hands around Connor’s throat first.
“Nikita,” I said as I approached.
“He’s in there,” she said. “Connor’s been screaming at him nonstop. He has a gun.”
“Screaming about what?” I asked.
Carefully and very quietly, Nikita reached up and slid the cottage window up, just a crack. It was quiet enough that it didn’t seem to catch Connor’s nor Nathan’s attention, but his voice came blasting out into the quiet forest afternoon.
“Explain yourself!” he barked at Nathan. “I gave you your revenge. You said you wanted Cherri. I brought you Cherri. You said you wanted an army. I helped you draft one. You said you wanted Deon out of the picture. I had him framed. You tell me exactly why you don’t appear to have the dick to carry out any of the plans I set up for you. These are softballs, Nathan! You were pointing a gun at his face. Why didn’t you shoot? Why isn’t he dead right now?”
“I…” Nathan said. “I don’t…”
“What?” Connor said. “Oh, suddenly you don’t want him dead? What? Let me guess. He’s your brother, and you want to try to make it work? You’ve always been spineless. All I wanted was an heir that I could hand everything to. I’m supposed to give my company to you when you don’t even have the stones to step on a few people to get where you need to go? You couldn’t even make it work with that little slut, Cherri. What’s wrong? Can’t get it up?”
Next to me, Deon’s hands were balled into fists. I reached out and touched his arm, but it didn’t seem to have that much of an effect. Insulting Nathan and me in one fell swoop appeared to be something of a sore spot for him.
“We’re not in love,” Nathan said. “It just didn’t work.”
That crushed me to hear. Not that he wasn’t in love with me, but that he was aware of it too. He put so much effort into trying to keep me around just to appease his dad.
“Oh! You’re in love with the dumb one whose been following you around all this time?” he asked with a scoff. “She’s not even pretty! What’s wrong with you?”
Nikita ducked her head next to me, and I reached out and put my hand on her back. Connor was wrong, anyway. Nikita was quite beautiful. She just didn’t go for a bold and out-there look like Avery, Colette, and I did.
“She’s pretty,” Nathan grumbled.
Connor shook his head and then cocked his gun. “It’s time to end your reign of disappointment.”
Unexpectedly, Deon jumped up on the window frame and went crashing through it. He tackled Connor to the ground and started to tussle with him, trying to get the gun out of his hands.
“Go!” I screamed, and Nikita led the way to the door and through it, grabbing Nathan and dragging him out of harm’s way.
“Nikki,” Nathan said.
Nikita seemed to die at the nickname. “It’s been a long time since you’ve called me that.”
“Get him out,” I instructed.
At that moment, Connor elbowed Deon in the face, and Deon fell over to the side. He grabbed the gun and pointed it down at Deon, and Nathan went jumping into the fray, smacking his hand aside. The bullet fired but missed Deon, and soon, all three of them were going at it. It was clear that Nikita wanted to get involved, but it was too messy for her to get a clean shot on Connor, so we all sat and watched in horror as Deon and Nathan struggled with Connor to get the gun away from him.
Finally, Deon managed to hook Connor’s arm, and Nathan reached out and swatted the gun out of his hand. I rushed over and picked it up before pointing it in Connor’s direction and cocking it. Nathan and Deon backed away from Connor as I held the gun on him with adrenaline rushing through my veins.
“You are not going to torment the people I love anymore,” I said.
“Stupid girl,” Connor growled. “You’re the one who’s finished.”
He reached under an end table near where he was and pulled out another gun. He pointed it at me and fired. I froze in place, waiting for the pain of the bullet, but the next thing I felt was Deon crumpling against me. I looked down, and he was gripping his side, blood already darkening his shirt.
“No,” I huffed. “No, Deon.”
“I’m okay,” Deon said, but it didn’t seem like he was being entirely truthful.
“Deon!” Nathan barked.
“I’m fine! Stop Connor,” Deon shouted.
Connor scrambled to his feet, and though initially, The Royal Court tried to stop him, he pointed his gun at them, and they had no choice but to back away as Connor ran out the door.
Deon scrambled to his feet. His bleeding was getting worse, but he didn’t seem to care. He rushed out the door after Connor.
“Deon!” I screeched, and I started out after him. Nathan cut into my path, and I crashed into him. I tried to walk around, but he stayed in my way. “Move.”
“Cherri,” Nathan said. “I can’t let you go. I don’t have time to explain, but if he gets another chance to kill you, he will.” He yanked the gun from my hand and pushed me toward Alistair. “Get Cherri out of here,” he said, and with that, Nathan ran out the door.
I tried to run out after Nathan, but Alistair kept
