Page 15

15

O ctavia stared into the eyes of the man who had beaten her.

Raped her.

Left her for dead.

If there had ever been any lingering doubts that it had been Eric…

They were all gone now.

Bile bubbled up from deep in her gut and smacked the back of her throat. The fact that Eric was in Bellamy’s home made her stomach churn. This place had become her sanctuary. She loved every room. Every detail. And she wanted to spend the next few months here getting to know Bellamy again.

Her dream of a second chance hung in the breeze like a kite about to slip from a child’s fingertips. She wasn’t about to let go. Not this time .

She only hoped Eric hadn’t ruined that like he’d ruined so many things.

Eric was a vile human being who belonged in prison for the rest of his life, and she desperately wanted to be the woman to put him there.

Her heart rattled like a volcano about to spew fire and lava. It was time for her to get Eric to confess. She was sure that Bellamy could have done it.

However, she wanted the honors. She needed it. Not just for herself.

But for Tate.

“How long have you known I was alive?” She held Eric’s gaze. Fire scorched her fingertips. It flew across her skin. She wanted to lunge across the room, grab his neck, and strangle him until he was one breath from death.

“That’s what you want to ask me?” Eric shook his head. “I don’t have time for your stupid questions. Now, unless you want me to shoot Bellamy right here in front of you, let’s go.”

“If you want me to go without a fight, I want to know a few things first.” Octavia folded her arms across her chest. Her heart thumped like a scared rabbit. She almost wished she were back in her small village in Colombia where she could hide from the cruelties this man had created in her world.

“You were always such a stubborn woman.” Eric smiled that weird grin he had when he thought he was being cheeky. “If you must know, I suspected a few years ago, but only got confirmation six months ago.”

“And so you decided you needed to finish what you failed to do when you raided her village,” Bellamy said, going way off script.

She turned and stared at him with wide eyes, but his gaze never wavered from Eric. The problem with Bellamy trying to extract the necessary information from Eric was that Bellamy tended to go for the jugular. Octavia thought it was better to lead Eric down the road slowly. Let him bask in the glory of what he’d done.

Not get into a pissing contest because while Eric hated Bellamy and would hurt him in the worst way, it wouldn’t be telling him what he’d done. But by how he’d won her heart.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Eric inched closer, waving his weapon. “I’m bored with this conversation. It’s time to go.”

Octavia’s heart sank. “What’s going to happen to Bellamy when we leave?”

Eric shrugged. “Nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“Tell me, or I’m not going.” She cocked a brow.

“To be honest, I’m not exactly sure,” Eric said. “I didn’t want to be privy to that detail, so I hired someone to deal with our friend. ”

“Interesting,” Bellamy said. “If you really think you can have me killed and make it look like a random murder, then you’re a bigger fool than I thought you were.”

“You’re the fool.” Eric pointed his gun toward the stairs and Lemin came charging down them.

Bellamy whipped around, but Lemin tackled him to the ground. Bellamy swung, landing a punch in Lemin’s face. Blood spewed from a crack on Lemin’s lip. The two men wrestled on the ground.

Octavia gasped when Eric grabbed her by the hair. She flapped her arms, but he wrapped his free one around her, hugging her close. “I wouldn’t fight me,” he whispered.

“Get your fucking dirty hands off her,” Bellamy managed.

Eric pressed the cold metal against her temple.

Bellamy gave up his fight and Lemin yanked him to a standing position.

This was not how this was supposed to go down. What happened to their upper hand? What happened to the plan?

“You’re never going to get away with this,” she mumbled. “My father will come for you.”

“Your dad is an old man who lost his touch.” Eric laughed. “No one is going to believe him. Everyone thinks he’s literally losing his mind and I’ll continue to drive that point home when I return to Virginia and he babbles on about you being alive, but you’re nowhere to be found.”

“Even if you could do that, you’ll still end up in prison,” she said. “We know all about what you and Lemin have been doing.”

“You might suspect, but you don’t know shit.” He ran the butt of the gun down the side of her cheek.

