Page 78 of Colton

He chuckles, swirling the whiskey in his glass once again. “Come now, Colton. You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?”

I can feel the rage building inside me, a dark storm threatening to consume me. But I rein it in, keeping my voice steady. “I won’t ask again. Where is Luella?”

Xavier leans back, his lips curling into that familiar, cold smirk. “You’re wasting your time, Colton. You always were soft,too weak to do what needs to be done. That’s why she’s mine now.”

I grip the gun tighter, trying not to let his words get under my skin, but the red-hot anger simmers just beneath the surface.

“Weak,” he continues, swirling his whiskey as if this is all some casual game. “Like the time you let that girl die because you couldn’t pull the trigger. What was her name? Claire? Christine? No matter, she screamed just the same.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut, the memory flooding back—a memory I’ve spent years trying to bury.

“Shut up,” I snarl, my voice low, deadly. “I warned you. I told you Luella was mine, but you had to go after her, didn’t you?”

He raises an eyebrow, enjoying the torment. “Of course. I can’t have you falling in love with askank, Colton. We marry for money, you ignorant child.”

The gun trembles in my hand, the barrel aimed squarely at his head, but I can’t pull the trigger. Not yet.

“Tell me where she is.”

He sighs. “She’s safe, Colton, does that make your heart leap with joy?”

I clench my jaw, my grip tightening on the gun. “You’re lying.”

He raises his eyebrows and takes a long sip of his whiskey before responding. “Am I?”

I don’t have fucking time for this.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. I can’t let him bait me, can’t let him see how much he’s getting to me. I need to stay focused, stay in control. “You have two choices,” I say, my voice steady and cold. “You can tell me where she is, and I might consider letting you live. Or you can keep playing games, and I’ll make sure you suffer.”

Xavier laughs. “You think you have what it takes to make me suffer, boy? You think you’re man enough?”

I ignore his taunts, keeping my eyes locked on his. “Last chance,” I warn.

He smirks. “You’re too late, Colton. She’s already mine. She’s been broken in.”

A red haze descends over my vision, and I can feel the darkness inside me roaring to life. The voices scream in my head, urging me to pull the trigger, to end him, to make him pay. But I push them back, forcing myself to stay in control. I can’t kill him yet, not until I know where Luella is.

“You’re lying,” I growl.

He shrugs, a nonchalant gesture that sends a fresh wave of rage coursing through me. “Believe what you want, Colton. But know this, she screamed. She begged. She fought. She’s feisty, isn’t she?”

I can’t take it anymore.

I lunge forward, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the desk. The glass of whiskey goes flying, shattering against the wall. Blood spurts from his nose or his lip, I don’t care which, and I press the barrel of the gun to his temple, my hand shaking with the effort of not pulling the trigger.

“Tell me where she is,” I snarl.

He looks up at me, a sick smile spreading across his face. “You’re too weak, Colton. You can’t protect her. You can’t save her.”

“Where is she?!” I roar, my finger tightening on the trigger. “Tell me or I’ll blow your fucking brains out.”

The voices are screaming in my head, their words crashing over each other like waves in a storm.

Pull the trigger, Colton. End it. He deserves it.

No! You need him alive. You’ll never find her if you kill him now.

I blink, trying to shake the chaos in my mind, but the rage threatens to consume me.