Looks Can Be Deceiving

"Oh, now you're just too fucking cute!" I grinned, leaning over the edge of the pin to pick up the small, chubby German Sheppard pup that was here for the day's adoptathon.

We had roughly an hour left to set up before the doors would officially open so that people could come in and look at all the animals in need of homes. We held small adopathons every week, but the big ones like today were held once or twice a month, depending on however many animals we had at the time. Right now, we had a lot of animals under our care that needed good homes, so it was definitely time for a huge adoptathon event.

Taking the pup, I looked at the small tag attached to his bandana and saw that he hadn't been named yet, as he was only three months old and had just been weened from his mother. He left out a soft yawn, looking up at me with sleepy, golden brown eyes before leaning up and licking me, covering me with that sweet, puppy breath of his.

"Aww, well, aren't you the sweetest little thing," I cooed, rubbing his dark coat of fur as he curled up in the crook of my right arm, resting his head against my chest, "I could just take you home with me!"

A flash of white interrupted my line of vision, and I laughed once I realized that adoption papers had just been shoved in my face. Turning, I was met with one of my co-workers, who smiled knowingly at me, "He's available, of course. And you know that you could definitely use a new partner in crime."

I giggled, looking down at the puppy in my arms, "I don't know. I moved in with my best friend recently, and while she loves animals, I don't know how she'd feel about a puppy being in the house."

Stella flapped her hand dismissively, "Oh, nonsense! No one can resist a puppy, no matter how much they shit and tear stuff up. They're too adorable."

"I don't know, Stella, I--"

"Well, you'd better figure it out, because once those people get in here and see him, he'll be one of the first to get adopted out. You know how quickly the Sheppards go during these events," she advised, fixing me with a pointed look, "Don't set yourself up for heartbreak. Make a decision."

Well, that was all the convincing I needed.

"Okay, gimme the papers," I sighed, watching as a grin lit up her face.

"Oh, goodie!" she giggled, grabbing a pen and handing me the paperwork I would need, "Sign where I've got the exes, you know the deal. Adoption fee is $250. And here's a checklist of the things you'll need to get him on your way home, but you already know all this."

I chuckled, scribbling my signature and initials where they were needed and dating next to them. After that was finished, I whipped out my checkbook and paid the adoption fee as Stella clapped and squealed. I looked at the puppy in my arms again, "Little man, you need a name."

I wasn't sure what to call him quite yet, but I made sure to grab him a collar and a few things he would need as I worked throughout the day. I would keep an eye on him while allowing him to socialize with the other puppies. Setting a fish full of water and some puppy kibble on the floor, I set him down before laying out some potty pads for the puppies.

The hour allotted for setup quickly passed, and before I knew it, herds of people were filing into the building, taking a look at all the puppies. Several expressed their interest in the puppy I'd adopted, but my co-workers were quick to let them know that he'd already been adopted. They even went as far as to put all the adopted puppies in a separate pen so that people would know not to get too attached to them. Even with that, I made sure to keep an eye on him. Greedy little fuckers might get bold and decide to snatch him anyway; people will do stupid shit over puppies.

I wasn't expecting the turnout we'd received, but was impressed nonetheless. Several puppies and kittens, as well as adult dogs and cats had been adopted within the first hour, and after a mere four hours, the majority of the animals we'd had to be adopted out had been given a new home. We'd all been working our asses off to keep the place in order, and so far, our efforts had not been in vain.

"Alright, baby, we're done for the day!" I cooed, picking up the puppy and tucking him under my arm.

"What're you gonna name him?" Chelsea, another one of my coworkers asked me.

Hm. Good question.

With a shrug, I answered, "I don't know. I'm hoping something will come to me soon so that I can get a name-tag made for him."

With that, I packed up my belongings and signed out before waving goodbye to everyone. I made a beeline for the car, knowing that I had quite a few things to get from PetSmart before I could go home. The sun had yet to set, and I worked quickly once I made it to the store.

I sat the puppy down into a shopping cart and worked through the list of items that I would need. I found a kennel, collar, leash, potty pads, bowls, bath stuff, and finally, some food. Those were just the basics. I knew there'd be several other things that I'd have to come back for later on. Checking out wasn't as fun once my total had been calculated for the items I'd bought. Cringing, I'd handed over my card and never looked back.

