Page 38 of The Echo of Forever

I reluctantly walked awayfrom Forever, though every part of my body wanted to stay.

Jayden was next on my list to go, but his parents’ deaths held priority over what my heart desired. Seo-Yeon first, because she was the most dangerous, and then that sorry excuse she called a husband afterward. He didn’t really matter in any of this, but I felt like decimating their entire bloodline on principle alone.

All in the name of love and freedom.

Jeremiah had been the obvious first choice with his track record and long list of enemies to make it happen. But now that I’d witnessed Jayden near Forever, I wish I’d killed him first.

The thought of him touching her in any way made my trigger finger itch. It was already hard enough pretending like she didn’t belong to me, like she hadn’t belonged to me before, but this was fucking torture.

I stopped beside Oliver and turned, knowing her eyes had followed me across the room. For a minute, I thought about going back and saying fuck my plans.Fuck trying to get her to remember first. Instead, I hoped the desperation I felt was showing on my face, in my eyes, or in my body language if that’s what it took.

I needed her to know.

“Come on,” Oliver urged, gripping my shoulder when I didn’t move.

I reluctantly followed, but my heart couldn’t take much more of this. Walking away and watching her do the same was tearing me apart inside.

“I know it’s hard, but you have to let this play out,” Oliver went on, trying his best to reel me in after I stopped mid-stride and dropped my head. “Don’t expose yourself too soon.”

He was right.

But, I needed her like I needed my next breath.

And my body wouldn’t let me forget how much she meant to us.

I followed Forever’s every move for the rest of the night, obsessing over that bitch nigga holding her hand and refusing to let go. And if I aired this bitch out about it, I’d be wrong.

At least to them, I’d be wrong; I didn’t care one way or another for the lives in this room.

Not when Forever was standing in my line of sight.

She had words with her father at some point, and Jayden turned his back to them. Her mother tried giving her a pill, and she pushed her hand away.

The fuck are they doing to my baby?

Dinner came and went; her parents and Jayden’s were gone. The liquor was flowing a little more, and society girls were loosening up and circling Oliver.

This was the part of the gala he’d been waiting for. I didn’t give a fuck about the after-hours shit and posted up at the end of the bar.

My only goal for tonight was to spend more time alone with Forever. As long as she was in this building, I would be, too.

At some point, Jayden ducked off for what looked like a meeting with Jeremiah’s little crew. They were making it tooobvious, but the grave had already been dug. I was just waiting for the truth to be exposed.

Forever took that opportunity to do the same, and I waited a beat before following.

The one moment I was close enough to touch her, she spun around and pounced, pressing the edge of her blade into my neck.

I smiled.

She’d always been quick on her feet, even in heels.

“I wonder if our future kids will move as gracefully as you,” I whispered, leaning into the blade enough for it to draw blood. “What do you want? Boys? Girls? A mix of both?”

We hadn’t gotten that far before, only that kids were on the menu for us.

Now I wanted to know more than ever, but the perplexed look in her eyes reminded me that I was nothing but a stranger to her now.

Nothing but the man she was contracted to kill.