Page 303 of Second Sets Omnibus

“Run!” I shout through my fear, waving a hand at her to get a move on. If Van has a chance, I’m sure he’ll take her out, and I can’t fucking witness that and do nothing.

“Mommy!” she quivers with uncertainty, wavering where she stands tall.

“Run, Lyric! Don’t look back!” I grunt when Van grabs my hair in his tight grip and abandons my neck. His sickly long fingers weave through my locks, holding me firmly in place. I couldn’t move even if I fought again. But it should be me. Not her. I can take this trauma—something she shouldn’t have to endure. “Run and get help! Run, baby!” I shout when he lifts the gun again, pointing it right at her stomach.

My skin crawls—my heart races. Stars burst behind my eyes as I gasp for air. The walls close in on me rapidly when his hands land on me.

Lyric’s eyes dart between us, frantically taking the picture in. She tries to step toward me. I’m her protector, the person in charge of keeping her safe. She wants to dive into my arms and never let go. But I can’t right now. I shake my head as best I can, straining against Van’s hold on me.

She needs to run before he does something stupid like hurt her. He could fucking shoot her, and then my life would truly be over. She needs to get the fuck out of here.

“Run, baby! Don’t look back at me. Please!”

Get Liv. Get the fuck out of this shit show—is what I want to shout. But I can’t give Van any more ammunition. If he knows we have help just steps away, he might do something drastic.

With one last little whine of despair, Lyric runs out of the entrance. My ears ring again, overtaking everything when the gun explodes. My breath hitches when I try to pull away, desperate to chase after her. Or jump in front of the bullet myself. Relentless tears pour down my face when the dust finally settles, and Lyric is nowhere to be found.

A single hole rests in the stone wall with dust billowing from it. She’s safe. Lyric is safe, running to get help for Asher. Van can take me. Do whatever he wants to me. As long as Lyric is safe. And Asher gets the ambulance he desperately needs.

My mind swirls as the room softens and all the noises come to a halt. The static in my ears eases away when Van lowers his gun, staring toward the entrance where the bright sun shines through.

Why is this happening?

Van was the one who broke up with me. He sent me away. All because his parents couldn’t stand the thought of him being with some Central girl. So, why is he standing here, holding me against my will?

“You see him, Rivey? You see him now?” he asks with a false sense of calm taking over his tone. With the gun in his hand, he grips my chin, forcing my gaze to Asher, lying on the ground with blood dripping like a leaky faucet out of his leg. “He’s bleeding and practically begging for his life. How about another shot to make sure he never fucking comes back?” he hisses in my ear, raising the gun again in Asher’s direction.

How many more fucking bullets does he have?

His hot breath rolls over my neck as he holds me tight to the front of his body, letting me feel every disgusting inch of him. Spiders crawl under my skin at the nearness to him. My mind begs me to run. Bile rises in my throat. Desperation claws at me.

“Please don’t shoot him again, Van. I’ll do whatever you want. Please don’t hurt anyone else,” I beg, with tears pooling in my eyes and rushing down my cheeks. “Van,” I plead.

“I love it when you say my name,” he whispers, pressing his lips on my hair. “Say you’ll be mine forever.”

“I’m yours.”

For now. A gag sits at the back of my throat when I say those words.

Until I shoot you in the dick for ever laying a hand on Lyric, me, and for shooting Asher three fucking times. If only I had packed my knife. The same one Kieran gave me all those years ago so I could protect myself. But I left it at home, tucked in my dresser drawer with my other weapon. I was stupid to think I’d be safe at my own daughter’s birthday party, surrounded by Veritas agents.

“Good. Rivey. This is going so well. It’s funny… When you called Kat to let her know you would be in Central City, I was there. Right beside her, listening as you spilled where’d you’d be. I knew I needed to make my moves. And fucking fast. So, here we are, baby,” he coos again, dropping his arm to his side, removing the danger to Asher’s rapidly deteriorating state.

Everything seizes inside me, and I blanch. “Kat? My PA? Kat?”

“Yeah, baby. That’s the girl. Your PA. I’m Trevor. Her boyfriend,” he whispers in my ear, forcing me to step back with him into the darkness of the unknown.

I stumble over my feet, unable to fall forward when his grip gets tighter and tighter. My breaths barely have enough room tofill my lungs as the darkening room takes over my vision. How I long for the sunlight gleaming in. How I long to keep my eyes on Asher’s unmoving body.

“I’ve been him for six months. Did you ever wonder why I never showed my face?”

Trevor, Kat’s elusive boyfriend. The one she gushed about being in love with. She cried over him when he went away without a word. He never came to our company parties. Never took pictures. He was a fucking ghost in the waiting, preying on an innocent woman. No wonder we never met him and only heard about their time together.

“Why would you do that?” I croak, sucking in harsh breaths. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Kat likes you. She likes to talk about you and what’s going on with you. She was my in. I knew where you’d be every fucking day of your life. I had to date her and be with her to get to see you. It was the only way. And God! Sleeping with her, well, it was a way to be closer to you, Rivey. I could close my eyes and imagine it was your face. Your moans. I still have our movies together. I watch them every night before I go to sleep, fucking her… Or fucking my hand to you. It’s sad, but I had to get my info from her. After all, being close to her made me close to you. But don’t worry, I don’t love her like I love you. Poor pathetic bitch she is. I just had to show her a scrap of affection, and she was dripping wet.” He tsks at his manipulation, solely putting the blame on poor Kat, who was head over heels in love with this asshole. “Especially today on our daughter’s birthday. I wanted to be here to help you celebrate. You’ll love the home I have for us. Well, me and you. That’s okay, though. We’ll have more children. Just you and me. Forever.”

The impact of his words settles on my chest, caving it in. Oxygen refuses to enter my fucking lungs, seizing them every time I open my mouth.