The trip home was a speedy one, as the puppy had yet to be potty trained, and I really didn't want him peeing in the car. Pulling up to the house, I saw the Lyndsey was home and grinned. A few other cars were parked along the street but I paid them no mind. Letting the puppy out, I led him over to the grass and waited for him to use the bathroom, which he did without a moment's hesitation.

"Good boy," I cooed softly, plucking him up from the grass and tucking him under my arm.

I fished in my back pocket for my key, clicking my tongue once my fingers grabbed hold of it. I unlocked the door and pushed it open, allowing the puppy to skid across the floor as he ran inside. I giggled, hearing Lyndsey yelp from the living room, no doubt having seen the puppy.

I took that time to grab the kennel, pee pads, and food from the car, making more than one trip to get everything into the house. Once I'd made my last trip, I closed the front door behind me and locked it, turning to see Lyndsey holding the puppy in her arms, an amused expression on her face.

"Brought your work home with ya?" she smirked, gently rubbing a hand over his fur.

I shrugged, flashing her a sheepish smile, "Something like that."

"What's his name?" she asked curiously, to which I shrugged again, "You don't have a name for him yet?"

I shook my head, "Nothing good has come to me yet, and I don't wanna name him something stupid that doesn't fit him."

She laughed, placing the puppy on the floor as I set out some potty pads by the back door, "So, what are we supposed to call him? The Puppy?"

"Pretty much," I grinned, turning to see that she'd doubled over with laughter. I then turned to shrug apologetically at the puppy, who wagged his tail at my feet, "At least until we can come up with something better for you, little guy."

I filled the metal bowls I'd bought, one with water, and the other with a cup of food. I'd spoken to a vet while I was at PetSmart and they'd recommended a certain brand for him to use to keep his health up. He was already up to date with his shots, so I didn't have much to worry about...for now.

"I hear there's a puppy in the house?"

Turning, I smiled lightly at Brian, who appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, "Yeah. I saw him and kinda had to have him."

He chuckled at my response, "I gotta admit, he's a cute little fucker. What's his name?"

Lyndsey cracked up again and I rolled my eyes, "He doesn't have a name yet. I have to think of a good one first."

He stifled a laugh, "Fair enough."

"Damn right it is," I smiled sweetly, patting my leg as I gestured for the puppy to follow me, "C'mon, little guy. Let's give you a tour."

I went through every room of the house, making sure to show the puppy where things were. Obviously, he wouldn't understand everything, but he was a dog and was smart after all. I figured that he would pick up on the essentials. After showing him my room, I motioned back towards the stairs, watching as he happily trotted behind me, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

Walking back to the living room, I saw that Jimmy, Matt, and Johnny were all seated in the living room with Brian and Lyndsey. I didn't see Zack anywhere, and wondered if he'd come at all. Upon my entrance, each of the men looked up and waved in my direction, and I smiled and waved back as they watched the puppy. He cried at my feet as I took a seat on the couch, reaching a chubby paw up and pawing at my leg.

"Aww," I cooed, pulling him into my arms, "Come up here with Mommy."

The puppy settled happily in my lap and curled into a ball as I made small talk with Lyndsey. I told her how the adoption event had gone, and even told her about all the cute little puppies that had been there. She had a serious soft spot for puppies, just I did, and she would often visit me at work just so she could play with the kittens and puppies. You couldn't help but to get attached to animals.

Halfway through our conversation, I got the urge for something to eat. Looking down, I saw that the puppy was fast asleep, and I sighed. I didn't want to wake him by moving, but I knew that if I got any hungrier, the sound of stomach growls would wake him up eventually.

Ever so slowly, I lifted the puppy from my lap and set him back down on the couch, shrugging off my jacket and laying it near him so that he would still have my scent nearby. I figured that would help keep him asleep. Looking at Lyndsey, I motioned towards the kitchen before making a beeline for the freezer.

"Ahh, just what I was looking for!" I exclaimed as I spotted my Ben & Jerry's in the back of the freezer. I fought hard to contain myself as I snatched the ice cream container from the freezer and closed the door, setting the tub on the counter and opening it up, "Oh, hell yeah!"

I was downright giddy as I grabbed a large bowl from the cabinet and scooped spoonful after spoonful of ice cream into it before I put the tub back in the freezer. I lightly drizzled some chocolate syrup over it, followed by caramel, and topped it off with some rainbow sprinkles. Grabbing a smaller spoon, I held the bowl and turned around, yelping once I saw the little puppy right by my feet.

