53

Adeline pulled the trigger again. 

This time, Dominic didn’t hesitate. With a curse under his breath, he pushed me aside and lunged behind the car, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. He grunted as his body slammed against the pavement, his skin scraping against the rough surface.

“God, I’m getting too old for this shit,” he muttered, wincing as he rolled onto his back. He was panting, raising his voice so Adeline could hear him. “A little warning next time, yeah? You could’ve just asked if I wanted to play target practice.”

I barely had time to react before he shot me a glance, his smirk still intact despite the situation. I just stared at him, still frozen in place.

“Now would be a good time for you to do something,” he added, obviously being sarcastic. “You know, like not letting me get shot in the face.”

I blinked, still in shock. “What the hell, Dominic?”

“You should’ve known better,” he said, rolling to his feet with surprising speed. “You can’t just stand there and expect me to take all the fun.”

His hand shot out toward me, trying to drag me behind the car too, but I jerked away.

“Don’t touch me,” I hissed, but his grin never wavered. He was enjoying this, every moment of it like the playful bastard he was. 

Adeline stepped forward, her gun still trained on me. Without a word, she side-stepped around me with a smooth, almost casual motion, effortlessly making her way closer to Dominic's hiding spot. Her gaze flicked to me, then back to the space behind the car as she positioned herself in front of me, her body language calm, almost too much with that weapon she had in her hands. 

"How've you kept up with him all these years?" she whispered, voice low and almost teasing, like she knew something I didn’t.

I glared at her, trying to make sense of the situation, but before I could say anything, Bunny's voice boomed from behind us.

“Hey, Adeline!” He was already halfway up the porch, climbing the steps with his usual laid-back swagger. “Make sure Dominic’s blood doesn’t get on the car, alright? If it does, I’m grabbing another gun and I’m coming after both of you!” He tossed the words over his shoulder with a laugh. “I’ll make it a family affair!”

Adeline muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. “Okay, pops.”

She rounded the car, her gun still firmly in hand, scanning the area for Dominic. I watched her as she ducked to look for him under the car, but Dominic was nowhere to be seen.

“Dominic?” Adeline called out, her voice sharp and growing impatient. She cocked her gun again, rising to her full length, turning in a spot, searching for him. "I know you're still here, you coward."

I watched her, still frozen in my spot. 

Adeline's frustration built when Dominic didn’t respond. She stomped her foot once, spinning back toward the car with a snarl. "Where the hell did he go?!"

I could barely hold my ground, still processing the craziness of everything happening around me. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approaching made me tense. Bunny had reappeared from inside the house, a teasing smile on his face.

"Well," he said, flashing a grin, "looks like you're not dead yet. You might wanna get inside before she shoots you by mistake. Wouldn't be the first time." 

I didn’t hesitate. Without a second thought, I rushed up the porch, following Bunny inside to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Inside was much warmer than I anticipated. As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, the unmistakable smell of burnt banana bread hit my nose, making my stomach turn. It was oddly comforting, in a strange, unsettling way. Bunny was nowhere to be found, but I could hear the clatter of things being moved around somewhere deeper in the house. Right, I thought, we just barely escaped a police chase, with his daughter outside, hunting Dominic down with a gun—and his next logical move? Go back to baking or, in this case, checking on his burnt banana bread.

I heard him cursing from somewhere in the house, while gunshots continued on the outside. Once. Twice. Thrice. Each one caused me to jolt as I crossed the living room to settle on one of the couches. 

The couch was surprisingly soft once I climbed into it but it didn’t help with the soreness in my bones. From somewhere in the house, soft music played on a really low volume, and a Television was on, a really gory episode of walking dead being played on mute. I leaned back, wrapping my arms around my legs and pulling them to my chest before propping my chin against my knees. My exhaustion soaking into my bones, not only causing me to shake and quiver but also to feel so dizzy like I was going to pass out. 

Each gunshot from outside caused my head to thump with ache. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the noise away, when Bunny appeared in the doorway, carrying a steaming mug of tea on a coaster. He walked toward me, his usual nonchalance grating against the tension in the air.

"Here," he said, handing me the mug. "And if you don’t want to get shot by Adeline, you might wanna take those boots off the couch."

I glanced down at my feet, realizing I hadn’t even noticed I had them up. Slowly, I lowered them, my fingers trembling as I took the mug from him. It was warm, the steam rising and carrying a faint herbal scent that offered some comfort. I held it tightly, trying to ground myself in the moment, but my mind kept drifting back to everything happening outside.

