Page 111 of Hero Unbound
“Do it now!” Gareth screamed, cutting her off.
“All right. Just keep calm, Metter.” Theo lowered his gun to the ground then kicked it away. “It doesn’t take much to make a weapon go off accidentally if you’re not familiar with it.”
“I’m familiar enough with this that an accidental shooting won’t be a problem. Eva, walk over to me, baby.”
She couldn’t stop the sob from escaping now. Theo reached over and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “It’s going to be okay.”
She had no idea how he could look so certain.
“Don’t touch her!” Gareth took the few steps over to them then yanked Eva in front of him. “Did you really think you were smarter than me, Lindstrom? That you could come out here and use your muscles and fighting skills to take what’s mine? I don’t think so. Someone like you will never be smart enough to beat me. Muscles don’t matter.”
He took the gun and put it in Eva’s hand and wrapped his fingers around hers—just like he had with Snowflake. Then he pointed the gun back at Theo.
“Do you think I won’t be able to spin this situation to make it look like Eva shot you? She’ll have gunshot residue all over her hands, and after her accusations yesterday, no one will have any problem thinking she’s unstable.”
Theo didn’t panic. “You were at the ladder yesterday, weren’t you? You figured out about the camera and used that to your advantage.”
Gareth never hesitated to talk about his own cleverness. “Of course. Just like I was the one who set Eva’s car on fire and convinced the vet licensing board that she cheated on her exam.”
“What?” she squeaked. “You did that? Why?”
He yanked her closer. “Because you belong with me in our home. That path was trying to lead you away from us, baby. It was taking you too long to see the problem, so I helped you along.”
He’d ruined her life. Moreover, he’d convinced her she’d ruined herownlife.
Gareth was sick. Somehow she hadn’t completely understood that, even when he’d drugged her and put her in the trunk of a car.
She understood it now.
But now, it was too late to do anything about it, and he was going to kill Theo.
“I don’t know how you found us, Lindstrom, but I’ll have no problem explaining away your death, just like I had no problem making everyone else see how unstable Eva is.”
He yanked her arm straight as she tried to move the gun away from pointing at Theo. Tears fell down her cheeks. There wasn’t much time. Gareth had his plan, and once he did, he always implemented it.
“I found you, and I’ll stop you because you made the most basic mistake, Metter.” Theo’s brown eyes were steady, unworried.
Maybe Theo didn’t understand that Gareth really would kill him. Eva’s fingers shook around the gun.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
She hoped Theo would keep Gareth talking. It was the only thing keeping him from shooting Theo.
“Eva’s not alone in this.”
Gareth scoffed. “You’re not going to be enough to save her.”
“I’m not alone in this either.”
Gareth stiffened.
“Please, pretty please, can I shoot him now?”
Eva let out a gasp as she heard Lincoln’s voice a few yards away over to her side.
“I don’t think so.” A woman’s voice this time. Lilah stepped out over to Theo’s right, the gun in her hand pointed at Gareth. “If anyone gets to shoot him, it’s going to be me. And I know exactly where I’ll be aiming.” She lowered her gun to point at Gareth’s crotch.
“No, I called dibs.” Eva let out another gasp as she heard Bear’s voice somewhere behind them.