DON'T BREAK THE RULES

Chapter 46 - Better than him

"It started years before we even met, Joe. But he got engaged, and I kept our relationship a secret and he did not like that. Then he got married, but it never stopped and we would see each other as often as he would see his wife. I thought with you, my love for him would die down but it never did. But I did love you, Joe. You were one of the—"

"Save it," Joe waved his hand dismissively. "You ruined my entire life. You never loved me, you loved yourself way too much. You're a demented freak and you do deserve to die! You killed way too many people to be forgiven. But not by you," Joe finally stood and leaped in front of the pistol Jamie held. "Jamie, look at me."

Jamie was struggling to even breathe, but when Joe stepped in his line of view, he felt as if his airway suddenly opens wide. "You're still young, you have an entire life ahead of you. You're not like him, you don't deserve to get your hands dirty and take someone's life. Let the police take him—I recorded everything."

"That's not enough," Jamie shook his head, wanting to press the trigger. "He took everything from me, Joe. Everything..."

"He didn't take me away from you," Joe forced a smile. When Jamie met his gaze, the way Joe stared at him made his heart warm the same way it had the time they made love.

But he had done wrong. "I used you, Joe. You were just a pawn in my plan, I used you—"

"When we made love," Joe reached for his chest, slowly placing his fingers and feeling Jamie's muscles stiffen for a moment before falling completely at ease. "It meant something, didn't it? You felt something." When Jamie slowly nodded his head, Joe noticing the blue eyes slowly regaining their light, he smiled again, "Then let's hold onto that for now. Let's call the police and show the recordings okay? You've been through so much and you're better than him."

"The police aren't going to do anything—"

"Regardless, we don't know that. And if that happens, then we can take matters into our own hands, but you're better than he ever will be!" Joe reached for the gun and slowly felt Jamie's hold begin to loosen. "We can solve this together, I promise."

Jamie could barely see Joe through the tears blurring his vision and he whispered in a shaky breath, "You promise?"

And Joe repeated. "I promise."

Slowly, Jamie's grasp on the gun slowly released enough for Joe to grab it from his reach. There were a few seconds of silence, until they both sharply turned their heads when they heard clapping.

"Bravo," Connor snorted. "Magnificent. Wonderful, so cute and admirable. Too bad it's too late."

Joe frowned. "What do you mean?"

"My cell phone will ring any moment now." A smug smirk pulled his lips, and he waited, tapping his foot for a few seconds before his cell phone went off.

Jamie was alerted, stepping forward. "Don't put your hands anywhere we can't see—"

"Relax," he breathed, such ease in his tone. "I'm just reaching for my cell phone, it's no big deal." When he finally pressed the answer button, he placed it on speaker. "Is it done?"

"Yes."

Joe inhaled a sharp breath when he heard his voice.

It was Fred.

Connor chuckled. "Can we hear her?"

There was a scuffle on the other end, but all four of them heard the elderly woman's voice.

"Joey? Joe, are you there?" Joe's entire face drained of its colours, his mouth falling open. "Joe..."

"Grandma?" That was the only thing he could get out through the lump that formed in his throat.

Her voice had been frail. "Joey...what have you gotten yourself into?"

"You took his grandmother!" Jamie shouted in disbelief.

"Grandma," Joe raced forward and ripped Connor's cell phone from his grasp, tightly squeezing his ear against it. "Grandma, where are you?!"

The panic settled in, realizing what was going on. "I'm not sure...he has a gun aiming at me. What have you done, Joey?"

Joe's eyes instantly met the cocky ones of Connor and the moment he saw the amusement behind them, he directly took aim at Connor's forehead. "You let her go."

"Here are the conditions to that happening—"

"I said you let her go!" Joe screamed, his throat feeling as if it was tearing open from the yelling. "She hasn't done anything to you, she doesn't deserve this, she's old Connor."

"It doesn't matter," Connor shrugged his shoulders. "Obey me and she'll survive. Now hand over the gun."

"No," Jamie spoke. "Connor don't do it. He'll kill us both."

"Hand me the gun or your grandmother dies."