Page 10 of Beautifully Shattered (Secrets & Scars #3)

“Tell me what?” I manage to ask, even though my heart is hammering.

He sighs, remaining quiet for a moment like he’s stalling, or trying to figure out how to put his words together.

Shit. Maybe I don’t want to hear this.

“I found out who gave up your location to Allen. The one who set the ambush on the compound in motion. And your kidnapping… all of it.”

I bolt upright in bed, my eyes wide as I stare down at him.

“ Someone gave up my location? I thought… I just assumed they tracked me somehow.”

I’d never really thought about it before. I just knew Ringo left, and they came.

“Yeah. They found you because of…” he trails off, and rage flares in my chest, my fists clenched tight as I fight the urge to punch the truth out of him.

“Who?” I snap. “Who was it?”

He sits up, although he takes his sweet arse time, shifting back to lean against the headboard.

“Cam?!” I practically yell, my voice breaking with frustration.

He blows out a breath and sighs, his eyes deadly serious as he parts his lips.

“It was Wendy.”

I stop breathing.

I don’t move.

I just stare at him.

Because did he just say…

“Wendy?” I echo, my voice a little screechy.

“Yes, Angel. Wendy called the police tip line and got put through to Allen.”

For a long, drawn-out moment, all I can do is stare at him, completely stunned.

I knew she didn’t like me. The feeling was mutual, but oh man, I didn’t think she’d ever stoop to that .

But shit. She did. She actually did. That’s what he’s saying, right?

Wendy told Officer Allen where I was.

She gave me up to get me out of the way.

“Are you… fucking serious?!” I snarl, rage bubbling in my gut, fighting to be set free.

“Yes, Angel. I’m so fucking sorry.” He reaches for me, but I shrug back, too consumed by my fury.

“Where is she?”

His hand drops heavy to the bed, his body sagging with exhaustion, like talking about her drains the life out of him.

“She’s chained up like a dog at the compound.”

Is he… serious ?

“She is?”

“Yes,” he nods.

“Like a dog? Like, actually chained up on all fours?”

“Yes.”

Jesus… that’s… wait.

Why is she still alive?

“I thought you would have killed her,” I admit, my eyes dropping to his fists, twisted in the sheets like he’s struggling to hold himself together.

“Trust me. I fucking wanted to.”

I study him for a long moment.

This big, broody man who wants to protect me so fiercely. The man who nearly lost his shit on our wedding day when he found out the lies Wendy spat.

The man who wanted to kill her .

“Why didn’t you?” I ask, trying to pull back on my snappy tone.

“I’ll tell you, but can you at least come here?” He pats his lap. “I can feel you pulling away again.”

Frowning, I glance down at the mattress, to the space I’ve put between us.

Shit. I didn’t even realise I’d moved.

I hate that I did it. Hate that my head is so messed up that I didn’t even notice.

Crawling forward, I straddle his lap, feeling his strong hands grip my hips like he’s scared I’ll disappear.

Eye to eye, we stare at each other, my hands gliding up his arms to settle over the thick, tense muscles of his biceps.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I’m here. I promise.”

Leaning forward, doing what he loves to do, he presses his forehead to mine.

“I’ve fucking missed you.”

Shit. The pain in his voice is like a punch to the chest.

He must have been frantic when he found out I was taken. He must have felt so helpless.

“I’ve missed you too,” I admit, and he pulls me in for another hug.

His arms squeeze me to him, his nose nuzzling in my hair, and I think I hear him sniff me.

Under any other circumstances, I’d call him out on it. Tease him a little. But that’s not where we are at right now.

Right now, we are sharing the darkness.

After a moment, he eases back slowly, like it physically hurts to let go. Then he clears his throat, those dark eyes locking with mine.

“There were a couple of reasons I didn’t kill Wendy,” he starts. “The first was because I needed to make sure the location she gave us to find you was legit. She was our only lead. I couldn’t risk it. I had to keep her alive until I had you back.”

I nod. It makes sense.

“And after you knew she told the truth?” I press. “Why didn’t you kill her then?”

“I’ve been keeping her alive for you,” he admits, his hands slowly roaming over my back like he can’t handle the idea of not touching me. “Killing her… that would have been easy. And a quick death would have been a mercy. She doesn’t fucking deserve mercy. ”

A chill ripples up my spine at the venom in his tone. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Ringo is a killer when he can be so gentle with me.

“I needed her to live in pain. To fucking feel it. Every day. So, I kept her alive for you .”

“For… me?” I echo, and he nods.

“Yes.”

“Why?” I ask, completely confused.

“So you can be the one to kill her. If that’s what you want.”

I blink, and my heart stumbles.

“But I thought you insisted on being my weapon?” I frown, my head tilting as I study his face.

“I did. But I didn’t want to take that away from you if it’s something you needed to do.

” He sighs, blowing out a breath, his fingers grazing up my back until his hand cups my nape.

“But Angel, I don’t want you to do it. Killing someone…

It’s something you can never undo. You’ll live with it for the rest of your life.

Shit… just knowing I couldn’t stop you from killing that Rebel at the hospital…

” He trails off like he can’t fathom what will happen to my soul now.

His grip on my nape tightens, and a low growl rumbles in his chest.

“I need to be the one to carry that burden for you, Abs. That’s what I’m built for. Please let me kill Wendy. You can watch. You can tell me exactly how you want it done. I’ll make her suffer for what she did. But I just don’t want you to have to carry something like that.”

It’s too late for me. I already killed that man at the hospital, and honestly, I’m not even sorry .

Maybe that makes me a bad person, but I used to be good. I used to be fair and kind, but those parts of me died with my daughter.

Nodding, I lean in closer, nestling into his chest, soaking in his warmth as his arms come around me.

“Okay,” I whisper.

It’s a lie.

I love Ringo for trying to save my soul, but the truth is, it died last week with Bobbi.

Wendy will die tomorrow, and it will be by my hands.