Love Hurts (boyxboy)

Chapter 49: The only way

"That's right, he has a gun."

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"Ah, my head." Stewart groans as he slowly comes around.

'Click'

He suddenly stops when he feels the push of something into his back along with the clicking of a gun. "Don't move or I swear to God..."

"You wouldn't." Stewart dares to snigger. "Not with the children watching."

"You're quite right." Peter utters, looking up at the two children sat like two petrified dolls on the sofa. "Boys, how about you wait for your dad in the bedroom, he's on his way" The boys suddenly dash to the slightly opened door in the distance and slam it behind them. 

Peter pushes the gun a little more into Stewart's spine. "There are two bullets in this gun. One for you and one for me."

"You're bluffing. You're too weak Peter. That's always been your problem. Even back in Germany in that military mental hospital I knew then that you were weak. Letting a man walk over you like that." 

"Shut up!" Peter says, his own voice now volatile. "At least I know when to stop. At least I know when I have lost. You see Stewart, when you have nothing left to live for, death is a blessing." 

"So this is your answer. To kill us both? I didn't agree to this." Stewart protests. His voice a little more serious. 

"You don't call the shots anymore. I'm the one with the gun."

"Peter! Open this fucking door!" The sound of Josh's voice can be heard through the wood. 

"Kid's, come out. It's time to go home." Peter calls. The children cautiously open the bedroom door. 

"Callum! Liam!" 

"Dad!" The boys hear their father's voice through the closed door and quickly run to it, with Liam trying to turn the handle. "Dad, it won't open!" Liam shouts, with Callum beginning to cry. 

"Hey, catch." The boys turn to see Peter silde a key across the floor. "Push it under and your dad will let you out." 

Liam picks up the key and pushes it through the tiny gap. Soon the door is opened and both Josh and Neil literally tumble inside. 

"Dad!" The boys jump into his arms as he crouches down. 

"It's ok. I got you now." Neil says, his voice full of relief. 

Josh blindly heads for Peter and Stewart who are sat on the floor, with Peter sat slightly behind Stewart. "Peter! What the hell..."

"Stay back, I have a gun!" Peter shouts, making Josh freeze in his tracks. 

"That's right, he has a gun." Stewart says laughing sadistically, before it is again pushed into his back, making him wince." 

"Just go. All of you go. This is between Stewart and I now." Peter says. He sees Neil stand up in a hurry pulling the children along with him. 

"Come on boys. Come on Josh. Just leave them to it." Neil says as he begins to exit the flat, but when he turns back, he sees Josh not even moving.

"Peter this isn't the way. Put the gun down. Please." Josh tries to edge a little closer, but Peter shouts out once again. 

"Stay back! You both think I did this, kidnapped the kids. The police will think I did this too. But it was him... Stewart, he did it, but look where we are. My home, not his." Peter screams.

"Pete. Please, don't do this." Josh again pleads. His eyes begin to sting with tears, but the stronghold Peter has stays firm, even constricting a little around his victim.

"It has to be this way Josh. Don't you see? This is how it ends, this is the only way it ends." The grip around the weapon tightens in his other hand.

"Josh..." Neil calls out in urgency.

"I hate you! I fucking hate you!" Peter says through clenched teeth, directing his anger towards the man who took his first love away. The grips around his victim tightening at his words. "We are all guilty of this, not just me. And you?... You were meant to be my friend. If nothing else, you could have been that." Peter now shouts in Stewart's ear.

"All of you played me. And now you will feel the guilt and the pain." Then without warning...

BANG! 

There are screams as Neil pulls the children from the scene as Stewart receives a bullet through his back. He instantly flops to one side, choking blood everywhere. 

"PUT IT DOWN PETE, PUT THE GUN DOWN!" Josh shouts as he sees Peter smile as he turns the gun on himself.

BANG!