Page 60 of Claiming Liberty
Angel’s quiet, but it’s clear he’s listening, waiting for Peter to go on.
“I lied,” Peter says, his voice cracking.
I’m close now, merely inching their way while neither man seems to notice.
“IbeggedShaun Miles to get me this job. Begged him to introduce me to you.”
“Why?” Angel asks, puzzled.
Peter takes one last step toward Angel, his eyes filling with tears. “Because you murdered my sister, you son of a bitch.”
I gasp when I see Peter’s finger curl over the trigger. I don’t think. My mind freezes with fear, but luckily, my body doesn’t.
I lunge toward the gun, knocking it just before the blast rings in my ears. Pain explodes through my head, like my eardrum’s just burst, and when I cry out, I can’t hear it.
Peter shoves me, making me fly back. I land on my ass before toppling several feet down the hill. I can’t hear anything, all there is is a ringing as I force myself into a sitting position to see Angel and Peter rolling on the ground, taking turns punching each other.
Layan rushes forward to pick up the gun, her mouth moving and face red. Kingsley comes barreling down the hill, and Naomi runs to me.
She gets right in my face, her lips moving as she puts her hands on my shoulders and tries to help me up, but I shrug her off.
“He didn’t kill Beth.”
My tongue, lips, and jaw work to express the words, but I have no idea if they come out. Naomi gives me a weird look, worry in her eyes before she tries to pull me up again.
I clutch my head. Ringing. So much ringing.
“He didn’t kill Beth!” I try again.
She tugs on my shoulders, and I jerk my arms away, jumping to my feet and closing my eyes to scream at the tops of my lungs, “He didn’t kill Beth!”
I open my eyes to see everyone staring at me, even Peter and Angel have broken apart, both still on the ground with battered faces.
Layan backs up several steps, pointing the gun at the ground while Kingsley stalks over to the two men.
As Angel slowly pushes to his feet, Kingsley has to hold Peter back to stop him from lunging.
Angel walks to me and cradles my face in his hands. “Are you okay?” his lips say.
His eyes widen as he pulls his hand back, blood smeared on his palm. His gaze moves to my ear, so I touch it, wincing as it stings, and when I bring my hand in front of me there’s sticky blood on my fingers.
Angel turns to the others, his arms on me tensing. Peter’s angry mouth moves, and Layan stares at me with a sympathetic look on her face. She turns to start back up to the house, and Kingsley follows, dragging Peter with him.
Naomi looks between me and them, appearing to be pained by the decision she needs to make.
Her shoulders sag as she turns away from me and starts up the hill.
“Naomi!” I try to yell.
She turns back to me, her lips sunk into a frown. After a moment, she faces forward and joins the others.
I don’t have to be able to hear to understand what Peter said, what the others obviously agreed to.
I’m not one of them. Angel isn’t one of them. And neither of us are welcome here.
Angel turns me toward him and smooths hair back from my face. Thin lines break around his eyes as he mouths, “I’m sorry.”
If I could tell him everything I feel when I look at him, I would. I would tell him how much I’ve missed him, how safe he makes me feel. I would tell him I’m glad to be done with Peter, that if it’s between Angel and any person on Earth, I’d pick him every time.