The Vow (North Woods University 4)

She has everything on you.

Laura twists the blade in her hand, digging it a little deeper into Lily’s skin. Not enough to draw blood, but enough to make Lily whimper. The sound pierces my heart like a hot dagger stabbing through the center. On instinct, I take a step toward her.

“Don’t fucking move!” Laura growls.

“It’s okay,” I assure her, lifting my hands up to show her my palms. I feel like I’m trying to calm down a bull that’s seconds away from charging.

“Take another step, and the blade might slip,” she threatens, and my blood runs cold. She’s not giving me any sign of keeping her end of the deal by letting Lily go, so I do the only other thing I can think of.

I decide to use her words against her, use her feelings for me against her.

“You know if you had told me that you wanted to fuck things might be different now.”

Immediately, Laura’s posture changes, it’s like she perked up as soon as I said the word fuck. “What do you mean?” she asks curiously, the anger in her face slowly receding.

I shrug, “Of course, I thought you were attractive and don’t think that I haven’t thought about bending you over my desk a time or two,” I lie, unable to look at Lily as I try to concentrate on Laura only. Lying is hard, and it’s even harder when the words you’re speaking are daggers to the heart of the woman that you love.

“Then, why didn’t you?” At her question, she drops the blade from Lily’s throat. That’s it. Come a little closer.

“I didn’t think you were into me. You were married with kids. What was I supposed to think?” Laura’s face softens further, and it looks like she actually believes what I’m saying, “I guess I’m not good at picking up cues. You should have come out and said it or grabbed my dick or something like that, then there wouldn’t have been any confusion.”

Her cheeks redden at my suggestion. “Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe we can still be together. Just you and me. You know we would be great. There would be no hiding our relationship.”

Not a chance in the world.

“You’re right. We still can. We can take the money and leave town… you and me,” I coax, and she takes another step closer, and my eyes dart to the knife that’s still in her hand. I need to get that knife, which means I need her to get just a little closer.

“What about her?” Laura spits out and motions toward Lily, who is now shaking on the floor. I only briefly gaze at her, but when I do, I feel like the air deflates from my lungs. All I want to do is take her into my arms and tell her everything is okay, that I don’t mean a word that I’ve said but I can’t. Not until she’s safe, not until our baby is safe.

“What about her? We can leave her here. By the time someone finds her, we’ll be long gone.” Conflict flickers in Laura’s eyes, and I know I’ve almost got her.

Take the bait, bitch.

“I don’t know.” Laura looks between Lily and me, once, twice, and then her gaze holds mine. “We should kill her. If you don’t have a witness, then there isn’t be a crime.”

Lily starts to scream behind her duct tape, the sound is muffled, but I know without even looking at her that she’s losing it. She doesn’t know this is all an act, she doesn’t know the things I’ll do, the lengths I’ll go to, to save her.

My heart aches, and a sour taste pricks my tongue at the words I speak next.

“You’re right, but you shouldn’t be the one to do it. Give me the knife, and I’ll do it. I’m the one that caused all the problems.” I keep my voice even, not giving away any deception. Holding out my hand, I wait for Laura to make the next move. The air grows tense, and I worry that maybe she’s changing her mind. Fuck. No. “I need to do this, Laura. I need the closure. If I can’t do it myself, I won’t be able to completely give myself to you, not the way I want to, not the way I know you want me to.” The words sicken me, and it takes everything not to double over and vomit all over the floor.

Laura smiles triumphantly and takes another step forward. She raises her hand as if she’s about to give the knife to me. Only a few more inches and I’ll have it. Only a few inches between Lily’s safety, and…Laura freezes midstep. Every cell in my body tells me to grab the knife, to reach out and pluck the thing out of her hands. She’s right there, right in front of me. Her eyebrows draw together, confusion appearing seconds before anger as we both hear the police sirens echoing off in the distance. For a moment, no one moves, but when it’s clear that the sirens are coming closer, everything changes.