Chapter 314: Saved At Last

Holly’s POV

The shot cracked through the room like a whip. For one terrifying second, everything froze…my breath, my heart, the air itself.

Then Rachel staggered backward, eyes wide with shock. Blood bloomed across her stomach, soaking her fancy blouse in seconds. She crashed to the floor, clutching the wound like she could hold her insides together.

The guy with the yearning eyes…the one who’d been staring at her like a lost puppy the whole time…panicked hard.

His gun clattered to the floor as he screamed and staggered back. Both hands shot straight up above his head.

“Oh my God, this can’t be happening. I didn’t shoot her! I swear! She was struggling so much…her hand hit the gun…it just went off! I didn’t do it! Please! I love her. I can’t hurt her!”

“Hands where we can see them!” An officer screamed and he raised his hands higher in surrender.

Rachel was gasping on the ground, blood bubbling between her fingers. “I… I can’t die like this,” she wheezed, voice thin and desperate. “David is mine… the Millers are mine… I’m unbeatable… I’m… unbeatable…”

Her words got weaker, wetter. Her men didn’t even try to fight anymore.

Cops swarmed them, cuffing wrists, reading rights, dragging them out one by one.

Paramedics burst in right behind the officers…bright uniforms, urgent voices, oxygen mask already in hand.

They dropped to their knees beside her, pressing gauze, calling out vitals. In seconds they had her strapped to a stretcher, mask over her face, wheeling her out fast.

The doors slammed behind them and the room went strangely quiet except for the low buzz of police radios.

I was still tied to the damn chair, wrists raw, heart hammering. Tyler was finally cutting the ropes, but he was moving too slow for my liking.

“Hurry, Tyler!” I snapped, voice cracking. “I need to make sure David is okay.”

Tyler paused, knife in hand, and gave me this look… half-exasperated, half-soft. “You just had a near-death experience, Holly. And the first thing you can think about is David? Aren’t you even worried about yourself?”

I closed my eyes, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Untie me first. Please. Then lecture me.”

The second the ropes fell away I was on my feet…wobbly, sore, but moving.

David was already free, rubbing his wrists, eyes locked on me like I was the only thing in the room.

I ran straight into his chest. His arms wrapped around me so tight I could barely breathe, but I didn’t care. He buried his face in my hair, shaking.

Justin crashed into us a second later, arms around both of us, full-on crying like a baby. “You’re both okay… you’re both okay…” he kept repeating, voice thick.

David blinked hard, fighting back tears. He looked over my shoulder at Tyler and mouthed a silent “thank you.”

Tyler just nodded once, serious, like he understood everything without words.

I pulled back just enough to look at Tyler. “Thank you for being here. I really thought you’d already left with your fiancée.”

He gave me that half-smile I knew too well. “Have you forgotten we made plans for a little date today? Couldn’t leave my favorite pain-in-the-ass fake girlfriend hanging.”

I smiled through the tears I didn’t even realize were falling. “Thank you.”

Justin got pulled away by officers for questions, leaving just me and David in our little bubble for a minute.

I stepped back, crossed my arms, and faked the biggest pout I could manage even though my ribs hurt like hell.

David’s face dropped. “Holly… baby, I’m so sorry. I yelled at you. I didn’t know you were buying time. I thought you were just… I don’t know, making it worse. I was scared out of my mind for you.”

I kept the pout, tilting my head. “You raised your voice at me. In front of everyone. While I was trying to save your ass.”

He stepped closer, hands gentle on my waist. “I know. I was an idiot. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Groveling. Flowers. Whatever you want. Just…stop looking at me like that. It’s killing me.”

I let the pout crack into a tiny smile. “You’re lucky I love you, idiot.”

He pulled me in again, forehead resting against mine. “I love you more than anything…more than I ever thought I could love anyone. Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“I’ll try not to,” I said playfully.

“How did you call for help? I thought your phone was destroyed?” He asked.

I lifted my smart watch to his face with a big grin. “I didn’t even realize I had it on. It could have saved us all this drama. But then again, I was unconscious until you got here,” I explained.

“You were so brave, Holly,” he whispered and dropped a kiss on my forehead.

Then he gave me a thorough look, examining my body for injuries. “Does it hurt anywhere? Should I take you to the hospital?” He asked with so much concern in his voice.

Before I could reply, one of the officers cleared his throat. “We’re going to need all of you to come down to the station for questioning. Statements, evidence…the works.”

David stiffened against me. I felt every muscle in his back go tight. I slid my hand into his and squeezed.

“Hey. I’m right beside you. We can do this. Together. Okay?”

He exhaled, nodded, and kissed my knuckles. “Together.”

Justin jogged back over right then, looking drained but relieved. Tyler dangled his keys. “I’ll give you guys a ride. My car’s right outside…no press yet.”

We piled in…me in the front passenger seat because Tyler insisted I needed the legroom after everything. David sat behind me, hand resting on my shoulder the whole time like he was scared I’d disappear. Justin took the back too, still sniffling every few minutes.

As Tyler pulled away from the chaos, I remembered.

“Wait…Kayla never picked up when I called her earlier. Have you heard from her?”

Tyler’s hands tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles went white. He didn’t look at me. “I was with her earlier this morning. Someone broke into her place. She checked my dashcam and saw someone I suspect she knows. The second she saw the person… she started panicking. Wouldn’t tell me anything. Just got super unsettled, grabbed her keys, and drove off. I tried to stop her, but she was bent on leaving. Said it was important.”

My stomach dropped. Kayla? Panicking? Driving off without a word? What could be so important? Did something happen to Caden?

Who the hell was that figure? Someone she owes? Who could have broken into her place? What did they want?

I stared out the window, heart racing all over again. Was she okay? What had she seen that scared her that badly?

I didn’t know. But something in my gut told me this wasn’t over. Not even close.