"Baby, I almost stepped on you! How'd you know I was gone?" I cooed, reaching down and patting the top of his head. With a smile, I stood back up and returned to the living room, looking back every now and then to see that he was right behind me. I swear, this little guy stuck to me like glue. "Y'know, I think I've just found a name for you!"

"Thank God," Lyndsey giggled from her corner, "I hate simply referring to him as, The Puppy."

I rolled my eyes, "Lynds, you've only had the chance to call him that once...melodramatic ass."

"One time is more than enough. Now give the poor thing his identity!" she retorted, curling into Brian's side on the love seat.

Setting my bowl of ice cream on the coffee table, I bent down at the puppy's level and pulled him into my arms, "I'm gonna name you Shadow. Cause you follow me absolutely everywhere, like my little shadow. Whatcha think?"

The room was silent, except for Lyndsey, who cooed loudly with a giggle. Shadow looked at me with his big, brown eyes and barked out a laugh, leaning forward and licking the side of my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing him to do so as I scrunched up my eyes. I'd be sad the day his puppy breath changed into straight up dog breath. Oh dear.

"Do you like that name, bud?" I asked cutely, to which Shadow let out a soft bark and nuzzled his head to my side. I grinned, covering his little face in kisses, "Shadow, it is! We'll be sure to get you your own name-tag tomorrow so that everyone who sees you will know who you are!"

I watched as Shadow yelped happily on the ground, giggling and lifting him onto my lap. I let him take a minute to settle down before I grabbed my bowl of ice cream. In an instant, he was back up and begging for my food - if you can call ice cream food - with those infamous puppy eyes.

I shook my head despite how cute he looked, "Sorry, baby boy, but I can't. This has chocolate on you, and chocolate could make you very sick."

I moaned in ecstasy as I put a spoonful of ice cream in my mouth. After a long day of running around, it felt good to come home and relax for a minute, especially if there was ice cream involved. I didn't engage myself in much of the ongoing conversation, as I was too turned on by my own food to speak. It was heaven in my mouth, an orgasm waiting to happen. Damn, did I love sweets.

When I finally cleared my bowl and set it aside, I looked up to see that I had one hell of an amused audience. I rolled my eyes, "Oh, don't y'all look at me like that!"

Jimmy smirked widely at me, "You're a rather interesting chocolate individual, did you know that?"

I simply blinked at him, while Johnny spat his beer everywhere in the midst of his laughter. Brian and Matt howled with laughter as well, and Lyndsey simply shook her head. I turned to Jimmy and chuckled, "You know, I never thought of it like that, Jimbo."

"You learn new things everyday when Jimmy's around," Matt snorted with laughter, causing me to grin.

"A lesson well learned, I suppose," I giggled, looking over in Jimmy's direction once more.

The rest of the evening continue in that direction. One of the men would say something outrageous that would have the rest of us dying with laughter for several minutes at a time. I honestly couldn't remember laughing like that in a long time, and was glad for the temporary escape. It was then that I could see just what Matt had meant that one day. Solitude could only do but so much for you when you were seriously hurting. It was your friends and other loved ones that got you through. It made perfect sense.

I was sad to see them all go once it got to be late. It was only nearing ten o-clock, really, but I knew that Lyndsey had to be at work around eleven or so. I myself was tired enough from the day's events, and was ready to wind down for the night, even if I didn't go to bed for another few hours. They'd each scooped Lyndsey and I up into hugs, with the exception of Brian. He smothered Lyndsey's mouth in spit, basically. Matt had sent me a knowing wink as he walked backwards to his car on the street. And then, they were all gone.

"I miss Brian already," Lyndsey sighed softly, closing the door behind her.

I frowned, knowing just how she felt, "You two are really close," I noted, taking in just how lonely she looked, now that he'd left.

"Yeah, we are. It's weird, and I get that, because I barely know him and all, but...he's a great guy and I hate being away from him. Isn't that what matters?" she chewed her lip, smiling down at Shadow as he nuzzled her leg.

I sighed, "You're right, Lynds. At first, I wasn't so sure about him, but it's been like a month. And each day, I like them all more and more. You found yourself a good group of friends."

"They're your friends, too, y'know."

"Huh?" I turned to face her, tilting my head in the process, "Who is?"

"The guys. They're not just my friends anymore, they're yours, too. They care about you just as much as they do me, Britt."

I smiled at that thought, "That's good to know."

