Page 56 of The Burdens We Share (Satan’s Angels #3)

He finally drags his gaze back to mine, his affection disappearing as quickly as it came.

“I fell in love with her myself. Then the plan changed. I couldn’t kill her, but I could take her from you, make her fall for me instead.

So that’s what I did. I left her little notes and beautiful roses, and I will admit, it was rather fun to play cat and mouse with you when you deemed yourself her bodyguard.

I liked watching you get all riled up wondering where I was and freaking out over how to catch me. ”

My face pales. Holy shit. Calvin was her stalker this entire time.

She suffered through months of fear and panic because of me.

Because I put her in danger. I vow to myself that when she wakes up and when she’s safe, I’ll tell her everything.

That way it can be her choice on whether or not to hate me.

She should blame me for all of this and I don’t expect her to forgive me.

She can never look at me again for all I care, so much as she’s alive and breathing.

Calvin continues, “But I know you, Dallas. I knew you would dig and dig and dig until you found me. Which is why I tampered with records and ensured you wouldn’t discover my connection with Connor.

I needed you to think I was Connor and that he was locked away and you and Ivory could be free to live happily ever after.

That way you wouldn’t work so hard to protect her and I could creep right back in. ”

“Who is Connor?” I ask, interested in every detail.

“My cousin,” he smirks.

I scoff, “You framed your own cousin?”

Calvin chuckles, “I had to do what I had to do. Besides, we were never close.”

I already knew he was insane, but to turn on your own blood and frame them for a crime they didn’t commit? I don’t even think there’s a word to call that. “So then what? You framed him and then you figured you’d kidnap her and force her to love you? It would never work.”

He rolls his eyes, “Of course not. There was a better plan.” Calvin preens, “I wanted to get Harvey below the belt just as a little ‘fuck you’ to him after Lita’s death.

I also knew you had brainwashed Ivory into trusting you and caring for you.

She’d never willingly come to me when you had her under your spell.

So I killed two birds with one stone and stole the feisty blonde to get under Harvey’s skin, but also to use her as a bargaining chip to get Ivory to surrender herself to me.

And it worked, but clearly, my darling girl can’t follow directions.

” He jerks her and her head lolls to the side. Hang in there a little longer, baby.

Calvin sighs, “She was instructed to not tell anyone where she was going and to ditch you and her little friends. In exchange, I would release the blonde and everyone could live happily ever after. I could finally leave my hatred for you behind because I would have gotten the one thing you loved most. She would’ve loved me just as much as I love her. ”

Ivory

VOICES. I HEAR VOICES. One that sends ice down my veins, and one that sends fire through my heart, heating me up from the inside with a swell of emotions. Dallas. I hear Dallas.

Memories flood my senses as I make a weak attempt at opening my eyes.

My lids are so heavy and my head is pounding.

My arm burns, my chin stings. Bones feel broken, but all that matters is that Dallas is here.

He came for me. I hear Calvin recount his little plan, but I clearly missed whatever came before that.

I hear Dallas’ deep voice and my heart aches to be with him, “Well your delusional little plan isn’t coming into play because I’m here and I have a swarm of SWAT on their way to ensure you don’t make it out of here alive.

But you’re mine, Worshire. I will get my hands on you and I will fucking end you,” he vows, and my heart flutters.

My brain catches on small detail though.

Worshire. Why does that sound familiar? I try to think and it takes me a moment before I place the memory.

The man who killed her is named Calvin Worshire.

I knew him in the military and we were friends at one point.

Oh my God. Calvin is the man who killed Dallas’ mother?

I need to move. I try with all of my strength to open my eyes, to move, to do something.

I feel frozen in place. I feel a thin coolness at my neck and feel my head get pulled back, my throat on perfect display.

“If you kill me, I’ll only take her with me,” Calvin’s unhinged voice threatens.

A knife. He has a knife pressed against my throat.

He’s going to fucking end me if I don’t move.

Dallas growls, “Touch her again, and it will be the last mistake you make.”

Doors barge open and I hear male voices flooring the room, shouts, and threats being made. This has to be the SWAT team. They’re finally here, but Calvin still holds all the power. Dallas would never let them touch Calvin as long as he has a knife pressed to my throat.

This can only end one way. With me dead unless I just move.

I use all of my willpower to do something. My fingers twitch at my sides and I feel so defeated. This can’t be the only movement I make, I need to use everything in me for just a few seconds and then I can let myself fade out again, give in to that dreamless sleep my body aches for.

Through sheer force of will, I manage to crack my eyelids open enough to see the room, but not enough that anyone can notice I’m conscious.

I see Dallas and immediately a rush of adrenaline courses through my veins.

The fury in his eyes along with that hint of fear that’s reserved for me eat at my insides.

I’d give anything to make that look go away.

Dozens of SWAT have their guns raised and pointed at Calvin, but they don’t shoot.

They can’t. Every man in this room is completely at his mercy because of the position he has me in.

This man has done enough. He’s stalked, tortured, and terrified me for months.

He has made my life a complete living fucking hell and I refuse to let him win again. No. This ends now. With me.

Fueled by pure adrenaline and a lot of my own rage, I raise my arm, pushing his wrist from below so hard and quick that the blade barely nicks my skin, instead slashing up towards his face until warm liquid sprays the side of my face and his other arm releases me.

I fall to the ground, unable to support my own weight, and the limited vision I had ceases as my eyes flutter all the way closed and gunshots fill the room.