Page 98 of Cruel Possession

Zoe’s finger wraps around the trigger, a hard look entering her eyes.

Go ahead. It’s okay, I forgive you… I love you.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

AIDEN

I bracefor the burning pain I’ll feel once Zoe pulls the trigger. She’s got the gun aimed at my forehead.

At least it will be quick. I might not even feel anything.

But until that bullet hits, I feel a lot. I feel everything, and it all comes down to her. The woman who will take my life.

I love her, and she doesn’t even know, and I’m going to die without ever telling her.

A lump forms in my throat, and my chest tightens, threatening to clench until I can’t breathe anymore. Hopefully, Zoe gets away from this lunatic and back to the others after this.

Noah clears his throat and tilts his head to the side. “As touching as this is, I don’t have time for you to stand there like a deer in the headlights, Zoe. It’s time that you show you are worth the air I allow you to breathe. Now, pull the trigger.”

She presses her lips into a thin line. “I don’t think you’re fully thinking this through, Noah. He could be useful to you. You’rejust coming back into power again. Being at the forefront of the family.”

He stalks over to her. “What makes you think I need anything or anyone to walk back in and take back what is mine? You might have been the face of the family for the last while, but I was running it.”

He grabs her by the hair, forcing her head back until she winces and tries to get away from the pain.

I take a step forward, but the gun points at me, stopping me in my tracks.

Noah glances over his shoulder at me, that cold and calculating look back in his eyes.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’re going to stop right there and stay out of it. This is a family matter.”

“And she’s my family, too,” I snap. “If you have a problem with her, then you have a problem with me.”

There goes the pretending not to care about her.

Even if I wanted to, I can’t pretend that she doesn’t mean anything to me. Not anymore.

Noah pulls harder on her hair until a hiss of pain leaves her lips. “If you take another step forward, I’m going to slit her throat.”

I hesitate.

For the first time in a long time, I stop, unable to move forward. I’m frozen and at the same time, I’m brought back to the feeling I had when he was torturing Ellie. Back to when there was nothing I could do to help her.

Zoe looks at me, and for the first time since I’ve met her, there’s fear in her eyes. I’ve never seen her look scared of anything or anyone, but there she is, eyes wide, blood clotting from the cut on her arm, clothes stained a deep crimson.

I’m never going to be able to save her, save my family.

Noah leans over Zoe. “I’m not fucking with you. You’re going to do what I say or there’s going to be hell to pay.”

“Can’t be anything worse than what I’ve lived through with you already.” She forces a smirk, but it wavers just there at the corner of her lips.

He’s not going to let her go. Instead, he pulls on her hair again before changing his grip to her neck.

His fingers pinch on either side of her throat, and that’s when I move.

I wrap my arm around his throat, but I can’t quite get a good grip on him before the gun comes swinging into my temple.

He throws his head back into mine, and I stumble back with a groan, foot catching on a piece of broken vase.