~~Young~~

Chapter Twenty

   Before he could roll his shoulders in place though there was a loud crack as Sera’s chair fell over. He spun, thinking the worst that he had missed the gun going off and someone had taken a shot. But instead he saw Jerry lying awkwardly over the downed chair, knocked out it seemed, and Sera running towards him. Sera and her gun.

   “I’ll stop you,” she gritted out then squeezed the trigger.

   In that explosion Gage heard his world shatter around him. If that bullet killed her Uncle then he couldn’t save her from hell’s depths. Murder was murder and there was nothing he could do about a conscious taking of a life. There was only one choice, one he couldn’t believe he was about to do…

   He pushed the Senator out of the way, causing the bullet to dig into his own forearm. Guess that meant that wouldn’t have been a fatal shot, but all the same it was her intent and had the blood loss killed the Senator Sera would have still faced the same fate.

   He was going to explain this to her, but when he turned around the appalled look she gave him had him faltering in his words.

   “You…you saved him…” she said in disbelief, “why would you save him?” she shouted.

   “Believe me beauty I would have rather he-” his words cut off as he gnashed his teeth together in pain. She shot him, right in the inner thigh, “if…I…didn’t know better,” he managed through tight lips, “I would say you did…that on purpose.”

   What was a surprise was that no one else was shooting. But, of course, those were the Senator’s men. Didn’t need any of their bullets being traced back to the body of his dead niece now did he?

   “Bastard,” she shot at him again, “you used me.”

    And proof that it wasn’t on purpose, that and the next shot both missed him by miles. He’d have to teach her how to aim…

   “Hardly,” he straightened out with a grimace.

   “Yes you did,” another shot in his general direction. How many rounds were in that thing anyway, eight right? So then there should be three left if there was a full clip, “I’m here aren’t I?”

   “That was your choice beauty,” he leaned on the back of the still upright chair. Sure he was immortal but it still would take time to heal.

   Another shot, two more rounds left.

   “Don’t call me that,” she said angrily.

   But there was something wrong, she was rubbing at her chest and she was starting to shake again.

   “Sera what’s wrong?” he hobbled towards her, fear creeping over him that the stress was finally getting to her, that her heart might be failing.

   Okay that one was close, buzzing by his side, but that only left one more.

   “Get away from me,” she aimed the gun with two hands now, “just…just go away.”

   “Never,” he grabbed the muzzle of the gun and aimed it at his chest, “you want me to go away then you’ll have to kill me otherwise your stuck with me forever beauty.”

   He set his gaze with hers, and in there he saw the utter betrayal plaguing her thoughts.

   But she didn’t pull the trigger.

   He wished she would have though, because her next words hurt far worse.

   “I never want to see you again,” she whispered and let go of the gun.