Tattered Love (Needle's Kiss)

that’s what Mace had become to me. My family.
    It occurred to me I was holding up my own happiness. Keeping Mace at arm’s distance, I was only hurting myself and him. He may have left me, but I needed him. I needed us. I was ready to move on from it and put us both out of our own misery. Just as I was about to open my mouth to tell him what I’d decided, we were crowded by family wishing happy birthdays. The twins Jaxson and Jordan, jumped on Mace calling him away for a soda refill.
    “I’ll be right back,” he told me, wandering off looking like a human jungle gym.
    “You surprised?” Teeny asked, wrapping her arm around me and leaning her head on my shoulder.
    “You were in on this? That’s why you didn’t call me today?”
    “Well, I wanted to help. Mace came up with it. I just helped a little. You should forgive him already, Scar. He’d move heaven and earth to make you happy. You’re it for him; there won’t be anyone else. The way he talks about you when you’re not around, and the look he gets on his face, he just lo-”
    Putting my hand over her mouth, I cut off her “Mace is the shit” speech. “I want him back. He’s been worming himself back into my good graces with all his tacky cheese, but this,” doing a sweep of the room with my hand, “this sealed the deal. He had me at ‘Happy Birthday’”
    Teeny jumped up and down with a squeal, showing just how happy she was.
    About an hour later, I was still trying to get a moment alone with Mace. Every time I thought I had him to myself, somebody would interrupt, or he’d have to run away and sort something out.
    I’d had enough of waiting for the perfect moment. I just wanted him to know I’d forgiven him, loved him and wanted to spend the night in his arms. Pushing past everybody, I stepped up in front of him, my back facing the large bay window, moonlight shining in through the open curtains. “I need to speak with you a minute.”
    Mace picked up my hand smiling down at me, his eyes shining with adoration. His eyes flicked up over my shoulder, a look of recognition played across his face a millisecond before it turned to a look of pure horror, his features crumpling. A look of pure panic registered on his face.
    All of a sudden, a loud bang and the sound of glass breaking, split through the room. A jarring pain hit my side as I was thrown to the floor, my body throbbing from the sheer force of hitting the ground. Screams of panic. Fear or pain followed—I was unsure which, and that thought alone terrified me. My ears were ringing from the sounds around me. As I lifted my hand, I saw it covered in blood. I was confused and disorientated. My blood ran cold through my body as reality set in and the scene around me became a little clearer.

 

     
    Scarlett’s face drained of color as she stared at her hands and looked back at me. “You’re bleeding! Why are you bleeding? Where? Mace!” Scarlett was frantic, worry etched on her face.
    “I’m okay, babe. I’m fine. Just my shoulder. It was a gunshot, but don’t panic. You okay?” I asked through clenched teeth, trying to bite back the burn in my arm and back. My training kicked in; I needed everyone out of the way into safety.
    “You saved me, wait who? Where? Somebody shot at us?” she rambled, clearly still confused. I ran my good hand and eyes quickly over her to be sure she wasn’t hurt.
    My heart was pounding, adrenaline coursing through my body as I moved to stand. Darting my eyes around everywhere to make sure nobody else was hurt, I saw Trip’s back was to me; he had Teeny pinned behind him, protecting her.
    “Everyone in the back of the house now! Move, move!” I needed everyone out of the way of danger. Janelle was still standing, gun pointed at the spot Scarlett had been. She’d been aiming at Scar, but the moment I saw her standing outside the window, gun aimed, instinct took over and I shoved Scar to the ground seconds before she would have been shot.
    “Trip! Get everyone out now. Take the girls!” I ordered as calmly as I could. Scarlet looked like she was moving towards Teeny and Trip so I slowly moved toward the front of the house. Another blast of shocking pain ripped through me as Janelle dropped to the ground on her knees screaming nonsense
    “What have I done? Oh no! Mace, it wasn’t supposed to get you! I—I—” Janelle screamed.
    I needed to get out there and disarm her before she killed somebody. Moving toward the window, I quietly