Her body went stone-cold. Every fiber of her being remembered each kick. Each punch. Each stab of his assault.

She wasn’t going down without a fight. Not this time.

A red light flashed through the side window. It tapped against the picture on the far wall near the fireplace.

Then disappeared.

Finally, some good news because Bellamy couldn’t stand there a second longer and watch that asshole manhandle the woman he loved.

“We have proof of your human trafficking ring,” Octavia said, doing her best to get them back on track with the script they had practiced.

One that Bellamy had tossed out the window the second Lemin tackled him to the ground.

“You might think you have something, but I’ll be able to explain it all away. I’m not worried.” Eric dared to smile.

Bellamy couldn’t wait to wipe the smug grin off his face.

“We don’t have time for this,” Lemin said. “Tommy will be back in eight minutes. We need to be out of here in five.”

Hopefully, that light in the window meant that his team had neutralized Tommy and whatever band of misfits he had brought.

“Can you explain away why you had to attack that village?” Bellamy hoped Octavia would be able to forgive him for what he was about to do. “Or why you had to rape a woman you claimed to love before you tried to kill her? Did you think that would make you a man?”

Octavia’s lips parted. She stared at him with fire in her eyes. It had been important to her for Eric to admit what he’d done, and Bellamy understood why. He hated himself for taking that away from her. However, if he didn’t end this now, he risked the shit hitting the fan.

Eric heaved in a deep breath. His nostrils flared like a raging bull.

“Did you get some weird, sick enjoyment out of leaving her while she still had breath in her lungs? You had to have known she knew it was you who tortured her, or are you that stupid?” Bellamy said .

Octavia opened her mouth, but Bellamy blinked. Twice.

A signal for her to keep her mouth shut.

“And here you’re telling me of all the mistakes I’ve made. Damn, leaving her alive was a big one. Do you not know or understand the kind of woman she is? No flipping way was she going to let you get away with that. Just because it took her a few years to put it all together and have Tate reach out to me to come collect?—”

“What are you talking about?” Eric snapped. “You had no idea she was alive. Tate was too close-lipped for that.”

“That’s what you think.” Bellamy lifted his chin. “I knew before you waltzed into Tate’s hotel and shot him. Who do you think Tate was talking to on the phone when you pulled the fucking trigger?”

“You’re bluffing,” Eric said.

“I have a recording of it.” Bellamy arched a brow. Time to fudge the truth a little. “Tate knew you were coming. He asked me to record the conversation, so I did. I have your voice and the gunshots. I was on a transport plane the next day to collect Octavia. The least you can do now is own up to what you did.”

“Is that what you want?” Eric asked. “A fucking confession from me?”

“I don’t want one,” Bellamy admitted .

“But I do,” Octavia said. “I want to hear you say it.”

“Fine.” Eric narrowed his stare. “I was the one who orchestrated the raid. I was the one who attacked you. Are you satisfied?”

“Yes,” Octavia said softly.

Bellamy held his breath. If the team didn’t come flying through the door by the time he counted to ten, he’d have to start improvising.

Again.

Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five.

Crap. Where the hell was everyone?

It was now or never.

He held Octavia’s stare, as if to apologize for what he was about to do. He knew what would happen. He only hoped it would be him.

And not her.

Octavia stood there, frozen. She’d seen that look in Bellamy’s eyes before. It was a combination of an apology and a call to action.

Bellamy cocked his arm and jabbed Lemin in the gut with his elbow.

Lemin dropped to his knees.

“What the hell?” Eric mumbled.

Bellamy kicked Lemin in the face and went for the gun he had strapped to his ankle .

Eric held her tighter and shifted his weapon, pointing it directly at Bellamy.

“No,” she shouted, grabbing Eric’s arm.

Bang!

“Goddammit.” Bellamy’s arm jerked. Blood trickled from his biceps, onto his T-shirt, and down his sleeve.

Oh God. Bellamy wrestled with Lemin, fighting over the gun in Bellamy’s hand.

