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Calista

I don’t know how long I’ve been knocked out, but when I come to, my hands are bound behind my back and my mouth is taped.

It takes me a moment to adjust to the dimly lit room, and when I do, I can see Genevieve gagged and restrained against the furthest wall from me. Her eyes are puffy, snot and tears soaking down her face.

My own eyes fill with despair, this was not supposed to happen. What delusional part of me thought that Samantha and her plan to get revenge would just cease to exist when I said ‘no’? I’m no assassin, no mastermind in strategic mercenary work—I’m an ignorant, privileged, girl in a world I don’t understand. My stupidity has got Genevieve and I kidnapped.

What have they done to Ronan?

Am I too late? What do I do?

I pull hard on the zip ties that are cutting into the skin of my wrists and scream loud through the tape.

When I take a deep breath, Gene hums something to me, getting my attention. As I refocus on her, she has her eyebrows pinched hard together.

“How…” It sounds like she has something in her mouth that’s taped shut. “How could you?!” Her voice is muffled, but when she speaks low, I can make out the words.

“I’m… sorry…” My voice is also strained, but I don’t have anything inside my mouth. The cover over my lips just makes it hard to emphasis my words.

“You lied… to me…” Her shoulders jerk as she throws out her foot, kicking my shin.

I wince, but don’t move away. I deserve for her to hurt me and won’t hide from the pain she wants to inflict on me.

She shakes her head violently, and I feel my tears slip down my cheeks. I have to be careful—if my nose gets too stuffy, I might pass out from the lack of oxygen.

“It was never meant to be like this.”

She throws both of her feet at me, kicking and screaming through her gag.

My arms tighten at my side, making myself smaller while feeling the ache that’s building under her attacks, and my heart.

Are they out there right now going after Ronan? The thought makes my stomach churn and actually gag under a choked sob.

What will they do with Gene once things are done? Will they let her go?

Where’s my mom? I don’t care about her wellbeing, even if she was forced into making me come over as a setup. I’d have never done something like that to my child, and even as I look at my best friend screaming something unintelligible and kicking me, I wouldn’t have even picked her over my baby’s safety.

“I’m sorry…” I say, but I know she can’t hear me over her hysterical screaming.

She has always been this calming presence, and being a therapist, that makes sense. This, however, is distress. She’s been taken, because of me, her best friend. I can’t blame her for hating me or going berserk.

“I’m so sorry—”

Suddenly the door to the closet flies open, and Gene curls further away from it. I don’t even get the chance to scream as I’m immediately grabbed by the collar of my shirt and yanked out. My hip grinds against the concrete floor, and I watch as the door I was dragged out of, shuts.

There’s only one car in the three available spots, and its back door is open. I jerk my shoulders, fighting to break free from the person pulling me across the floor. I search desperately for anything I can grab onto to keep from being shoved into that vehicle.

The fight drains out of me the moment something cold presses against my temple.

“Such a fucking pain,” a deep male voice reverberates in my ears. “Get up.” He grabs hold of my neck, pulling me to my feet. My back presses against his chest as he turns us and walks me toward the car. In the back seat, I see Samantha, a smug smile curling on her lips.

I’m thrust into the black SUV, and because my arms are restrained, I’m guided up to a seated position. Since being with Ronan, I’ve had a lot of practice moving with my arms behind me. However, I’m not going to make this easy on them. Fuck them .

As I’m situated, they don’t even bother putting my seat belt on. Instead, the woman beside me gestures with her head, directing them to close the door behind me, and raises her own gun to my head.

“I hope his dick was worth it.”

I mumble, but don’t actually say anything intelligible. I want the gag removed before I even try to talk.

By the look on her face, the one that just doesn’t care, I doubt it will come off anytime soon. The sound of the garage door opening draws me to look behind my shoulder, seeing the night greet me. How long was I out?

As we pull out of the driveway, I spot three cars—one van and two standard black sedans. Unlike ours, none of them have tinted windows. I quickly scan the vehicles, counting seven people, maybe eight, though I’m not entirely sure. Then there’s our driver, and Samantha.

She taps the tip of the gun against my temple, and I wince.

“Was it?” I stare at her from the corner of my eyelids. “His dick. It’s good, isn’t it?”

My chest heaves as I begin to breathe erratically. I want to tear her fucking eyes out, shove that gun up her pussy, and destroy the two things that have seen and felt Ronan. I know her hands haven’t, he would never let this bitch touch him.

“I’d say I’m jealous, but I’m not. This has always been about his death, and nothing more than that.” She’s such a fucking liar. Her scrunched, forced smile is all telling of it to be so. Maybe his death was what brought all of this about, but my defiance to killing him has sparked something different.

She sighs and leans against her arm. Her dark hair falls over her shoulders, and her makeup is flawlessly done, with her nails freshly manicured. She just looks too casual for what’s happening right now.

“We are heading back to your little sanctuary, Calista .” She enunciates my name, mocking me with every chance she gets. “You’ll finish what you started, or your little BFF will die. Super simple.”

My toes curl in my sneakers and I begin to lean forward, trying to make myself smaller.

“Oh please, you’ve known him for only a couple of months. Cry me a fucking river and build me a god damn bridge.”

When I scream, my entire body shakes with rapture. I hate this bitch, and I have no idea what I’m going to do about it.

“I’ve even made it humane. A quick jab of a needle and he’ll die in seconds. Fuck it up and I’ll send my men in to finish it painfully for you.” She sighs and smacks me a few times across the forehead with the pistol. “Shooting him is just so messy. It takes more effort for it to be covered up, and even with the fire—” I may actually pass out. “—I’ll have to pay the police extra to cover that up. Poisoning is easy to dismiss, and with him having no family that cares about him… no one will fight it.”

I turn to her slowly, and her eyes are piercing right through me.

“And you’ll keep that fucking mouth shut,” she hisses. “You think you know pain, you don’t. I promise you have no idea what I’m truly capable of.”

No, she’s wrong—so fucking wrong. I know pain, because the thought of losing him is tearing me to shreds. My entire body is going through a vibration and I’m on the verge of vomiting.

How are we going to get out of this? How… how do I save him?

My cheeks soak with my tears as I throw my shoulder against the door roughly and begin pulling hard on my wrists.

I’m so fucking sorry… What do I do? Think, Cal… Think or else you’ll lose him…