Killer Love

Chapter Seventeen

I take a couple of stunned steps back. "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," Harry replies. He pushes his hair back with the hand not holding the gun. "Or we wouldn't be here."

My hand instinctively reaches to the side for my own gun before I remember it's strapped around my ankle. Any sudden movement and he will shoot me for sure. I never could have predicted this in a million years. And to think, I was falling in love with this guy!

"Who are you?" I whisper. There is a pang in my chest that I can only describe as betrayal.

"You know who I am," he replies, almost urging.

I shake my head. Talk about being blindsided. "You worked for them? For how long?"

"A long time. They like us young, Y/N. I am sure you know that by now."

"Are you going to kill me?" I ask.

"That all depends on you."

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple." He cocks his head to the side, studying me. "Run away and join me."

I almost want to laugh. Is he crazy? "That is not funny. Do you know what they would do to me?"

Harry shrugs and steps closer, casually waving his gun around. "I'm being serious. We have our perks," he winks. "Don't we, Liam?" He asks in a louder voice.

My eyes scan around us. I don't see him anywhere.

Harry taps his ear. He is wearing an earpiece.

"Liam is also a part of this?"

"He has a similar job as your friend. What was his name? Oh yeah. Louis."

I stay silent, trying to figure out how to get my gun. I know it's stupid, but I turn my back on Harry. I scan any routes to escape.

Harry situates himself behind me. The metal of the gun feels cool as he runs it down my cheek. He leans in close. "I know you're getting sick of your people." He nudges me around and I comply.

Why am I not knocking him the fuck out yet? Maybe it's because he hasn't shot me even though there have been plenty of opportunities. Or maybe it is the way his green eyes are staring deeply into mine. I can't seem to catch my breath. I bite the inside of my cheek.

He leans in until there is only a sliver of air between us. "Come with me," he whispers just before softly kissing me.

My eyes flutter close. I bring my hand up to the back of his neck and press his lips closer to mine. I can almost forget where we are and how this night is ultimately going to end.

He pulls back, a little breathless. "We can still have this if you just come with me," Harry pleads. He looks sincere, but I know I can't trust him. That's why I pull my head back and head butt him in the nose. Harry grunts and drops the gun, clutching his nose. "What the hell!"

I kick the gun away from him and over the railing. I hear it clatter somewhere on the ground as I dodge around him towards the ladder. He knocks my feet out from under me and I sprawl onto the floor. The walkway clangs as my hands smack down. I'll have bruises tomorrow. That's for sure. At least now he will know who they came from.

I hop back onto my feet, where Harry is already waiting for me. I go to punch him in the ribs, but he fends off my move, gripping my arm and twisting it back.

"Ah!" I stomp on his foot and jolt forward.

He curses, letting me go free.

It takes me a split second to snatch the gun strapped to my ankle, but that's enough for Harry to whip out another one of his own.

We stand like that, breathing heavily, with our guns pointed at each other. There's blood above his lip. I feel satisfaction. Just a little. It's not enough to calm my frazzled nerves. He is better than I gave him credit for.

"I guess we're at an impasse," I tell him, my eyes fixed on him.

"Maybe a little one," he tells me. "I am only going to ask one more time, Y/N. Leave them and come to us."

I shake my head. "No."

He sighs, seeming to confirm something in his mind. "Well, if you won't come over to my side, then there's only one thing left for me to do."

I can see it in his eyes. The determination. I pull the trigger. The sound reverberates in the warehouse. I know I didn't get him though because he squeezed the trigger before I did. Too little too late. I gasp and crumple over, feeling extremely dizzy from the pain. Harry hurries to me. His pained face just won't stop spinning.

He moves the hair away from my face. "I'm sorry. This was the only way. You will understand."

At least now I won't have to choose. I'm free from the life I have always hated. Even if the only way was for the one person I love to kill me.

I feel a tear slip out of the corner of my eye and lift my hand up to touch his face just one more time. The darkness engulfs me before I get the chance. Sweet, sweet darkness.

I'm floating. Or at least, I think I'm floating. I can't really tell, but I feel weightless. Then I'm sucked under and I can't breath. I can't breath. I- I shoot straight up, clawing at my throat, gasping for air.

There's a hand running down my back and a warm voice speaking to me. "Easy there. It's okay. You're safe."

I stumble off a couch, where I was laying apparently. I cry out when I feel pain radiate around my rib cage. "Where am I?" I frantically ask. "What's going on?"

"Y/N, calm down. Let me explain," Harry says, approaching me slowly.

I throw my hands up in a warning. "Don't! Don't come any closer."

He clenches his fists, but stops walking toward me.

"I don't understand," I breathe. "You shot me. I just- I don't-"

"Look, come back on the couch before you hurt yourself. I'm going to explain everything. We don't have much time."

"Time?"

Harry just pats the spot next to him.

I ignore his offer and sit on the arm chair across from him. The pain in my side is too much to ignore. I tentatively lift my shirt and look at my skin in confusion. The only thing I see is a deep purple bruise and two small red dots that are scabbed over. Where's the bullet hole?

"I didn't really shoot you," Harry answers my unspoken question. "I just needed to make it seem that way."

"Why?"

"I have been keeping tabs on you. Not right away. I needed to make sure I wasn't paranoid, but you started to confirm my suspicions. Your parents were never home, you always seemed to be injured, you stashed knives and guns throughout your apartment. Don't give me that look. I'm very good at snooping."

I'm shaking my head, trying to process this. "But how did you know who I worked for? I could have been part of the mafia or just some psycho serial killer."

He leans back, sinking deeper into the sofa. "I had Liam run your name. Turns out there wasn't much on you. Not even your parents' names. Anywhere. It's like you came out of thin air. Needless to say Liam was very suspicious of you."

"No wonder he always gave me dirty looks," I mumble.

Harry smiles. "He can be a little overprotective. At first, I was just keeping you close to see what your plan was," he continues. "I needed to keep a watchful eye on you. To see why you were sent here."

"Did you figure out what I was supposed to?" I ask, fixing my eyes on the maroon carpet.

He doesn't reply. Instead, he walks over to me and kneels. "You're supposed to kill me."