I make out the faint boot prints on Ren’s stomach in the dark.
Ren wouldn’t know yet. I’ve done nothing but google babies and pregnancy shit for the last three weeks since I wasn’t doing anything else. But the possibility of her losing another baby because of him? Our baby? I swallow hard and try to focus.
“She’s damaged goods, Chase. How could she make you happy when she couldn’t even keep her small-dick husband happy?” She giggles, holding her finger and thumb up a few inches apart. “Seriously. So small.”
“Fuck you,” Luis yells back, still trying to get away again. “You liked my dick when I put it in your bitch ass! You fucking screamed for —”
Julie pulls a gun out, pointing it at him, which means also at me. “Back up, Chase. I’ll take care of this, of you. This will look like domestic violence turned murder/suicide. Everyone will believe her half-pint, loser hubby ended her life, and killed himself so he wouldn’t go back to jail. It’s the perfect cover up. After that, you’ll be with me, and no one will remember her.”
“Fuckin’ let me go, motherfucker! I’m gonna fuck her up so bad! My boys are gonna—!” Luis tries to punch me in the side so I head but his already broken nose. He screams like a child, but at least he stops talking. My attention goes back to Ren and Julie, but before I can do anything, Luis gets an arm free and that asshole punches me in the side of the head. “I said I’d fuck you up, stupid white boy!” he slurs and spits blood.
Luis pushes me backward before pulling a gun out of the back of his pants and leveling it at Julie. If Ren wasn’t right there in the line of fire, I’d let the two of them have their little cowboy stand-off. But Luis has a broken nose, and a swollen eye. There’s also a chance he’s on something. No way he’s that good of a shot.
Fuck.
Pongo steps next to me and I command him to heel, not wanting him to get hurt trying to be the hero. It’s hard to explain that to a dog, but hopefully he gets it. I take a deep breath and do what I do best. Act.
“Baby, you’re so right. It’s our time. Yours and mine. Together.”
She almost looks away from Luis, but stops herself. Her face twists again as reality slips back in for a split second. “Do you think they’d give me a medal for killing him? A shitty drug dealing wanna-be gangbanger who can’t even get it up?”
“What?” Luis and I ask together.
BANG!Blood splatters over Pongo and me as I scramble backward.
“Jesus fucking Christ!” Luis and I stare at each other. He’s coughing up blood as he moves his bloody hand away from his chest and falls to the floor. “Holy shit! Julie! Julie, we…we have to get out of here. We have to go before anyone else gets hurt!”
She holds the gun to Ren’s head. “She called the cops on us, baby! She’ll tell them everything and they’ll take me away from you again.”
“No, no, she won’t. She never called the cops. Why would she? The cops don’t listen to her, they never have. We’ll get her to sign Lawson’s contract, he’ll give her the money, and she’ll disappear. We’ll be free.” I lay it on thick, even though my voice shakes. She shot Luis; she’ll shoot Ren.
“We already tried that—it didn’t work. She’s too much of a hard ass cunt while all I tried to save your career.” She lowers the gun to Ren’s stomach, pushing the muzzle hard against her. Ren flinches, but Julie just throws her head back, cackling. “Besides, Rich won’t be able to give her that money anymore, if he ever had it. Unless they’ll accept a DNA sample for a signature at the bank.”
“What?”
“I killed him! Anyhow, she had her chance. A hundred grand would have bought her dumb Mexican ass a nice little hacienda in her home country and have her set for life.”
“I was bornhere,you stupid white bitch!” Ren snarls.
“Illegally, I’m sure! Now shut up! You stole him from me, and now I’m going to kill you for it.”
“He’s never been yours.”
“Renate!” I doubt she hears me over her own rage.
“He’s mine!” Julie shouts back. “We had something together! If those fucking security guards hadn’t taken me away like I was some kind of threat.”
“You have a fucking gun! You are a threat!”
“REN! Seriously!”
“I can’t help it!” Ren shouts back at me. “She’s a fucking idiot!”
CRACK!Julie smacks the side of Ren’s head with the gun and Ren drops to her knees. “Don’t talk to him like that. Don’t talk to him at all!”
I watch her face contort as she stares at Ren. This is my chance. I lunge forward.
CHAPTER41