With that, we went our separate ways for the night. Lyndsey went to her room to get ready for work, and I stripped out of my clothes before curling up in bed. I cut the TV on, turning it to a Criminal Minds marathon. Damn, did I love this show. I could hear the shower going from the bathroom down the hall and turned the volume of the TV up louder.

About halfway into the show, I heard a noise downstairs. At first I felt alarmed, but then realized that it was probably Shadow messing around downstairs...Shadow...but after remembering why I'd named him that in the first place, I looked over to see him just a few feet away in his puppy kennel. He was fast asleep. It couldn't have been Lyndsey, either, because I could still hear the shower water going.

Another strange noise sounded from downstairs, and I frowned. You don't hear weird sounds in your house more than once. I wasn't liking the circumstances, all of a sudden.

Pushing the covers off my body, I grabbed the thin satin cover-up at the end of the bed and slipped it on, turning the TV down low so that I could listen for anything else. Maybe it was my imagination, after all. I could be quite the paranoid person.

Another sound. Oh hell no.

Imagination, my black ass.

I silently prayed that I wouldn't wake the puppy up, as he was fast asleep. I didn't want him to cry out and give our position away. Tiptoeing around the bed, I slowly crawled underneath it and felt around for the precious, silver metal that I knew would keep me safe. I breathed in relief as my hand closed around the cool steel and I yanked it from under the bed. Popping open the pistol grip, I inserted a magazine clip and took off the safety.

I didn't know what the hell was going on down there, but I knew that someone would fucking get it if I found out that we had an unwanted guest downstairs. I knew that fucking much. Creeping out into the hallway, I could hear Lyndsey singing in the shower, I thought of warning her, but I knew that she'd freak out and potentially tip off our visitor, as well.

Time to go play hero.

I descended the wooden stairs with stealth, listening for anything that would alert me as to where the danger was. I'd be naive to think that nothing was going on except my active imagination anymore, and I was gonna get to the bottom of this shit. Whispering met my ears as I hit the last step. I crouched down out of instinct, feeling my way around the wall in the darkened room.

"Get the brunette. I'll get the redhead." came a deep, quiet voice.

"What if they give us trouble?"

"Knock 'em out. But don't waste 'em...we need 'em alive."

I blinked and held my breath, as the voices sounded rather close to where I was standing. So, someone was in the house. And they were planning on taking us, not just robbing us. The unfamiliar voice replayed itself in my mind, and that's when I found myself getting angry.

So, they were just going to walk into our home and think that they could just take us? Yeah, those motherfuckers had another thing coming.

I then cursed myself for not going to my anger management session like I'd said I would. I knew not going would come back to bite me in the ass, and clearly that time was now. In the middle of a fucking home invasion. I chewed furiously on my lip as my heart thudded loudly in my chest with anger, willing myself to keep it together so that they wouldn't hear me.

"I think I hear the shower going," came the second voice, "You hear that?"

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no.

"Yeah. Check it out."

Now, shit was going to hit the fan.

Footsteps padded across the floor and I braced myself, not knowing exactly from which direction they were coming. I counted silently, willing myself to keep calm as the footsteps retreated in the direction of what I hoped were the stairs. I silently moved farther away from them, all the while listening for the second set of footsteps as they moved about in the living room.

I could just barely make out a large figure heading toward the stairs, and knew it was time. Holding my breath, I took note of the other man in the living room and aimed at the one on the stairs. I would have to move quickly. In my head, I counted to three while taking a stance that I'd be comfortable with. I trailed the man's every move, waiting until he got right where I wanted him. Without a single hesitation, I pulled the trigger twice, bracing myself as the pistol kicked back some.

As the man cried out, I could see the other one headed straight towards me. I could tell just by the way he was stalking over to me that he was the dominant one, the one barking out all the orders. The one people didn't fuck with. Oh, my lucky day.

Backing away with the speed of a lightening bolt, I pushed myself against the wall and felt around for a light switch, keeping my eye on the man just a few feet away from me. I wasn't sure if he was armed, and it probably would've been a smarter idea to take some sort of cover first. He was angry, that much was for sure, but I didn't care about that.

Suddenly, the room was flooded with light as my hand grazed the light switch, and I immediately used that to my advantage. Looking to my right, I grinned as I noticed the ceramic vase and tossed it straight at the man's head, watching as it shattered upon contact. He staggered, but it didn't knock him over like I was hoping it would.

