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He’s coming for me.

I have to save myself and my babies.

“Ready or not… here I come!” he cries out in delight, as if this is a game. As if he didn’t just murder an innocent woman in cold blood.

I race to Ashley’s bedroom, slamming the door and locking it behind me. I stumble over to the wardrobe, hastily searching for it and finding it empty. I head to the dresser, yanking open the drawer to find a gun case.Thank god.I almost sob with relief.

I can hear Tony walking slowly along the corridor, his footsteps heavy and sure. He’s not in a rush. He’s not afraid. He even begins to whistle. The sadistic bastard is enjoying this.

I’ll show him.

With trembling hands, I try to load the gun as quickly as I can.

Knock knock knock.

“Locking doors is cheating, Leah,” he calls in a sing-song voice.

“Come on in and get me then, motherfucker.”

He laughs, amused by my defiance. He should be scared.

With one, swift kick the door buckles and swings open. Tony bursts through the door. I have the pleasure of watching the smile wipe from his face as he notices the gun I have pointed at his head. Before he has a chance to react, I pull the trigger.

The gun clicks.

Nothing happens.

Tony’s look of horror turns to triumph and while I’m still figuring out what happened he runs full pelt toward me, knocking the gun from my hand and sending it skittering across the room. I should be grateful at least that he didn’t use his gun on me. If Tony plans to kill me, he won’t want it to be quick.

I struggle against him, but I’m no match for Tony. He’s bigger, stronger, and a trained fighter. He knocks me to the ground, sitting astride me, his hands close around my throat.

“You thought you could get away from me, didn’t you?” he snarls. “I knew all about your little plan. You see, noteveryone thinks your precious bikers are so great. Some of their men actually have sense. They know that they’re too weak to rule, and under Axel’s leadership, the Steel Vipers will remain weak Boy Scouts with no power. So they’ve been reporting back to me, letting me know all about their little plan. Of course, we could have stopped it before it even started, but where would the fun be in that?”

His hands squeeze my throat, cutting off just enough air to keep me silent without stopping me from breathing completely. He wants me to listen to his tirade. Which is a good thing, it buys me time. My gun is out of reach, but his isn’t. If I can distract him, perhaps I can pull it from its holster quick enough to use it.

“No, far better to allow them to move ahead with their plan and catch them unawares. It was the perfect ambush. They didn’t stand a chance. No one’s coming to rescue you, Leah. Those losers weren't your white knights, your saviors. I was. And you rejected me.”

He can tell I’m trying to speak, and he releases my throat slightly, no doubt expecting me to beg and plead for my life. To appease him and tell him what he wants to hear, the same way I’ve always done.

“You’re pathetic, all this because a woman rejected you. You’re weak, getting others to take on your enemy while you handle the girls,” I spit, blazing fire as I glare defiantly into his eyes.

He roars with anger, striking me so hard across the jaw that I taste blood. I’ve hit a nerve.

“You don’t understand, Leah, no one’s coming to save you. And if I can’t have you, no one can.”

He starts to squeeze tighter, cutting off my airflow completely. I try to stay calm, to focus on getting his gun. I hit him but my punches are weak and ineffective. I start to see stars. It won’t be long now.

In the distance, I can hear the rumble of motorcycles and relief floods my body. They’re coming. They’re okay. But they’re too far away. They’ll be too late. Tony is right. No one is coming to save me, to save my babies. But he’s forgetting one thing.

I can save us.

Just as I think it’s too late, my hand clasps around the gun. Tony is too busy telling me how much he loves me to notice what is happening. He thinks he’s the tragic hero, that killing me is justified. He has no idea what love is.

With my last ounce of strength, I raise the gun and point it at his temple. I pull back the safety with a click. Tony’s eyes go wide with realization, and he eases his grip on my throat.

“Leah—”

I pull the trigger.