Destiny Disrupted (There's Always Tomorrow Book 1) (24 page)
Read Destiny Disrupted (There's Always Tomorrow Book 1) Online
Authors: M.D. Saperstein
Vance is on top and finally rips the knife free from Damien’s grasp when he freezes. “Make one more move and I will gut you like a fish,” Damien snarls.
An anguished cry fills the kitchen and it takes a moment for Melina to realize that it’s her. Damien pushes Vance up off him by a different knife sticking out of the right side of Vance's lower abdomen. Damien apparently had a second knife on him and somehow got it out while he and Vance were fighting. Damien pulls the knife out as Vance falls back to the floor. The stab wound is in the lower right side of his abdomen. It’s maybe about two inches wide, but the blade is at least five inches long, and could’ve done some serious damage.
Melina screams Vance's name repeatedly as she struggles to get free. Damien climbs on top of Vance, straddling his hips. He bends over Vance, putting his knife against Vance's throat. Blood wells up under the blade.
“I think I might slowly drain you dry. But first, I'll make you watch as I fuck your girlfriend again,” Damien grunts, his face right in Vance's.
“Try it fucker,” Vance bites out.
Damien laughs. “You really want me to hurt your girlfriend, don't you? Or you just don't give a shit about her like you claim to.”
Vance then spits in Damien's face. Dayne and Ryder curse softly. Vance is really pushing it. What the hell is he thinking? Damien wipes the spit out of his face and turns his enraged face toward Melina.
“Your boyfriend just sealed your fate, Melina,” Damien says with a flat tone.
Damien pushes up to his feet, grabs Vance by his hair, and pulls him to his feet. He stumbles as Damien pulls him into the living room. Melina can't see what’s being done, but she can hear the duct tape being used.
“Melina, everything's gonna be okay, Tripp’s on his way. I called him when I heard the first gunshot,” Ryder whispers to her.
“Does Vance know?” Melina asks quietly.
Dayne shakes his head. “No, he's just lost his goddamn mind.”
“Just try to stall as much as possible,” Ryder says quietly.
Melina nods just as Damien walks back into the kitchen. He unties her and yanks her up to her feet by her arm. Then he drags her into the living room and tosses her onto the couch. Melina sees that Vance is now duct taped to the recliner, the seat swiveled around to face the couch. His head hangs forward and he’s covered in blood.
“Vance, baby, look at me,” Melina says in a small voice. She has to make sure that he’s still conscious.
Vance slowly pulls his head up and looks at her with glassy eyes. There is no emotion on his face; it is completely blank, as are his eyes. “You doing okay?” she asks him.
“Don't let him touch you again, Melina,” Vance says, his voice flat.
Melina can only nod. He’s scaring her, but he’s scared her into action. As soon as Damien tries to get on top of her, she starts kicking and punching, but Damien is stronger and is able to get her arms above her head. He is laughing the whole time, which really pisses Melina off. She somehow brings her knee up and connects with Damien's chin. When his head whips back, she pulls her foot up and smashes him in the nose with her foot. Damien howls in pain and covers his face with his hands as he falls off the couch and onto the floor, blood gushing from his nose.
“You fucking bitch!” he sputters.
“Melina! Gun! Kitchen counter! Go!” Vance shouts at her. He watches as she scrambles off the couch, jumps over Damien, and sprints into the kitchen.
Vance has taken Melina shooting a few times, and he hopes that she remembers what he taught her. When Damien realizes what Melina is doing, he stumbles to his feet. Vance is ready to yell for Melina to watch out, but Damien moves quickly toward him, turns the recliner so Vance is now facing the doorway where Melina will be coming through. Damien stands behind the chair, grabs Vance's hair, yanks his head back, and puts the knife to his throat.
Vance can feel himself slowly fading. If this doesn't end soon, he isn't going to make it. He is losing a lot of blood and is probably bleeding internally from the stab wound. Who knows what the knife hit? Vance needs to make sure that everyone else gets out of this alive. Then he can let go. Until then, he has to fight to stay conscious.
Melina comes back, gun raised. Vance smiles slightly. She is so brave. He knows that she will be devastated when he dies, but as long as she is safe, he can die happy. Melina's eyes flick from him to the knife then back at him.
“Shoot him, Melina, shoot him,” Vance says firmly.
“No, what if I shoot you by accident?” Melina asks frantically.
“What's another bullet wound? Do it Melina.”
“Put that gun down or I will slice him from ear to ear,” Damien threatens.
“Vance,” Melina says, her tone agonized.
“I love you, baby, no matter what. Do it, kill this fucker where he stands,” Vance says.
Vance closes his eyes because he just can’t keep them open anymore. He just starts to drift when a gunshot rings out. The blade that is at Vance's neck loosens then falls away. Vance's eyes fly open. Melina's eyes are wide and she is looking at the windows on her left. Vance follows her gaze to see a bullet hole through one of the windows. Vance then looks over the side of the recliner to see Damien's dead stare. He has a bullet wound to the head.