Bunny leaned over to grab the remote from the side table and flicked the channel to the news. Just as he did, the door burst open, and Adeline stormed inside, breath coming in heavy gasps. Dominic followed closely behind her, his face pale, a cut on his head that was still bleeding, dripping blood onto his clothes. He didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he just didn’t care.

"Well, look who made it back," Adeline said, poker-faced.

Dominic just smirked, wiping the blood from his forehead. "Survived 'cause the bullet ran out, not 'cause you weren’t aiming right," he quipped, but even I could hear the strain in his voice.

His words were as sharp as always, but I could see through the cracks in his facade. The exhaustion in his eyes, the way he swayed slightly as he moved, his hand pressed against his head to stop the bleeding. The blood continued to drip, but he didn't let on just how much it was affecting him. It was all just a cover, a mask he wore to hide how much he was really hurting.

I watched him for a moment, my stomach tightening with the knowledge that he was trying so hard to pretend like he was fine. He wasn’t. But he wouldn’t let anyone see it. Not even me. And that made me wonder just how long he’d been hiding this kind of pain.

I pushed myself off the couch, my legs trembling beneath me as I carefully placed the mug of tea on the nearby stool. Every muscle in my body screamed for rest, but I couldn’t ignore the sight of Dominic swaying on his feet, blood still trickling down the side of his face.

Bunny, now seated comfortably in an armchair, had his attention fixed on the television. The news anchor’s voice filtered through the air, reporting something about a couple on the run, though I couldn’t make out all the details. Bunny barely glanced at me, his laid-back demeanor still intact as if the chaos outside were nothing more than a passing storm. Adeline’s gaze flickered briefly to the TV before she disappeared into another room, her movements quick and deliberate.

Dominic’s smirk widened as I approached him, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re about to fuss over me,” he teased, though his voice was strained. “I’ve had worse, you know.”

“Sit,” I ordered, ignoring his sarcasm. My voice was steadier than I expected, but my hands trembled as I gestured toward the chair behind him. “Let me see your head.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly considering another smart remark, but I cut him off with a stern glare. “Just stop, Dominic. You don’t have to lift my spirits when yours are drowning.”

His expression faltered for a moment, the playful mask slipping as he let out a quiet sigh. “Fine,” he muttered, slouching into the chair. “But for the record, I do feel like shit.” His lips twitched into a half-hearted grin, but I shot him a look that silenced any further teasing.

I grabbed a clean towel from the side table and knelt before him, my knees pressing into the hardwood floor. The faint hum of the television droned on in the background, snippets of the news report catching my attention despite my efforts to tune it out. Words like police standoff and armed suspects made my stomach churn, but I forced myself to focus on the task at hand.

“Look at me,” I said firmly when Dominic’s gaze drifted toward the screen above my head. “Forget about that for now.”

He hesitated before meeting my eyes, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as I dabbed at the cut on his forehead. The bleeding had slowed, but the wound was deeper than I’d expected, and I winced at the sight of it.

“You’re not half bad at this,” he murmured, his voice softer now. “Maybe you missed your calling as a nurse.”

“Shut up,” I replied, though my tone lacked any real bite.

As I worked, the sound of footsteps echoed through the house, and Adeline appeared in the doorway, a first-aid kit in hand. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the scene—me kneeling in front of Dominic, my hands carefully tending to his wound.

“Seriously?” she scoffed, setting the kit on the table with a loud thud. “How the hell did you two even manage to get involved with the police?”

Dominic opened his mouth, no doubt ready with a witty retort, but I cut him off with a sharp look. “Not now, Adeline.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, but didn’t press the issue. Instead, she folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe, watching us with a mix of curiosity and exasperation.

“You’re welcome for the first-aid kit, by the way,” she added, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Thanks,” I muttered, not looking up from my work. “Now, unless you’ve got something helpful to add, maybe give us a minute.”

Adeline rolled her eyes but didn’t argue, muttering something under her breath as she stepped back into the hallway. I exhaled slowly, the tension in my chest easing slightly as I turned my attention back to Dominic.

“You’re lucky,” I said quietly, meeting his gaze again. “If that bullet had been an inch closer…”

“But it wasn’t,” he interrupted, his voice low but steady. “So stop worrying about what could’ve happened.”