Chapter Fifty-Three

 

Fire engines cut them off, and Paige and Terrance kept Payton between them. Not that she was really aware of them. She just wanted Luc. Between that thought and the headache from where her skull had landed between Paige’s arm and the sidewalk were all that consumed her.

People were still running past them and Paige yelled at her to stay close. Payton understood the threat; trampling deaths were common in large panicked crowds. And this was one of the busiest streets in the area. There were far more people out than she would ever have expected. But where was Luc?

She couldn’t hear anything but the roar of sirens, but she heard the gunshots.

Saw the blood bloom on Terrance’s chest. Paige grabbed for him, but was too slow and Terrance was too heavy. He fell, half pulling Paige with him. Payton dropped to her knees beside him, pulling her sweatshirt free from around her waist and pushing it against the blood stains.

Paige looked up at her. “Payton, get in the alley. Behind the dumpster. Stay there until it’s safe.”

“Wait? What are you doing? Paige?” Paige was pushing at her, but Payton refused to budge. “I’m staying!”

“Dammit, Payton! Go!”

There was a blur behind Paige and then Paige was falling, too. Straight onto Terrance. Payton screamed, the sound blending into the chaos around them.

She grabbed for Paige but the other woman was out cold.

Payton looked up at the blonde woman standing above them.

The woman had a gun, and it was pointed directly at the back of Paige’s head.