The Hours We Have

chapter thirty-seven

Why did bad things happen to good people? 

My ears were ringing with a horrible noise and I couldn't breathe. My sobs had stolen all the air in my quivering lungs and my brain couldn't function properly so that I could breathe. It was a hysterical panic attack on the brink of stealing me from the world. But none of it seemed to matter because my eyes wouldn't leave Finley's body. 

Was he breathing? 

I hadn't realized that the world didn't stop for my heartbreak, it didn't cease with the existence of another tragedy. I hadn't realized that the second gunshot wasn't fired by the boys, and it had rung out immediately after the first.

I hadn't realized Ezra had found us, and now he stood in the alley with a murderously dark and cold expression on his face, a gun resting in his hands as if it was second nature to him. 

I could barely process anything. 

There was cursing a short distance away and I finally tore my eyes away from Finley. The nameless boy was on his back on the pavement, a hand clasped over his shoulder, and it wasn't until then that I realized Ezra had shot him. 

"Fuck you, man, fuck you," The nameless boy seemed to repeat over and over again but it continuously fell upon deaf ears. He was bleeding. Bright red oozed between his fingers and dribbled onto the black pavement. It was quite the contrast. 

"You didn't like a taste of your own medicine?" Ezra spoke without any emotion in his voice and he slowly advanced into the alley where another tragedy had happened. He kept his gun aimed forward as he walked, "I'll kill all of you for what you've done." 

There was a scurry of movement and Ezra reacted in the blink of an eye. The three boys left Roman on the pavement and attempted to charge Ezra. I watched Ezra swing his fist with the gun in his grasp and I internally cringed as the metal barrel cracked against the jaw of one of the boys. I couldn't tell if he had broken bone but I hoped he had. 

Ezra lashed out with his other fist and caught a second boy in the cheek. I was almost mesmerized by his precise movements that were aimed to inflict pain. He didn't even have to move his feet, he just waited. He could obviously take every single one without firing a second bullet from the gun chamber.

Immediately, the boys hesitated. Their eyes flickered between Ezra and the nameless boy, weighing their options, and Ezra stared them down until they finally backed up. I knew that when he didn't speak a word to them, he knew who was responsible for this mess. He knew who had led those boys here. How much had he seen? 

The nameless boy sneered, "You won't--" 

"You fucking mess with my family, you mess with me," Ezra cut him off in a deadly calm voice that which I was sure was anything but calm. A darkness I had never seen lurked within his eyes, "Any last words, you fucking scum?" 

"Fuck you." 

"Good choice," Ezra raised the gun and let it rest between the eyebrows of the nameless boy. Nobody interfered this time and it was a shot that would instantly kill if the trigger were pulled. A decision that took one second and changed lives forever. 

"Ezra! Stop!" It wasn't my voice that cried out. Despite what I would witness, I was strangely quiet as I watched. For a second, it was as if the world held its breath in the anticipation of more death. That is until I realized my oldest brother had arrived, and it was him who had called out.  

A car door slammed, drawing my attention to the end of the alley, and I saw Mikeal. Julian trailed behind him but I saw how his skin had already gone pale. His hazel eyes were frantic.