Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4 — The Final Stand
I practically ran to Alex’s truck.
I opened the passenger door and threw the napkin on the dashboard.
"He's at Nora's apartment," I said, breathing heavily. "He has a gun. And he's planning to hit us tonight."
Alex looked at the address.
He didn't hesitate.
He picked up his phone and called Detective Reynolds.
"We have his location," Alex said into the phone. "He's armed."
We drove back to Alex’s apartment to wait.
The police were mobilizing a tactical unit.
They told us to stay put. Lock the doors. Do not leave the building.
But Victor was always one step ahead of logic.
We walked into the lobby of Alex’s building.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
The security guard wasn't at the front desk.
Alex stopped dead in his tracks.
He put his arm out, stopping me from walking any further.
"Get behind me," Alex whispered, his hand reaching for the heavy steel flashlight he kept clipped to his belt.
I held Leo tightly against my chest, backing toward the glass entrance doors.
From the shadow of the stairwell, a figure stepped out.
Victor.
He looked unhinged.
His hair was greasy, his clothes rumpled, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
And in his right hand, he held a black handgun.
"Going somewhere?" Victor sneered, his voice echoing in the empty marble lobby.
My blood turned to ice.
He hadn't waited for the night shift.
He had known Nora would betray him. He had used her to distract us.
"Put the gun down, Victor," Alex said, his voice terrifyingly calm. He stepped completely in front of me, shielding me and my son.
"You ruined my life!" Victor screamed, pointing the gun directly at Alex's chest. "I lost my job! I lost my house! My friends won't even look at me!"
"You did that to yourself," I said.
My voice didn't shake.
I was surprised by how steady it sounded.
Victor’s eyes snapped to me.
"Shut up!" he roared. "You were nothing before me! I gave you everything!"
He raised the gun, his finger tightening on the trigger.
"Now, tell your brother to step aside. Or I kill him first."
Alex didn't move an inch.
"You want her?" Alex said, his muscles tensing. "You have to go through me."
Time seemed to slow down.
I saw Victor's eyes darken. I saw his intent to kill.
I wasn't going to let my brother die for me.
I wasn't going to let my son grow up without his uncle.
I scanned the lobby.
Next to the front desk was a heavy brass fire extinguisher mounted on the wall.
I gently, quickly placed Leo inside his thick carrier car-seat on the floor behind a concrete pillar.
"Stay quiet, baby," I breathed.
I stepped out from behind the pillar just as Victor took a step toward Alex.
"Victor!" I screamed.
He turned toward me, distracted for a fraction of a second.
It was all the time Alex needed.
Alex lunged forward, moving faster than I had ever seen a human move.
He hit Victor like a freight train, driving his shoulder straight into Victor’s chest.
The gun went off.
The sound was deafening. Dust exploded from the ceiling above us.
They crashed into the marble floor.
Victor fought like a rabid animal, trying to bring the gun around again.
But I wasn't just a bystander anymore.
I wasn't the girl on the floor taking the hits.
I ran to the wall, pulled the heavy brass fire extinguisher from its mount, and swung it with everything I had.
It connected directly with Victor’s wrist.
I heard the bone snap.
Victor screamed in agony, dropping the gun.
Alex kicked the weapon across the floor, immediately pinning Victor face-down, driving his knee into Victor’s spine.
"Don't move!" Alex roared.
Victor thrashed, sobbing in pain and rage, but he couldn't break Alex’s grip.
I stood over him, holding the heavy brass cylinder, my chest heaving.
I looked down at the man who had terrorized me for years.
He looked pathetic.
Weak.
Small.
May you like
Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder by the second.
"You're done, Victor," I said quietly. "You are completely done."
