move to open it until I do it for him. He takes a quick swallow before stopping. When I turn to look at what he’s noticed, I see Delta standing there.
Shepherd pulls up his gun and shoots, but the bullet goes wide, far too wide to hit anything. He’s always so on top of his shots. He never misses a target, telling me he’s hurt worse than he’s trying to get me to believe.
I lift up my gun, but Shepherd grabs my arm. “Stop. Delta… I’ll go back or you can kill me or whatever the hell you want. But please… please don’t kill Killian. He’s not even involved in this. He doesn’t deserve all this shit that’s happening to him. So please just let him go.”
Shepherd is really willing to give up his life for me? What have I ever done to deserve that? Why does he care so much? Why is he so kind to me?
But I can’t have him sacrifice everything for me. “No, no, please. Tell Tony I know what happened to Rose if he spares us both,” I blurt out.
Delta waves at us and Shepherd tosses his gun before taking my gun and also tossing it to him. “Step apart,” he says, so we separate from each other.
When Delta walks forward, he keeps his gun on Shepherd, knowing he’s the real threat, and begins to pat him down. When he smacks his hand against the wound, Shepherd staggers and Delta yanks him back up as I quickly pull my phone out. I hold it to my side as I type in the phone number to text.
Me: I will come back if you spare Tony’s bodyguard that’s with me. The folder is listed as Downloads and made to look like a standard computer file. Inside is a list of places. He’ll probably take me to the place labeled factory.
I slip the phone into my pocket as Delta turns to face me. He walks up to me while keeping a close eye on Shepherd and begins to pat me down. He tosses the phone and my knife before opening the backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Then he gives me a shove.
“Start walking toward the road, and if either of you even act like you’re reaching for something, I’m blowing your balls off, got it?” he growls.
I slowly start walking before turning to Shepherd who is staring at me. Is he upset with me? He never asked if I knew what happened to Rose, he just automatically assumed that I didn’t know. Will he be upset with me? Call me a liar?
“Come on,” I say quietly.
Shepherd nods and starts walking. Bear seems to remember Delta so he pays him no mind as he walks between us, like we’re all good pals.
“You knew?” Shepherd asks quietly as we walk.
I nod. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell them back when he was going to shoot you?”
“I was… but you made a move first,” I say. “I don’t know, Shepherd. There was so much going on, and I didn’t know what was right.” And maybe I just never wanted to go back to my father and thought Tony’s place was just a bit better.
He glances back at Delta who waves at him with his gun. “Eyes forward,” Delta growls.
Shepherd turns his attention back to the space in front of him. “Don’t talk about it anymore. We don’t want to give him anything he can use. This is a bargaining chip. Use it to get yourself free. Don’t worry about me. I deserve this.”
What’s he talking about now? “You don’t deserve any of it. You’ve changed, remember?” Because if he truly can’t change, that means I can’t change either, and I fucking need to change. I don’t want to be the person I used to be.
Once we hit the road there’s practically a mini army waiting for us. We’re bound with ropes around our wrists and shoved into the back seat of a van. Thankfully, I’m put in second so I can lean against Shepherd, needing to feel him, needing his strength to get me through the rest of this. Bear climbs in after us and sits at our feet, unsure why we’re upset as he sets his big head on my legs and looks up at me.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper to Shepherd.
“Stop apologizing. Because if you start apologizing then I think I need to as well,” he says as he leans against my shoulder and closes his eyes.