“It’s going to be okay, I promise,” I said quickly, wanting to reassure her despite the fact that even I didn’t fucking believe it. I was lying but I knew she trusted me, and at the moment I wanted nothing more than to make her feel better. Her fear lessened a bit as she looked at me and nodded.

“Okay,” she whispered. Yet another shot cut through the air and I flinched at the sound, taking a deep breath and nodding. I started counting and her eyes widened as she clutched onto me tightly when I hit two. “Wait!”

“Christ, we don’t have time to fuck around here,” I said in frustration.

“I love you,” she choked out, the words catching in her throat and escaping as a sob. The sound of it stung, my heart aching.

“Don’t you fucking act like we won’t see each other again in thirty seconds,” I said firmly, grabbing my gun from my waistband and flicking the safety off. “Get in the goddamn car, baby.”

Emancipation Proclamation - Chapter 68 ©kha r i z zma t i k