When I spot Cole’s blond head circulating with the responding EMTs and police officers as if he is one of them, I realize it is up to me to take action now. This has gone on for far too long. Everything I love is at stake. Everyone I love is at stake. I have no choice and I know it.

I need a gun.

I know Jake’s gun cabinet is locked and I don’t have the combination. But I need to shoot the bastard so we can stop this madness. I need some peace. I need to be able to go on with my life.

After the last time Cole showed up, Jake wanted my parents to be prepared, so he left his Colt .45 in a locked box under the bed. I know where the key is: on the shelf in the closet.

I let myself into the cabin and go to the bedroom. I drop down to the floor to reach beneath the bed so I can grab the locked box. I swipe my hand under the bed, finding nothing but a bunch of dust bunnies, just as someone’s hands wrap around my feet and jerk me out.

I scream and kick, and I hear a grunt as my foot connects with some soft tissue.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Jake whispers harshly at me. “Stop kicking!”

I scuttle out from under the bed and stand up, brushing my hair from my eyes. “I’m trying to arm myself. Did you move the gun box from under the bed?”

“Yes, I moved the gun box from under the bed! Alex found it and Adam caught him trying to pick the lock. And don’t walk away from me like that!” Jake hisses. “You scared the life out of me!”

“Did they catch Cole?”

“No.”

“Is your dad okay?”

“He’s too hard-headed to die,” Jake grunts out. He runs a frustrated hand through his hair.

“What about Sally?”

“Your parents took him and the kids to the vet’s office.” He pulls me against his chest and kiss me hard. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Take your hands off the mother of my child,” a deep voice says from the doorway.

Jake freezes and slowly raises his hands in the air. He shields me with his body. “Cole,” he says, his voice controlled.

Cole walks farther into the room. “How’s the baby?” he asks me. He talks around Jake, who is still between us.

“He’s fine,” I say. I lean around Jake to look at him. “No thanks to you.”

Cole chuckles. He raises the gun in his hand and points it directly at Jake. My heart beats a rapid pace. But my nerves are cool. Cold, even. Steady. I know what needs to happen.

I lift Jake’s gun from the holster under his arm, step from behind Jake, and point it at Cole.

Cole’s gun wavers ever so slightly and he backs up a step. “Put that down,” he says.

“You first,” I reply tonelessly. I look down the sight. Steady. I can almost hear Jeff’s voice in my ear. Steady. You can do this, Katie.

I know, I whisper back in my head.

You’re strong.

I am.

Despite my cool resolve, tears sting my eyes. In my darkest hour, of course Jeff’s with me, at least in spirit. Thoughts of him give me strength.

“There’s still time to stop this,” I tell Cole evenly.

“Stop what?” he asks.

“Stop this. Walk away.”

He shakes his head. “Can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I love you.”

“You don’t love me.”

“Don’t tell me how I feel!” he shouts.

“Shoot him, Katie,” Jake whispers. “Pull the trigger.”

I can’t, though. Not with Jake halfway between Cole and me. Jake would take Cole’s bullet. I can’t risk that.

Jake raises his hands a little higher in the air. “Put the gun down and we’ll all walk out of here,” he says softly.

“All I ever wanted was to love you, Katie,” Cole says quietly. This is the quiet before the storm. I’ve seen it all before. This is how it starts. Then the anger comes.

“This isn’t love,” I tell Cole. “You don’t pull guns on people you love.”

His hand shakes. “You do if they won’t listen to you!” he shouts.

Suddenly, Freddy calls out from the doorway. “Drop the weapon!”

Cole spins to face Freddy and fires off a shot, just as Jake lunges at Cole, knocking him from his feet onto the floor. Jake punches him and Cole drops his gun. It skitters across the floor. The room fills with police, and they force Jake to step back.

Freddy lies in the doorway.

I rush over to him and drop to my knees. There’s a red stain growing on his shirt front. “Freddy! Speak to me!”

“That hurts like a motherfucker,” Freddy says with a small laugh.

Jake comes to kneel beside me. “Fred, you’re going to be all right.” The EMTs are already rolling a gurney into the room. “You hear me, Fred? You’re going to be just fine.”

Freddy grunts as they shift him onto the gurney then straighten its legs. “Hey, Jake,” he says.

“What, buddy?” Jake says, grabbing his hand as they rush him toward the ambulance.

“I took a bullet for you,” Freddy says. And he grins.

Jake smiles and wipes his face. “Yeah, you did.”

“You know what this means?”

“What?”

“It means that you never get to hold it over my head again. The thing with me and Laura, you can’t hold it against me anymore.” Freddy grunts as the EMTs make Jake let go of his hand. “Did you hear me, Jake?” Freddy calls. “I took a bullet for you!”

“I heard you!” Jake yells back. They’re already closing the doors of the ambulance, and they put Laura and the baby in a police car to follow. She’s too much of a mess to drive herself.

“Is he going to be okay?” Jake asks the EMT.

“Looked like it went straight through the shoulder, but we won’t know anything for sure until we get to the hospital.”

Jake finally takes a deep breath.

Cole struggles as they load him into the police car. He curses and calls out to me, pleading for help.

“Katie!” Cole screams. He fights against the officer’s hold, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him break free.

Time slows in my head as I watch Cole struggle with the officer. Cole grabs the handle of the officer’s gun and pulls it from the holster. He lifts it, pointing the barrel directly at me. His face contorts as he pulls the trigger. His shot goes wild and fury fills his eyes.

Jake throws me to the ground and covers me with his body. I look up at Cole and watch as the first bullet, shot by a nearby officer, hits him. His body jerks. Then the second bullet slams into his chest. He falls back against the squad car and slowly sinks to the ground, his hands grasping to hold on to something. Anything.

Cole says my name as a gurgle of blood rushes from his mouth.

The officer who fired the fatal shots holsters his weapon and swears.

Time speeds back up to normal as the officers converge on Cole’s fallen body.

Jake rolls from on top of me. “Are you all right?” He runs his hands over my body, checking for injuries. Then he pulls me up to stand next to him.

“I’m fine,” I rush to assure him. “I promise. Totally fine.”

“Oh my God.” Jake runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “I saw him raise that gun and I thought it was over.” Jake pulls me against him. “I thought I’d lost you.”

I watch as the EMTs work on Cole. But I already know he’s dead. And my name was the last word to cross his lips. A shiver crawls up my spine.

“It is over. Finally.” I allow myself to take a deep breath.

“Are you sure you’re all right” Jake whispers.

No. I’m not all right. “It’s over,” I whisper back.

He kisses my forehead and holds me close. “Yes, it’s over.”