Page 80 of Into The Rabbit Hole

“Why?”

“Doit.”

She walked over to therail.

“Now jump over.” Hesmiled.

God. No. This couldn’t be it for her. She started to cry. Crying for all that had happened and how her life wouldend.

“Can’t you just let me go? I did what youasked.”

“My mother begged just like that. Worse,” hesaid.

“I didn’t kill yourmother.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re all the same. You, Regina, you knew what Ben was like. I know you must have known, but you stayed withhim.”

“For safety,” she said quickly. “I was afraid of what would happen to my kids,” shecried.

“Bullshit!” he yelled. “You could have left. You’re Regina Vanderville, rich, successful, powerful. You couldn’t have been thatscared.”

“I was terrified,” she retorted. “And since you know us all so well, you should understand. You saw first-hand what Ben is capable of. I was terrified for mychildren.”

He stopped and considered this, but didn’t look like he’d be changing his mind anytimesoon.

“But you did nothing, you just stayed with him, even when you suspected he was doing all wrong. Youstayed.”

“I gave you my answer. BeforeRunway, I had nothing, I waited until I built up a name for myself and a successful empire, and then my plan was to leave. That is the truth. The only confirmed thing I knew that Ben did was falsify documents in the oil rig disaster. But I couldn’t prove it. Everything else I had no ideaon.”

His eyes turned colder and his face harder. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to watch your mother die, and in such a cruel way? Jackson Donovan shot her multiple times. Ben told him tokillher.”

She shook her head. “There are no words to express how sorry I am. I didn’t know he was capable ofmurder.”

Until now she was still shocked. That hadn’t sunk in yet, and most likely never would because she couldn’t accept it. For her own sanity it was better to forget. If she had the chance. Right now, her life stood in a balance between walking away and thischasm.

“You’re still going to die, Regina. I will not have mercy on you. Now jump or I’ll shoot you dead and you will fall.” His words were ridged, harsh,abrasive.

There was nothing human left in hiseyes.

It was hard to think of him as Aaron when she’d known him as Richard for the last two years that Taylor had dated him. He’d shown so much respect for her. It was hard to believe that this same man wanted to kill hernow.

“Jump!” he screamed, making her bones shiver from the cold terror that gripped hersoul.

“Let her go,” a voice she knew all too well sounded from the space behindAaron.

It wasBen.

But she couldn’t seehim.

He came. Regina’s heart started pounding within her chest at the possibility of hope. Hope to survive thismadness.

“Well look who decided to show,” Aaron said with a smile. “Full of surprises, aren’t you Ben?” Aaron turned with the gun and searched the area. “Where are you then? Scared to face me like the monster youare?”

“Drop thegun.”

Regina looked but she couldn’t see him. She did, however, hear the distinct click of a gun. Ben had the shotgun he used to use for hunting when his father was alive. That click sounded like it belonged to it. She only remembered because she hated hunting and they’d taken her along on onetrip.

“No. I’m not dropping it. Come out from where you are, coward,” Aaronbalked.