"Go get the other bitch! Now!" he roared, not caring if anyone heard him at this point.

I took that moment to look over, and saw that the one I'd shot was on his feet, though clearly in pain. I'd gotten him in the shoulder, which I was suddenly very frustrated about. Apparently, I wasn't as good a shot as I'd thought. Movement out the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I raised my gun once more, heart pounding with anticipation.

Three shots rang out, and I heard Lyndsey's scream from upstairs.

With a growl, the man in front of me tackled me straight to the ground. I felt the air leave my lungs as his weight crushed me. My back, nor my ribs felt so great at the moment. The small gun had flown out of my hands in the process, leaving me defenseless. Now, I was in trouble.

I struggled to get out of the man's grasp as his fists met with my ribs twice. I groaned from the contact, just as the scruffy man looked down at me with a smirk. Suddenly, I was aware of the fact that I had nothing but lingerie and a skimpy robe - if you could call it that - on, and the man was eyeing me like I was a piece of meat. Not good at all.

"Well, hello, beautiful," he grinned, pressing his lower half against me.

I growled in disgust, and he laughed as I attempted to push him off of me. It wasn't working. Lyndsey's cry from upstairs caught my attention, and I glared up at the man who had me pinned to the floor, "What's he doing to her?" I spat, wriggling furiously underneath my attacker.

His cold chuckle vibrated against my ear, "No need to be jealous. You'll get your turn, doll."

I cringed as I felt a rough, calloused hand slide its way down my body. Boy, was I seeing red then. With another growl, I brought my knee up and got him right where it hurts. A strangled noise left his mouth as he toppled over, clutching onto his crotch. Having been freed from his grasp, I jumped back up and crawled for my gun, sitting just feet away from us.

I wasn't fast enough.

A hand wrapped around my ankle and yanked hard on it, causing me to cry out in pain as I was pulled up and slammed roughly into the wall. I groaned as a large fist met with the side of my face, causing a splitting headache to impair me almost immediately. My face stung as though it was on fire as I recovered from the blow, and I threw my own fists and feet forward.

I had to get away from him and go help Lyndsey. I wouldn't let them hurt her for anything in the fucking world. The man hissed and closed his large fingers around my neck. Along with the headache, I could feel dizziness slowly creeping into my body. I fought it as best as I could, knowing that I was only feeling this weak because my oxygen supply was slowly being cut off. I clawed at the man's arms but it didn't phaze him a bit. He simply chuckled, pining me to the wall by my neck as his free hand moved lower. I couldn't see what he was doing, but my questions were quickly answered as I heard the familiar sound of his zipper moving.

My strength was dwindling but I had to figure something out. I wouldn't let some fucker come in here and beat me, hurt my best friend, and fucking rape me. Not while I was still alive and kicking. Though as his hold on my neck continued to tighten, I wondered if I even had enough time left. I knew I had very little, that much was for sure. I leaned my head back against the wall, taking some of the strain off my neck. More oxygen flowed into my burning lungs, but only a little.

It was just enough.

Taking the deepest breath I could manage, I tensed my muscles and rammed my head straight into my attacker's forehead. He fell to the floor and clutched his head, and this time I knew it would take him a bit longer to get up. I scrambled for the gun, spotting it the second my feet hit the ground. I coughed and sputtered as I fumbled with the pistol in my hands, aiming quickly and pulling the trigger.

Thud.

Opening my eyes, I looked to see that the man's body lay still on the hardwood floor, blood beginning to pool around his body. I wasn't sure if he was dead, nor did I want to think about that fact. But I sure as hell wasn't getting any closer to him to find out. I knew I only had one more round left in my gun, and that I had to find an alternative method of defense. I jumped over the body and made a dash for the kitchen, opening up drawers and cabinets to see what I could find. I grabbed hold of the sharpest knife in the drawer as well as a large, cast iron skillet.

Just as I turned around, those same dark, menacing eyes met mine. With a yelp, I squeezed my eyes shut and swung my left arm as hard as I could. Crunch. I knew what that was, and I was sure he wasn't getting up this time around. With a shudder, I made a move to run for the stairs, then stopped. I couldn't let the second guy know that I was there.

I hated to tiptoe during a time like this, but I knew it was essential to saving Lyndsey's life. I could hear her yelling and shouting from upstairs, and made sure to work quickly. As I slipped into the hallway, her voice became more clear to me. I could tell that she was in her room.

