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Lily screamed and shut her eyes. She heard the blast from Ray's gun as he pulled the trigger and nearly fainted, certain that Edward was dead.
Then there was a loud grunt and a woman's voice cried out. "Let them go!"
Lily opened her eyes and saw Bridget wrestling with Ray. She had pushed him to the side just as he'd fired off his gun. Lily forced her terrified eyes to look at Edward and was relieved to find him still alive. The bullet had missed him completely, though the color of his face had paled considerably. His shirt was soaked with blood around the shoulder from where Ray had already shot him.
Bridget tussled with Ray, who had her right wrist locked in his left one. His other hand still held the gun. He was pointing it at her stomach.
"No!" Lily cried and shoved him as hard as she could. He stumbled and let go of Bridget. The gun flew out of his hand and went sailing across the floor.
Edward groaned and sat up. Ray's head swiveled in his direction, and he took several steps toward the gun.
Bridget took a breath and ran back to Ray, ready to knock him down all over again, but Ray was too quick for her. He punched her in the face, sending her flying backward into the darkness and out of sight.
Edward blinked and scurried toward the gun, but he wasn't fast enough. Ray kicked him in the face and he stopped moving. Ray bent over to grab the gun, and Lily jumped on his back. She didn't even pause to think about it, acting on pure instinct.
She was doing well enough for a minute, but then Ray managed to reach behind him and yanked her hair so hard she thought it might rip from her head. She fell off him, and he flung her in the same direction he'd sent Bridget.
Her feet stumbled, and her body whirled in a wild, misshapen circle before she went sprawling on the ground. She banged her head against the cement floor and felt something pull in her stomach, as if she'd strained a muscle she'd never before realized she had.
She refused to stay down, however. She rose shakily to her feet and took an even shakier step in Ray's direction. He struck out again, this time hitting her face before moving to her stomach, where it was not just a pull she felt, but a pop. Her breath hitched in her chest and her vision blurred.
She prayed that nothing had happened to the child growing within her and opened her eyes in just enough time to see Ray kick Edward's face with the heel of his boot. Edward let out a grunt and rolled into the light, giving her a good view of his face. His eyes were red and white; she could not see his pupils.
Please God, let us get out of this and I swear to always be good to Edward and my child. To raise him or her in Your light.
She forced herself to her feet again, despite the almost mind-numbing pain in her body, and began looking for the gun. She couldn't see it anywhere.
"You think you can have my wife and my child?" Ray yelled, kicking Edward again. Apparently, with them all on the ground, the importance of the gun had fallen by the wayside.
When Ray went to kick Edward a third time, he grabbed hold of Ray's foot and pulled, setting him off balance. Ray grunted and fell over, landing on his back with a loud smack that sounding like cement breaking, though she was sure it couldn't be.
Edward rolled on top of him, his fist flying out and striking Ray in the face. Despite the injury to his shoulder, Edward struck him hard. Lily heard the sound of knuckles cracking against bone. Ray let out a horrid whining yell and managed to throw Edward off him before getting to his feet.
Lily looked around for Bridget but didn't see her anywhere. She must have made some motion that triggered Ray's attention, because his head snapped suddenly around, and he made a beeline for a dark spot on the floor. Lily looked where he was running and saw the gun. She dove for it as well. Ray got to it first. She tried to get away, but he grabbed hold of her waist and pressed the gun to her head.
"Don't move!" Ray yelled. She could feel the heat from his breath blow against her ear. The smell of the fish he'd eaten for lunch sailed up her nostrils. Her back was pressed against his chest, and he moved in a slow circle around the floor.
"Ray, please," she said. He only pressed the gun harder against her. It dug its way into her skull, and she thought that even if he did not fire, the barrel must surely leave its mark.
"Relax," Edward said, getting to his feet. "Don't do anything rash." He raised his hands in the air. She could see the fear on his face and the pain in his eyes. It was not just pain for his hurt shoulder or the many scrapes on his skin; it was pain at the thought of losing her.
"Don't you move," Ray said as Edward took a small step toward them.
Edward did as instructed; he stopped moving. "I have money," he said.
Ray's eyes opened wide. "Here? Now?"
Edward nodded. "Two hundred dollars. It's not as much as you wanted, I know, but you can take it and go. Now. You won't have to apply to my father or anyone else. Just take it and run."
Ray paused. "Give it to me."
Edward reached into his inside pocket.
"Slowly," Ray said and squeezed his arm tighter around her waist like a snake coiling around its victim.
Edward withdrew his wallet and held it up for Ray to see.
"All right," Ray paused. "Send it over."
Edward hesitated, then tossed his wallet to Ray. It missed him by a foot. Ray cursed and told Lily to retrieve it. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. He let her go but kept the gun trained on her the entire time.
Lily picked up the wallet.
"Open it," Ray said.
Lily did as he told her. The wallet was empty. Her mouth dropped open. Her head ached, and everything around her began to swim.
She shot a look to Edward. "Lily, get down!" he yelled.
From out of nowhere, Bridget appeared just behind Ray. She was holding a pipe. She struck Ray on the back of the head with it as hard as she could, and Ray went down. The gun he was holding fired and Lily's body finally gave in to the darkness that had been trying to claim her since her arrival.
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