DON'T BREAK THE RULES

Chapter 47 - "It's done."

"Hand me the gun, Joe. I'll let you make a decision in five minutes. After that, either she's killed or the gun's in my hand. I'll let you decide."

Joe's instinct was to instantly extend the gun forward, stepping towards Connor to hand it to him. However, it was Jamie that reached for his shoulder and pulled him backwards. He knew what was going to happen next if Connor got a hold of that gun, and neither situations were best but without this evidence, Connor could never be placed in jail.

They needed to think rationally and not with their emotions.

But Joe's eyes were completely gone, as if the soul had emptied from his body. It was simply a blank stare, listlessly trying to hand over the weapon, knowing it was going to be doomsday for the both of them. But his grandmother did not deserve this, she was innocent and Joe did not want to have her suffer more than she already had with him around.

Jamie grasped him tightly, tapping his cheek in attempt to wake him from the hole his mind had fallen into. "Look at me, we'll be okay. Do not hand over that gun, Joe."

"Clock is ticking," Connor chanted behind them, chuckling.

"Joe, don't listen to him. Please listen to me, he'll kill us both!"

"That's my grandmother Jamie." He shook his head, no strength left within him.

"I can't believe you would do this to me, Joey," his grandmother's voice was heard from the other end of the cell phone. Her breath was shaky, as she tried not to glance at the gun aimed at her. "I helped you the moment your mother passed away and I defended you to the heavens when you married Connor and extended family hated that idea. I even had you interviewed after you were fired. And for you to repay me like this?"

Joe felt his eyes swell with tears.

"I hate you, Joe."

Connor tilted his head, knowing that Joe had finally been broken down to complete ashes. Whatever Jamie said would be no longer enough and it was only a matter of time before the gun was handed to him. They had miscalculated everything—they assumed it was only them two to worry about, when Connor had already made plans of using the grandmother as leverage.

Jamie felt Joe's muscles squeeze underneath his grasp, and a moment later, Joe pulled apart, away from him. But Jamie was not going to let this be their loss; that gun was going nowhere near Connor.

He wrapped his arms around Joe, embracing him tightly. "Please Joey," he whispered right next to his ear. "Don't hand it to him. You're going to let him win. Listen," he lifted Joe's chin to meet his gaze, "we'll be fine together. Stick with me, this last stride, please."

Joe shook his head. "My grandmother."

Jamie was struggling to hold him against his chest, hoping to change his mind by reassuring that it'll all be okay, but the fact of the matter was, Joe was going to do anything not to be a disappointment to his grandmother during her dying moments. His entire life had been honed by his grandmother, and he had no idea what he would have done without her.

Hence why, he did what he had to do to make sure she survive. And if that meant shooting Jamie in the foot to disable him, then that was what he was going to do.

And that was what he did.

Jamie was refusing to let go, holding Joe in place as Connor counted down the seconds. He needed to pull apart, any way to free himself since Jamie was much stronger than him. And that was how he did it, he aimed the barrel at Jamie's foot and pulled the trigger. The bullet instantly passed through Jamie's foot and he squirmed in pain, falling onto the floor in cries. The sound instantly caused ringing in their ears, and even Connor, a few feet away, cringed.

Joe needed a few seconds to regain his balance, soon after, threw the pistol in Connor's direction. He then leaned towards Jamie, instantly removing his shirt to place pressure on the wound. "I'm sorry Jamie," Joe spoke quietly, "I needed to save her."

Jamie shook his head, but did not respond, instead growling from his aching foot that was slowly growing numb. Joe tightened his grasp, the blood soaking his shirt in a matter of seconds and his hands fully coated with Jamie's blood.

Madison leaned forward, removing her sweater to also attempt in stopping the blood. "You're going to be alright, it's not that bad, you'll be alright...keep looking at me, what did you eat today? What time is it right now? What's your name...?"

Everything in her power not to let him pass out.

But Connor didn't care about any of this. All he wanted was his plan to stay hidden, his secret to be lost in time. That was why he cleared his throat and said, "Fred, do it."

Joe's head immediately spun backwards, "Do what?!"

They heard scuffling on the phone, then there were sudden shouts from his grandmother. "Wait, I'll do anything! Please, they're going to kill me! No—!" A gunshot. They heard splatter, and then the line went completely quiet.

"It's done."