"Who are you and what the fuck do you want?"

Her voice was strained, and I could tell that she was struggling against her attacker's weight, just as I had been. I listened and could only hear her loud breathing. I couldn't tell what else was going on. Creeping over to the open bedroom door, I crouched down peeked inside. Breathing silently, I thanked every god there ever was that she was somehow fully dressed and wasn't on the verge of being violated. Then again, her attacker wasn't as bold as mine, and fuck, was I thankful for it.

Her eyes met with mine momentarily, and I shook my head vigorously. She removed her gaze from me immediately. If we had any chance of getting out of this shit alive, she couldn't let her attacker know that I was free. I had to be quick, I had to. I wasn't sure what to do. It would be too easy for the man to hear me come from behind him, and there was no telling how he'd react. He'd either hurt Lyndsey, as she was already in his grasp, or he'd go for me. How much time would I have to react if he did that? I couldn't be brash.

On the other hand, I couldn't just sit here and contemplate all damn night, either. We didn't have that kind of time on our side. He might not have been doing much to my best friend right now, but who's to say that he wouldn't get a boost of confidence? I had to fucking do something.

Lyndsey's hand broke me from my thoughts as I watched the altercation from the doorway. She was looking straight into her attacker's eyes, trembling with fear, but her hands...what was she doing? I studied her to see that she was completely tensed. Shuddering and breathing heavily. Everything that pointed to fear in the eyes of her attacker. But what her attacker couldn't see was her hands by her sides, signaling my attention.

I braced myself. From her fist, she unballed three fingers. Then folded them back up into her fist. I nodded my head, knowing she'd see it from her peripheral vision. I waited for her signal and watched as she slowly counted down.

One.

The attacker's words blurred as my mind zeroed in on the back of his neck. If I could remember anything from anatomy class, it was that those cervical vertebrae were mighty important to the human body.

Two.

The C1 vertebrae controls a person's ability to nod their head 'yes'. The C2 vertebrae controls the ability to shake your head 'no'. It would suck to snap those.

Three.

Lyndsey let out a soft moan, and I knew it was time to strike. Her attacker, clearly distracted, chuckled quietly and pressed himself against her, causing her eyes to squeeze shut. I moved quickly, yelling for Lyndsey to duck down as I flew across the room. She did just that, and with a powerful swing, a nasty crack sounded throughout the room.

I watched with stony eyes as the stranger dropped to the ground, his neck turned at a rather uncomfortable angle. Lyndsey fell to the floor in a fit of tears, and I was there in a flash to make sure that she was alright - well, physically alright, that is.

"Lynds, look at me. We have to get this shit straightened out. Did he hurt you?" I asked, to which she simply shook her head. "Are you sure? Not anywhere?"

She simply shook her head, but that was about all she could do. I sighed, looking over at the man on the ground, who was dead without a single doubt, "Look, I need you to call Brian. Call him and tell him to come, and then I want you to call 911. I have to make sure the other one is still unconscious, okay?"

"NO!" she suddenly screamed hysterically, "D-Don't go, don't l-leave me here!"

"Lynds, I'll be right downstairs. You have to call for help in case the other one gets up, okay? Do it!" I yelled, running for my room.

Once inside, I reached into my dresser drawer and grabbed another magazine, popping out the nearly empty one and tossing it in the drawer. I popped the new magazine into my gun and trooped back downstairs. The living room was just as I'd left it. An absolute mess. Furniture everywhere, the shattered vase, the blood...it looked like there'd been a fucking war in here.

I quickly lit up a cigarette from the packet that Brian had left here a day or so ago. I wasn't one to smoke, though right now...I kind of needed it. I thought I was going to go crazy. The situation at hand was completely maddening. Two strangers had broken into the house and had gone from wanting to kidnap us, to wanting to kill us. I'd barely made it out alive, as had Lyndsey. I'd killed one, and knocked the other unconscious.

I'd killed someone.

I shuddered at the thought, but didn't falter. I could hear sirens in the distance, and figured that they were headed in our direction. Looking now, I could see that the front door was wide open. I'm sure the neighbors were freaking out. Who didn't hear something like that in the middle of the fucking night?

I looked back down at the man on the floor. He hadn't moved, but I wasn't taking any chances. Tensing, I stepped closer to him and crouched on the ground, aiming my gun straight for the back of his head

After what I'd just been through, if I even thought he'd moved an inch, I was putting a bullet in his skull.