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But right in that moment, he knew if the other guy died, he’d never forgive himself, and that he would actually miss him.
Using his belt, he tied the asshole’s hands behind him and grabbed the gun, putting the safety on. Then he drew his phone out of his pocket as he rushed to Webb’s side. Aimee already had her top off and had it bundled up and pressed it into Webb’s chest.
“He’s still breathing. There’s still a pulse. We need an ambulance here. We need to save him!” Aimee cried.
He called for an ambulance first, explaining the details and that they were going to need a helicopter. Then he called Branson next.
“Ammo, I didn’t expect to hear from you so quickly.”
“A guy just confronted me with a gun. He shot my workmate, and now he’s lying unconscious with my belt around his wrists. Will send you our location. Need you here.” And then he ended the call without saying goodbye. The only reason he’d called Branson was because he didn’t trust local cops with this.
Aimee was trembling, her breath coming in fast pants as she held her sweater to Webb’s chest.
“Is he going to be all right? Just tell me he’s going to be all right.” Her eyes were wide as she stared up at Ammo.
He moved her hands gently away and took over. “He’s going to be fine, baby.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
“Who is that guy? He was sending you threatening letters? Why did he come here with a gun?”
“He blames me for having spending the last ten years in jail, apparently. Back when I was in bond enforcement, I tracked him down and brought him back to jail. He used to beat his wife.”
“Oh my God,” she said, glancing over at him. “Well, he deserves everything he gets.”
“He did, but he doesn’t seem to think that. Seems he’s spent the last ten years stewing on what happened and blaming me. He tracked me down here after he saw that footage of me rescuing you from the fire. Not sure how he found us here. Maybe he followed us yesterday?”
“Asshole. Oh God, Webb. Please be all right.” She let out a sob.
Ammo needed to distract her because he couldn’t really comfort her right now.
“By the way you’re in big trouble for coming up behind him with a plank of wood when you should have hidden.”
She just stared at him. “Why would I hide while you were in danger?”
“To keep yourself safe.”
“But I don’t want to keep myself safe if you’re at risk,” she said. “Because my life would mean nothing without you.”
Fuck.
“For the first time in my life, as he held that gun on me, I realized that I actually wanted to live. That I had something to live for. You.”
She sniffled as they heard the helicopter getting close. “You always know just what to say.”
59
Aimee set her flute down with a sigh.
She’d missed playing her flute so much. She hadn’t even realized how much until she’d picked it up again and started to play. Like riding a bicycle, it had all come back to her.
Since arriving at her new home, she’d been playing her flute more and more.
Maybe it was because she didn’t have as many worries occupying her mind as she used to. Perhaps it was because she felt happy here.
She wasn’t entirely sure, but whatever the reason, she was glad that it was back in her life. Because that hole in her soul was now closing up.
