Page 56 of Burnin' For You

“Not Hannah. Not CJ. Not Kate or Jed or—”

“Listen, Patrick,” Reuben said quietly. “We both know that Gilly isn’t a part of this. If you need justice, do what you have to, to me, but let Gilly go—”

“I don’t think so, Reuben.”

Patrick started backing toward the door, and Reuben inched forward.

“Get back!” Patrick swung the gun at Gilly. “Both of you. Or I shoot her.”

Reuben went completely still, everything shutting down to a cold halt. He looked at Gilly, the way she paled, the shaking of her hands.

Why hadn’t he listened to Gilly’s warning on the road?

Reuben fought for a breath through his constricting chest, only finding it when Patrick turned the gun back on him.

Gilly, however, was shaking her head in a sort of crazy disbelief. “No!” She took another step toward Patrick. “Please, Pat—”

And that’s when Patrick took his eyes off Reuben.

It was all Reuben needed. He lunged at Patrick, intending to slap the gun away.

The carpet caught him, and he tripped. Patrick turned back, brought the barrel up—

The shot exploded nearly in Reuben’s ear.

Something shattered behind him, heat and searing pain burning in his skull.

Gilly screamed as he fell. Fire lacerated his head, and he slapped his hand to the heat, seeing shades of gray. He landed hard on the floor, dizzy. When he pulled away his hand, it came back slick and hot.

Bloody.

“You shot him! Oh my gosh—you shot him!”

But even as the world tilted, he saw—what? Gilly leaping at Patrick, the bear spray out, full throttle. Patrick threw his hand up to protect his face against the blast, screaming.

Then before Reuben could get up and tackle him—before he could even find his feet—Patrick twisted the gun around and clipped Gilly against the head.

She dropped like a cannonball, the spray canister flying out of her grip.

Patrick stumbled back, coughing, spitting, words issuing from his mouth about Gilly, the lot of them. He made it to the door. “It’s better this way, anyway. Burn both of you—all of you—like they did.”

Then he slammed the door behind him. Locked it from the outside.

“Gilly!” Reuben wanted to get up, but his legs wouldn’t move right—and the entire room was spinning.

He held the floor as it swayed, and tried to make his way to Gilly.

But she’d come to life, pushing herself up, crawling to him.

Patrick had cut her, bloodied her cheek. But she seemed to ignore it, catching Reuben as he tumbled forward.

He closed his eyes, felt like half his skin had peeled from his head, heard ringing in his ears behind her voice and the sound of a zipper.

Then something soft pressed the wound.

He yelped.

“Sorry.”