p; Blaise made his way to me and wiped the tears from one of my cheeks. “You can’t run from me. I’ll always follow. And this,” he leaned back so I could see Liam slumped forward in his chair struggling to breathe, “is what happens when you disobey me.” Tugging on his pants legs, he squatted in front of me and tilted his head to the side. “Did you really think I’d be so careless, Scarlett? Were you naïve enough to think I’d actually begun to trust you? That I’d trust you enough not to have you guarded twenty-four-seven? Or that I’d leave money where you could find it?” He made a clucking sound with his tongue. “You’re dumber than I thought. I don’t often underestimate people, but I was wrong with you.” He steepled his fingers and brought them to his lips. Spreading his hands wide, he said, “It was all a test. One you failed.”
I closed my eyes, defeat making my shoulders sag.
I should’ve known.
I should’ve fucking known.
“One you failed again, and again, and again. You could’ve come home at any time, but you didn’t, because of him.” He pointed at Liam like I didn’t know whom he was referring to.
Blaise, who was normally so calm, suddenly lost it.
“I gave you everything. A home. A family. A life.” His face grew red and spit flew into my face. “You had it all with me, and you threw it away.” He grabbed my face in a rough grip and forced me to look at him. “Nobody throws my kindness back in my face like you did and lives. No one.”
If I hadn’t been gagged I would’ve told him to do it—to kill me and get it over with.
We both knew I wasn’t making it out of there alive.
“You’re nothing but a worthless cunt.” His fingers dug into my cheek painfully.
He let go and shoved my head back, which sent me toppling over in the chair. I grunted from the impact and my head slammed against the floor. Dots flashed across my eyes, and I struggled to keep clarity.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Blaise’s shoes appeared in my line of vision.
“Kill them,” he ordered, “and clean up this mess.”
One last tear leaked from the corner of my eye.
I’m sorry.
Pop.
I’m so sorry.
Pop.
And then, there was nothing.
Liam
Pain held me prisoner.
My body felt like it was held down by a fucking elephant sitting on my chest, and the effort to open my eyes was too much.
Why do I feel like this?
Did I drink too much?
What the fuck happened?
An annoying, incessant beeping assaulted my ears. It was so piercing, like a fucking alarm or something. I tried to lift my arm to turn it off, but I couldn’t move.
I heard voices coming from somewhere, but they were too low for me to distinguish where it was coming from.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Why wouldn’t anyone turn off that fucking alarm? It was annoying as hell.