Abrupt Changes: A Second Chance Romance (O-Town Book 3) by Karen Renee (comprehension books .TXT) 📕

Jason off. He’s been watching and waiting for you to be left alone. So here we are, and Jason, now that you’ve checked the cash, you can go.”

He stood, zipped the duffel, and gave me a dead-eye stare.

“Don’t leave me with this asshole. Please!” I yelled.

He ignored me and walked out the door.

Shit.  But I still had the gun, if I could get my hand on it...

My mind raced.

Trey said, “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that if I want something done right, I have to do it myself.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, but he backhanded me so hard I fell onto the recliner. My scream startled me since I hadn’t meant to make any noise. Mom must have been sleeping without her hearing aids because I couldn’t believe she hadn’t come out here.

With my awkward fall, my purse was wedged between my body and the chair. Taking my time, I shoved my hand into the purse to wrap my hand around the butt of the gun.

Trey narrowed his green eyes at me. “Gimme your phone. You’re probably trying to call someone right now.”

I made a petulant face, so he’d think he was right. Using my free hand, I pulled the purse away and tossed it at Trey. Then I stood, with the gun in my right hand.

“Fuck off, Trey. You aren’t killing me or anybody else.”

Chapter 27

Prayer of Thanks

Raegan

TREY STARED AT ME HOLDING the gun for a beat. Then he shook his head. “Like you know what to do with that. You’ve never shot a gun in your life, Rae.”

Thank goodness, I hadn’t told him about my time with Clint.

I pulled the hammer back, the sound getting Trey’s attention.

“That’s what you think. Now sit down.”

He bent his knees as though he would sit, but then he lunged for the gun and we both went down to the floor. My palm felt like sweat oozed out of every pore, but I kept hold of the weapon. Trey had at least sixty pounds on me; I had to use surprise to get back on top of him. Only, my efforts to throw him over weren’t working. His hands wrapped around my wrist, so I threw my head forward while bringing my knee up. He dodged my headbutt. I didn’t connect very hard with his groin, but it was enough to loosen his grip on my arm.

My hand was so slick, once my wrist was free of his grip, I squeezed the trigger.

His eyes widened and he fell to his side.

Mom’s bedroom door opened. She stood there with the house phone to her ear and she yelled our address into the phone. Then, she yelled, “My daughter just shot the attacker.”

I stood up and watched Trey touch his side. “You shot me,” he whispered.

I held the gun up and pulled the hammer back again in case he tried something stupid. He looked to the ceiling and kept his hand on his side.

Mom yelled at me. “Well, put pressure on that wound, Rae.”

Turning to her, I saw she was off the phone and staring at me as though I needed to get Trey a blanket. I shot a man I used to love, and now I had to save him?

I shook my head. “With what?”

“His blazer or whatever that is on the couch there. Something, anything. I don’t care, I just don’t want him bleeding on the area rug. I actually like that one.”

“Mom! This is no time to worry about your area rug!”

The front door swung open, and two uniformed officers barged into the room with weapons drawn. I slowly lowered the gun and one of them lowered his. He moved to Trey and checked his pulse. I noticed the officer was talking to him, but I couldn’t hear what was said over the ringing in my ears.

The officer with his gun still drawn directed Mom to sit on the couch and then he ordered me to sit with her. Paramedics came into the room. Within minutes, they had Trey on a gurney to move him out of the house.

BY THE TIME THE POLICE left Mom’s, my head was throbbing as I sat at the kitchen table. Tanya pushed into the house after the ambulance left, but I had no idea where Jared and Marcus were. The police insisted she leave, but Mom wouldn’t hear of it, calling her family. Which, when I thought about it, she really was part of our family. No sooner had the officers left than Tommy Debenedetti walked in, like he owned the place.

I rolled my eyes when he entered the kitchen, but his gaze was set on Mom. She shot daggers at him with her eyes.

“You! Send your right hand to watch over us, and he lets that bastard in my house. What the hell!”

His lips formed a flat line on his face before he said, “Jason will be dealt with, Penelope.”

The sinister tone of his voice made chills race down my spine.

“I should say so,” Mom muttered.

I glared at him. “Why are you here? Just to tell us your man will be ‘dealt with?’”

He shook his head. “No. I came to make sure you were both all right, and to offer my apologies. I had no idea Jason was making moves like that.”

I held a hand up and waved it at him. “I don’t care about the politics of crime, man. Thanks for watching the house, I think. But really, now that Trey’s been arrested, we should be fine.”

“Don’t be too sure about that, mamita,” Clint said from behind Tommy.

He stood in a pair of satiny-looking black track pants and a shiny crimson moisture wicking t-shirt. Only his left arm in a navy-blue sling indicated he’d been injured. My breath hitched at his male beauty, and I sent yet another prayer of thanks heavenward that he was still alive.

Tommy shifted, and Clint sat down next to me.

“Why do you say that, Ramsey?” Tommy asked.

He gave Tommy an unhappy look. “Seems the