Eric reached for her.

She went for his weapon.

He backhanded her across the face. She fell sideways, her body slamming into the coffee table.

“You fucking bitch.” Eric grabbed her by the hair, yanking her to a standing position.

The taste of blood filled her mouth. Her vision blurred, but she could see Eric’s weapon as he waved it about. His eyes were wild with rage. She fisted his shirt, holding it tightly, and kneed him right where it counted.

He groaned, doubling over.

Taking advantage of the situation, she snatched the gun from his hand.

He grabbed her ankles, and she toppled over backward, landing on the floor on her ass.

Eric hovered over her. A menacing grin appeared on his face. “I’m going to finish what I started right now.”

He reached behind his back .

She swallowed. Aimed. And pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Eric’s eyes went wide. He clutched his chest. Blood oozed between his fingertips. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He collapsed to the floor, rolling to his back. His chest rose up and down twice.

And then nothing.

Bang!

Bang!

“Bellamy!” Scrambling to all fours, she tried to stand. A strong hand came down on her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” Bellamy dropped to the floor. “It’s over.”

“You’re shot,” she cried. “Eric shot you.”

“It’s a flesh wound,” he said calmly, rolling up his sleeve. “Might need a stitch or two, but outside of that, it’s nothing.” He took a moment and pressed his finger against the side of Eric’s neck.

“Is he… is he…”

Bellamy nodded.

She covered her face and a guttural sob filled her throat.

“Come here.” Bellamy wrapped his arms around her body. “He can’t ever hurt you again.”

The front door flew open.

The sound of boots hitting the floorboards from the kitchen echoed in her ears. More stomping of feet came barreling down the steps .

“What happened?” Nova asked.

“I was about to ask the same thing,” Ethan said.

“You all are a little late to the party.” Bellamy’s loving hands continued to roam up and down her back.

“We’ve been a little busy out there,” Cooper said. “You know, having your back and taking out two teams.”

“You couldn’t bring him in alive, could you?” a woman said. “We talked about this, Bellamy.”

Octavia glanced up, wiping the tears away. She recognized the woman as Agent Georgia Adams. “It was me,” she said softly. “I shot him.”

“Oh, well, that’s different.” Georgia planted her hands on her hips and sighed. “We did hear everything and I am sorry we couldn’t get in sooner. Unfortunately, they had a second team that didn’t go down as easily.”

Bellamy lifted his shirt and dabbed her cheek.

She winced.

“I think we should have you checked out by a doctor.” He kissed her temple. “He clocked you good.”

Her stomach pitched and rolled. What little she’d eaten slowly made its way from her tummy to her throat. “I’m going to be sick.” She jumped to her feet, raced past the half a dozen people standing in Bellamy’s family room, and stumbled out the front door. She barely managed the porch steps and dropped to her knees before coughing and gagging.

“Maybe she has a concussion,” Cooper said. “I’ll check with Emory on how far out an ambulance is.”

“Thanks.” Bellamy was at her side in seconds. He brushed her hair behind her shoulders and ran his hand across her neck. “Deep breaths, babe. Deep, slow breaths.”

“I wanted him to pay for what he did, but he was going to?—”

“Shhh,” Bellamy whispered. “It was him or us. You did what any normal human being would do in that situation.”

“Did I?”

He sat back on the steps, pulling her onto his lap. “Yes,” he said strongly. “It’s not easy to deal with taking a life. I know that better than anyone. But please don’t ever forget what he did to you. Or the fact that he left you for dead and given the chance, he would have killed us both.”

“I know that.” She crumpled into his loving arms. “This is really over, isn’t it? I’m free to come back and live my life however I see fit.”

“You are.” He tilted her chin with his thumb. “I love you, O.”

“I love you too, Bell… Pepper.”

He shook his head and laughed. “Now I’m sure you have a concussion. ”

“I do feel lightheaded and I have a killer headache.” Only, she wasn’t so sure that’s what had made her sick.