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My sister is a beast when it comes to writing. I know her books by heart. Playing them in my mind like a movie has kept me going.

Raf. Raf.

I snap my eyes open as the bass of deep barking fills the air. I squint my eyes and sit up with renewed hope as a tall redhead stands before me with two huge black dogs. He’s holding their chained leashes as he stares back at me.

“I have her. Carrick, bring me a blanket and some water,” he says through a thick accented voice.

Another redhead appears a few minutes later with a blanket and two bottles of water in his hands. He races forward and gingerly wraps the blanket around my shoulders.

“Ach, we have ya, love. No one can hurt ya now.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Danny’s husband, Ronan,” the one with the dogs says.

“Husband?”

“Aye, I’m yer brother-in-law. This is my nephew, Carrick. We’re going to get ya to Danny and yer ma. It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt ya.”

“Where’s my sister?”

“I sent her home to be seen by a doctor. She just risked her life to find ya. I think we should get ya looked at too. Let’s go. Ya’ve been here long enough.”

I burst into tears. I’m finally free. This nightmare is over.

CHAPTER40

What You Owe

Byron

“Fuck, that shit hurts,”I pant.

That bitch shot me in the shoulder. How the fuck did she just shrug that roofie off and keep shooting like it was nothing? I can’t go to the hospital and Marlow is too pussy to call a doctor for me.

Shit, he wouldn’t even let me come to his home. Instead, he sent me one of his pussy men. Now I’m in this fucking shithole motel with that asshole outside my door and this dumb broad who doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing.

That’s what I get for paying a prostitute to come patch me up. I need to get this shit sealed up so I can get the fuck out of here and regroup.

I look at the clock. Another hour. I’ve survived another hour.

With each hour that has passed, I’m hopeful that I’ll get another to get the fuck out of New York. That Russian bitch isn’t answering my calls.

“You have to be still. I need to get the bullet out,” this whore says, popping her gum in my face.

I shrug her off. “Pass me that vodka,” I grunt.

She reaches for the bottle and then starts screaming. I turn to see what the fuck she’ll yelling for and find Danny glaring at me. She’s standing in the doorway, holding up my so-called bodyguard’s head. She has two big motherfuckers standing on either side of her. If I’m going to die, I at least want to do it in peace.

With my good arm, I slash the screaming whore’s throat. Ugh, the bitch can’t even die quietly. She is gurgling and gasping as the light fades from her eyes.

“Byron deserved to die as much as your father did. They were in the way. You can’t handle the responsibility of the horsemen, it was meant to be me,” I bellow.

“Do you understand what being the pale horse means?” she says emotionlessly.

“It means I would be the one with all the power. All of them, each and every one of our soldiers, would answer to me.” I seethe.

“Wrong again. My job is to execute. I represent death to those who believe they are above the law.