The Ritual

My eyes fly to Ryat, and he’s seemed to have composed himself. His fisted hands and heavy breathing show his anger over the turn of events. “How …?”

“I knew you were coming.” She interrupts my husband and looks over at my father. “He gave me a heads-up.” She laughs softly. “I ordered the hit on Nathaniel. I requested you.” She presses a black pointed fingernail into my husband’s chest and my teeth grind at the contact. “Then Phil informed me that you had a partner. I knew his reasons for tagging along immediately. All because of your wife.”

Ryat stiffens but shoves her hand away from his body while I sit up straighter when her eyes land on mine. “Bring her up.”

Two men grip my upper arms and I’m yanked up from my seat. “Don’t touch me!” I shout, trying to get my arms loose but they effortlessly drag me up the stairs.

“What the fuck,” Ryat barks, rushing over to me once we hit the landing. He yanks me free of the two men.

“It’s quite alright.” LeAnne says, gesturing to me and Ryat shoves me behind him, shielding me and the babies. “I’m not here to harm her.”

“Then don’t have your fucking dogs touch her.” He snaps.

“Quite the opposite actually.” She holds up the knife that’s still covered in Matt’s blood, handing it out to me handle first. “I’m here to give her what she wants. Revenge.”

My heart is pounding, my adrenaline soaring. Swallowing I step out from behind Ryat and look at her. I reach out with a shaky hand and take it from her. “Is this … is this an initiation?” I ask and my voice shakes. Am I being tested? If so, why isn’t Ryat in on it? He looks confused and pissed.

“No.” She takes a step back. “This is for fun, darling. Mommy here sold you to the Winston’s to keep her secret of sending Matt to kill me.”

My eyes widen and look down at Valerie. She’s still sobbing, rocking back and forth on her knees. “That’s why you were so obsessed with me marrying Matt?” I demand. “You were willingly going to hand me over to him because Dad was still talking to my birth mother?”

She lifts her head, snot and tears running down her face. “I am your mother! You ungrateful little bitch!” Her eyes go to LeAnne who places her bloody hand on her hip, looking bored. “All you had to do was marry him!”

“He didn’t want me!” I scream.

Snorting, she licks her lips “You think I wanted your fucking father? You make sacrifices for the Lords.”

My hand shakes, holding the knife, and my grip tightens. “You were going to take my baby.” I don’t want anyone to know that I’m having two. That’s for me and only my husband to know.

“She what?” Ryat demands, stepping into me.

He thinks I told him everything that went on those days that I was in lockdown with Valerie and Matt, but I didn’t. I ignore him and step closer to her, “You said that you would cut my baby out of me yourself and leave what’s left of me for Matt.” Angry tears fill my eyes. “A mother would never say that to her child.”

Growling, she lifts her chin. “Good thing I’m not your mother.” Her eyes go to Ryat who stands to my left. “He doesn’t fucking love you! You’re a game, Blakely. To Matt. To him. I was going to do you a fucking favor.” Her green eyes move to my stomach. “I deserve that baby! I deserve my chance. And I’m going to get it …”

Cutting her off, I drop to my knees and shove the knife into her stomach, horizontally. Valerie’s mouth falls open, a single breath leaving her parted lips before I yank on the handle, pulling it across her abdomen, splitting her fucking open—gutting her—like she had planned on doing to me.

Kneeling in front of her, I feel the blood on my skin and soak up into my jeans. I watch, unable to look away—the life draining out of her green eyes—and I hope that Ryat was wrong about there not being a heaven and hell. Because I hope she’s burning. When my day comes and I have to face my God, I will gladly go to hell for the life I took, because it saved two others. My children deserve a chance at a life they want. Not one that this bitch was going to dictate.

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

RYAT

“WONDERFUL.” THE CRAZY bitch claps her hands, turning to face the congregation. “You are dismissed, Lords,” LeAnne announces. “This is a family matter. Shoo.” She waves her hands in the air.

Ignoring her, I kneel next to my wife. She’s still on her knees, shaking and her hand gripping the handle of the knife that is inside of a dead Valerie. “Blake?” I say softly, brushing the hair off her shoulder to her back so I can get a better look at her profile. “Blakely?”