Page 70 of A Dove To Break

“Fuck you,” I growl.

“You took your mother from me,” he says.

“She deserved better,” I snap.

“And what do you deserve, Alania?” he asks, cupping my cheek. I smack his hand away, and he rears back to slap me. His hit sends me to the ground.

“Alania!” Fiona yells.

“It’s fine,” I say. I can feel that my cheek is cut. When I touch the spot, I pull back to see blood on my fingertips. “He hits like a bitch anyway.”

I scream when he grabs me by the hair and drags me up to my knees. “Apologize. Now,” Edward growls. “Suck my cock like the good little whore I taught you to be, or you’ll regret it.”

“No,” I laugh. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Last chance, Alania,” he says, pulling a pistol from his waistband.

I’m tired of doing what I’m told. I don’t care if I die; I will never do as he says. I refuse. “No,” I say with a dark tone.

“Wrong choice,” he says.

Edward shoves me to the ground, and right as I go to sit up, a deafening blast stuns me. I scream and fall to the concrete, curling myself up. I don’t feel any pain besides where he slapped me in the face. Maybe my body just hasn’t caught up to it yet. I’m in shock. That’s what it is. What else could it be?

After a few seconds, I’m still not in pain. I hear Edward walk away, so I look up and find Fiona lying on the concrete. “Fiona,” I gasp as I crawl over to her. I am instantly stunned when I see her. There is so much blood.

“No,” I whisper. “No, Fiona. No.”

I whimper as I start crying. When I sit up, I pull her bloody and limp body into my lap so I can rock her. “Oh, Alania,” Reggie says as he kneels next to me.

“You have to be quiet,” I cry. “She's sleeping.”

“Alania, honey…”

“No!” I say firmly as more tears flood my cheek and I hold her tighter. “Please don’t take her from me. Please.”

“I’m going to call for help, okay? We need to get some help,” Reggie says gently. I nod and rock my best friend.

My only friend.

Why did he take her from me?

No.

She’s not gone.

Asleep.

She’s just sleeping.

I have to keep her safe.

Just until she wakes up.

She will wake up.

She has to.

Adrian will know what to do.