Page 51 of Safe (King’s Heart #1)

Grant, Present

He’s out of his goddamn mind.

No way am I giving him the gun.

No way am I letting this monster go.

I’ve let Uncle Nate go so much.

I was just a kid before. When it happened to me. When it happened to anyone else that came into this house.

I hadn’t been back in this room since I lured Landon in here all those years ago.

To be honest, I’m still not completely sure why I did that. Maybe I was trying to tell him. Trying to show him what was happening to me. Here. On that stupid fucking horse. Why I had to make myself sick. Why he and his mother had to get out of here.

He couldn’t see it. So in the end, I had to force their hand.

I was successful with them. But not with everyone.

When I came here tonight, I wasn’t exactly sure what my plan was. I knew something needed to happen.

This wasn’t the first deposition I had been required to attend.

I had lied for him before, and I hated myself for it every day, knowing that I was part of the reason he kept doing what he did.

But I also couldn’t bear the idea of my truth being out there.

Of anyone other than my infected mind knowing the details of what happened to me.

I was younger then. But now I see. And even if I wasn’t sure, that brand new rocking horse, shiny and colorful for the next kid he would bring here, told me everything I needed to know.

He wasn’t going to stop. Not ever. I would keep getting subpoenaed. And each time, his money would make all the problems go away. That and my lies.

I stare at Uncle Nate. I don’t want to fucking look at him anymore, but he’s just the kind of asshole to somehow get away when I’m not looking. And he can’t. Not anymore.

“He deserves this, Lan.”

I flick my eyes to him, keeping my body in my uncle’s direction, and watch Landon nod slowly while taking a step closer to me. “I know he does, but you don’t.”

My brow furrows, and I snap my head back toward my cowering, worthless victim. He has the fucking nerve to cry and beg. He never cared when I did that. “What-what do you mean?”

He takes another step closer, reaching out and ghosting his fingers over my slackened arm, making me flinch in surprise.

“If you kill him”—he runs his fingers softly against the flesh of my tricep—“it’s just one more trauma to add onto your soul.

You’re tired, baby.” He takes another step.

His scent envelops me. Indescribable, but him.

I feel my gun wielding arm growing weak. “Let go,” he whispers.

His hand wraps around the one holding the gun. Caressing the barbed wire with his fingers. They’re soft, filling me with a glowing light in this fucking black hole I’ve been sucked into since I made him leave me.

I can feel more than see my uncle relax, which sends another spike of fury through my blood as I hear him sigh.

Landon leans into me, placing a quick kiss to my lips and leaning his forehead against mine. I close my eyes and let him untangle my fingers from the gun, putting it into his hand.

He keeps his face close to mine. “Thank you,” he whispers quietly. “Your soul doesn’t need this,” he repeats. “But mine does.”

“Huh?” I snap my eyes open to look at him. He’s already staring at me, so much warmth in those cinnamon eyes as he pulls the trigger.