“Lina,” Vance chokes out.
Melina snaps out of her little trance and rushes over to him. “Oh god, Vance,” she cries.
“Get this tape off me,” Vance rasps.
Melina grabs the knife out of Damien's dead hand and starts cutting the tape to free him. That's when Tripp and the police burst through the front door. The pain on Tripp's face is almost unbearable to look at. He’s the one who pulled the trigger; Vance has no doubt about that. Tripp runs over and starts helping Melina get the tape off Vance. While he’s doing that, he’s looking Vance over.
“Jesus, Vance. He really fucked you up, didn't he?” Tripp murmurs.
“Tripp, I'm freezing,” Vance whispers. His adrenaline is starting to wear off and he’s going into shock. Vance starts shivering.
“Shit, he's going into shock...I NEED A PARAMEDIC!” Tripp yells over his shoulder as he grabs the blanket off the couch and puts it over Vance. “Alright, buddy. I got you, you're gonna be okay,” Tripp says.
Vance shakes his head and swallows hard. He looks at Melina. “I wish...I had more time...with you...I love you...so much...” he says through his chattering teeth.
Tears stream down Melina's face. “Don't talk like that, Vance. You’re gonna be fine,” she says and kisses him softly on the lips.
Vance shakes his head. “Not fine...”
“Don't leave me, Vance. You have to stay with me.” Melina sobs and clutches his freezing hand.
The paramedics come rushing over. Tripp scoops up Melina and takes her away. The paramedics are checking Vance out when he seizes. Vance hears Melina screaming before everything goes black and he falls into a peaceful oblivion.
The blackness that Vance is experiencing is odd. He feels so at peace. He isn't afraid of the blackness like he thinks he should be. It’s calming, and he finally feels light, like the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders. He has been so stressed and worried about the whole Damien thing. Now that it is over, he can just relax and let go. If this is what death is going to be like, then he’s fine with it.
All of a sudden, Vance feels like his whole body is being pulled. He tries to fight it, but the second pull is harder and more forceful. The third pull yanks him painfully out of the blackness. His whole body arches at what feels like electricity ripping through his chest. Vance screams in agony.
“We got him!” someone shouts over the other voices that are yelling around him.
“Officer Summers! Vance! Can you hear me?” another voice asks very close to his face.
It takes Vance a couple of tries before he can drag his eyes open. Then it takes him a minute before he can focus on the man’s face hovering over his. He knows this guy. He is the ER doctor at the hospital, has been for years. Dr. Harry Stein. He's patched Vance up growing up more times than he can count. He was also the doctor to treat Melina after her car accident. Vance gives him a faint smile. Dr. Stein smiles back and pats his cheek.
“Alright, son. You’re gonna be okay, hang in there for me. Hear me?” Dr. Stein asks.
Vance gives him a small nod. “Melina?” Vance croaks, his voice barely audible. Dr. Stein doesn’t seem to understand him.
“I’m here, man.” Mike steps up next to him then grabs his hand.
Vance looks around the room in a daze. The other three guys are there as well. Ryder and Dayne are on his other side, while Tripp is gripping onto his feet for dear life. It’s like he’s afraid if he lets go, Vance will slip back into a coma.
Vance has a completely dumbfounded look on his face. “Mike? What the hell are you doing back? What’s going on?” he asks, his panic rising.
“It’s okay, V. You’re gonna be fine. You took two bullets to the chest at a bank robbery, but your vest kept you alive. You went down hard and fast and banged your head up pretty good. A little brain bleed and a lot of swelling. The doctors decided to put you in a medically induced coma to help you heal faster,” Mike explains calmly.
But Vance just stares at him in confusion, unable to process what is happening.
“Vance?” Mike tries to get him to focus.
Vance turns to Tripp. Certainly, he will be able to explain what’s going on.
“Where’s Melina? I need to see her!” he asks anxiously. He’s about to freak the fuck out.
All four of the guys stare at him in complete bewilderment. And as if they are of one brain, they all answer in unison. “Who the hell is Melina?”
The End…or is it?
What the fuck just happened?
Want to find out the answer to “Who the hell is Melina?”
Find out in…
FATE INTERRUPTED
There’s Always Tomorrow 2
One decision can change the course of your destiny, unless fate steps in.
Add it to your TBR:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25560203-fate-interrupted
I hope that you’ve enjoyed meeting my crew. I really appreciate all of the support I’ve gotten from my family, friends, bloggers, Beta readers, and especially my readers. My stories would have never been told without all of your support and encouragement.
Special thanks to: Becca, Jill, Mara, Shannon, Melissa, Kristin, and Fabiana. My wonderful husband and mother for reading it over and over. And of course, there is Andria. What more can I possibly say than… love ya, lady!
If you’ve enjoyed my writing, I’d love for you to check out my first series that I co-wrote with (Best Selling Author) Andria Large:
Hey There, Delilah
…
Unmasking Charlotte
… and
Crossing the Line
…
For more information on future books, come find me!
M.D. Saperstein
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