close to the open driver’s door. I get a quick glimpse and see the man from before, the man with the cold, dark eyes. My heart hammers in my chest. My body feels paralyzed.
The crack of gunfire splits the air and I let out a piercing scream as another whizzes by us and hits Liam's car behind me. Immediately, Liam pushes me against the car and covers me with his hard body, sandwiching me between hard metal and his protection. So many people are screaming and running. I close my eyes tightly as my heart leaps in my chest.
Oh my God, I think, frozen with terror. We’re going to die. My fingers dig into him, holding on as tight as I can as my body tries to curl into a ball. The cold wind travels beneath the open door. We hardly have any cover.
Another gunshot fires off and I can't help that my body jolts with the loud bang of the bullets plastering the car. Liam continues to shield me and I wish I could protect him. I can’t bear the thought of him being hit. Each second that passes seems like an eternity, but finally the gunfire ceases.
Liam immediately goes into action. He rolls off of me, staying crouched down.
“Get in your car and drive!” Liam orders, keeping his eyes focused ahead, looking for the target.
I hesitate, worrying about what’s going to happen to him.
Liam gestures sharply, his face twisting in anger at my hesitation. “Go! I’ll cover for you. You need to get out of here!”
“You can’t stay here!” I protest just as three more gunshots go off. I wince and duck down out of instinct. My heart can’t take this. I’m so fucking scared, I’m shaking.
Liam peeks over the hood of the car. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” When I don’t budge, he reaches into his pocket and brings out his cell. He taps the screen, speed-dialing someone.
“Zac, where are you?” Liam asks. “Yeah. We’re on South Street. Yeah. Bring heat.” He takes the phone from his ear and looks at me. “I’m going to be fine, Zac.” He cups my face in his hands. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
I stare into his eyes and all I see there is love. I can’t leave him. I won’t! “Please, I can’t do this right now,” I croak. “I need you.”
Liam shakes his head angrily. “Get in the car! Now.”
“No!” I yell, shaking. “I’m not leaving without you.” If something happens to you, I won’t be able to live with myself.
“Fuck,” Liam growls. He brings the phone back to his ear and says, “Zac, don’t come. I'm leaving with Elle… Yeah, I have to get it. I’m not gonna leave without trying to take him out.” He hangs up and pockets the phone.
“Stay here and don’t move,” he says sternly and quickly crouches down and goes to his car that’s just behind mine.
“No!” I yell out and try to reach for him, but he’s gone before I can get to him. He’s completely unprotected for the briefest of moments, but I can’t stand that he’s putting himself in danger. I think about losing the cover of the door and trying to follow him, but I feel his body slam against the back of the car, before I can move.
He comes back with a gun and cocks it. “Get in.”
I’m so fucking scared, but I do as he says. Keeping low, I climb in and crawl to the passenger seat. Another bullet hits the car and I stifle my scream.
“Keep your head down,” Liam orders, starting the car while keeping his head low. As if in response to his order, several bullets come flying through the windshield, raining glass on my head.
I cry out, my heart beating so fast it feels like it’s going to explode. Small shards of glass cover the seat and my body. I pull the sleeves of my sweater over my hands for protection. The sounds of sirens wail in the distance and I feel a moment of relief. The cops are coming.
“I won’t let him live.” Liam say, making my body chill. He responds to the gunshots with a few shots of his own. Bang! Bang! Bang! I hear someone yell something, but I can’t make out what it is. It’s so quiet now. All I can hear is my own breathing. I steal a glance over at Liam; he looks so intense; he doesn’t even look like he’s breathing. I