Page 102 of Beneath Your Beautiful

“Pussy.”

Someone picked my head up by the hair and dragged me across the floor. “Shame for her she was in the wrong place, wrong time.”

He released his grip, and my head hit the floor with a clunk.

“Maybe we should have our fun with her before—”

I opened my eyes and snarled at him. “Get away from me.”

“Or what?” he taunted, crouching in front of me. He wasn’t the guy who broke down the bathroom door. This one looked like a big teddy bear with light brown hair, a beard, and warm brown eyes. Maybe I could appeal to his softer side.

“You seem like a nice guy. You don’t want to hurt anyone. How did you get messed up in all this?”

“Shut up, bitch,” the other guy said.

“Who are you guys? And why are you here?”

The guy in front of me reached out a hand and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Let me go,” I whispered. “I won’t say a word to any—”

“I told you to shut the fuck up,” the other guy said. He lifted me into a sitting position. I didn’t even see it coming. His fist slammed into my cheekbone. My head flew back and hit the wall behind me. Tears sprang to my eyes and I squeezed them shut.

I slumped onto the floor, unable to summon the energy to hold myself upright. “You won’t get away with this,” I said, my teeth gritted. He kicked me in the stomach, knocking all the air out of my lungs. I groaned and drew my knees to my chest. My stomach heaved, and I vomited again. Coughing and gagging on the bitter bile, the only thing left in my stomach.

The guy crouched in front of me, getting right in my face. “You gonna shut up now?”

Using every ounce of strength left in my body, I lifted my head off the ground and spit in his face. His meaty hands wrapped around my throat and squeezed. This was how it would end. This was how I was going to die, I thought, as stars danced behind my closed eyes.

“Get your fucking hands off her,” Killian roared.

Killian came for us.

The man’s body was ripped away from me. I coughed and took big gulps of air. Connor and I would be safe now. Killian would make sure of it.

Shots rang out and I forced my eyes open.

A bullet hit Killian in the chest. He staggered backward, and another bullet ripped through his chest. I was screaming but gunfire drowned out my voice.

I squeezed my eyes shut and curled into a ball as the world blew up all around me.

From somewhere far away, I heard police sirens wailing, shouts and heavy footsteps.

I let the darkness suck me under.

Killian was dead.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Killian

The bullet exploded from my gun and hit him in the chest. His eyes widened in surprise as he fell to the ground, landing on top of Eden’s curled-up body. For a second, I froze and stared at the gun in my hand.

“I said no cops!” a man shouted. I swung my gaze to him. He held his gun to Connor’s head. “Nooo!” I roared. I lunged for him and knocked him off balance, my gun clattering to the floor. I was about to finish the job, but someone got me into a rear headlock. I locked in his leg with my foot, turned, and threw him to the ground. Shots rang out behind me. The man who’d been holding a gun to Connor’s head staggered and fell. Seamus moved closer and stood over him, putting another bullet in the man’s chest.

“Police. Drop your weapons.”

The words were barely out when another shot was fired. And another. One hit Seamus in the neck, and the other one in the head. I looked at the man with dark hair and a goatee, the last one standing, the one I’d thrown to the ground. He met my gaze and drew his gun. He was three feet away, and I was unarmed. Slowly, I raised my arms in the air. The fucker shot me in the chest. All the air got knocked out of my lungs. Staggering from the blow, I hit the floor as bullets riddled the man’s body.

Everything around me played out in slow-motion as I got to my feet, wheezing and clutching my chest. Officers and paramedics spurred into action while I stood still amid destruction and chaos. My eyes met Deacon Ramsey’s across the room. He gave me a little nod, acknowledging he’d just saved my life, before he crouched behind Connor’s chair and cut off the ties binding him.