I've got you

I've got you
Raelynn's POV

My bare feet slowly pad against the cool, hardwood floor of Kieran’s apartment. Eyes locked on the door, I back quickly into Kieran’s room.
The tremble in my hands is obvious as I close the door, flicking the light off before engaging the lock with a soft click to continue tearing at the edge of this packaging. Each pull on the seal sends a ripping sound echoing through the room as the panic begins to unravel my psyche.
Kieran’s still lying, unblinking and unmoving on the floor next to his bed.
My phone sits beside him, the screen completely void of notifications.
I don’t know how much more my heart can handle when the sound of wood splintering has me stifling a scream.
Memories of that night begin to invade my mind, and no matter how hard I try to shake them; I can’t.
“Key,” I take a deep breath, lining up the nasal spray with his nostril. “Please…” The word falls from my lips in a choked gasp as another kick lands to the front door.
The silence that surrounds me at that moment was all-consuming. A slight ring in my ears built as my eyes shifted around the room frantically.
Why does this always happen? Why couldn’t I get out of my head like a normal human being and figure out what to do next?
It feels like I can’t move… I can’t think. It’s the same as that night… When I couldn’t save her.
I haven’t been able to save anyone that I love and here I was, about to lose it all. Again.
Those men outside are here for Kieran, but who knows what they might do when they find him like this, and me… Alone.
“No,” I hiss, my fingernails curling into my palms until my knuckles ached from the force.
I refuse to give up. Kieran needs me. Cae still needs me.
And I don’t want to die.
The realization hits me like a freight train, and I’m back on my feet, rushing over to Keiran’s nightstand. My fingers dig through an array of random junk, realizing there is no gun.
I know he’s got one in here….
Reaching beneath the drawer, I swipe along the underside, nearly crying out in relief when the cool bite of a metal barrel sends a chill through my arm.
I don’t have time to worry about whether or not it’s ready to use when the front door sounds as though it’s thrown across the living room of the apartment.
I’m behind Kieran before I realize what I’m doing, looping my arms under his to drag the two of us into the closet. It’s got a sliding door that rattles against the rails as I struggle to get Keiran’s massive limp frame inside.
The door slides closed with a soft scraping sound that has me holding my breath.
In the darkness, my eyes bounce between the door and Keiran. He hasn’t woken up, and I silently curse this stupid town. I could call the police, but the moment my father got wind of where the call was from, he wouldn’t waste his time rushing.
We would be dead before he showed up anyway.
Pulling the gun from my waistband, I fight my nerves, wrapping my hands around the grip. It’s heavier than I expected, and the weight of what I can do with it makes my arms shake.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I can do this. I might not have to use it. Those men… They might not even look in here.
Wishful thinking has never gotten you anywhere, Raelynn.
A crash has me jumping, bumping my knee into the wall of the closet with a silent curse as I steady the gun, aiming towards the door.
“Did you hear that?” the less deep voice hisses.
“I’ll never understand how you got this job, you twat,” the other man mutters.
“You’re a dick, you know,” the first guy huffs, and I hold my breath when they wiggle the handle of Kieran’s bedroom door. “They said he’d be on the brink of death, not up moving around.”
Wait, what?
Bzzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzzz.
“You don’t have to give me that look,” the first guy snarls, and the sound of wood splintering has my vision blurring. Scooting back as far as I can, I feel the warmth of Kieran’s body against me, but it does little to calm me down.
“I’m sorry, Key,” my voice is barely above a whisper as I lean into his chest. The slight rise and fall give me hope, but it’s short lived when the door slams against the far wall, signaling the entrance of his father’s men.
The gun feels heavier now as I raise it, aiming it at the door. The darkness makes it hard to follow the shadows as they move into Kieran’s bedroom, and the thought of aimlessly shooting at an actual human being makes me sick.
My face burns in thin tracks where my tears refuse to stop, and snot drips onto my upper lip.
Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
“What’s this?” the first guy chuckles, “Seems like we might have been right all along. The boss said she came in and never came out.”
The hairs on the back of my stand up, but acceptance for what’s about to happen washes over me.
Kill or be killed.
Was this how my mother felt? Did she wake up and stare into her killer’s eyes before she died? Did she wish she had the means to protect herself?
Did she feel alone?
“A two for one,” the second guy chuckles, the sound sickening. “Should we have a little fun with her before bringing her in?” The deep timbre of his voice has goosebumps spreading across my exposed skin.
“Come out come out wherever you are,” the first guy sing-songs. “We know you’re hiding,” I hear a quick movement and the ripping of covers. “We just want to have a little fun, sweetheart.”
“Break that,” the deeper voice hisses. “It’s grating on my nerves.”
What I assume is my phone slams against the closet door, making the gun fall from my hands with a harsh thud. I hold my breath, reaching down slowly as the burn from lack of oxygen slowly overtakes my chest. For a moment, the silence was back. The sound of my heart thundering in my ears was the only sound I could hear as I repositioned the gun in front of me.
Their heavy footsteps pressing against the hardwood flooring caused bile to lurch in my throat.
This close, I can smell the scent of nicotine seeping through the crack. I can hear the low, raspy breaths of one of the men.
I can feel the resolve that I thought I’d found earlier slipping.
Black gloved fingers curl around the door, and with a sharp inhale, my index finger hovers over the trigger, but my body stiffens when I feel warmth pressing into my back.
Kieran’s hands wrap around mine on the gun, his finger sliding overtop of mine and forcing it against the trigger.
“I’ve got you,” the raspy whisper of his voice has me choking on a sob, when the door rips open, and the deafening sound of the gun going off makes my vision go blurry.