Page 120 of Twisted (Never After)

Ian stumbles back, the hand that’s holding his gun coming up to rub at his chest before he points it at Julian, his arm shaking visibly even from where I am across the room.

Panic wraps around me, and I try to scream through the gag, but only a muffled noise comes out. Julian’s eyes flick to me, taking inventory of my body quickly before going back to Ian.

“This is all dreadfully disappointing,” Julian drawls, his gaze going over to where the other man sits, leaned back against the wall like he’s watching a movie. “Hello, Darryn.”

Darryn smirks. “Julian Faraci. Shame we had to meet this way, but it’s business.” He stands up, grabbing the gun he has sitting next to him and walking toward me. “You understand.”

Julian’s head tilts. “Of course.”

Cold metal presses against the side of my head, and tears escape down my cheeks, my chest caving in on itself, because no matter what I’ve gone through in my entire life, I’ve never felt as powerless and weak as I do in this moment.

“Hand over the lamp, Julian. Don’t make me hurt the girl.”

Julian swallows, and I see a flash of panic in his eyes as they meet mine.

My stomach sinks, my lower lip trembling beneath the cloth gag.

Julian walks forward, bypassing Ian completely, and drops the lamp’s case on the floor in the middle of the room. “Have it then.”

“You, you traitor!” Ian yells, kicking the ground. “You’d give up everything we worked for so easily, forher?”

“It would seem you’re being very hypocritical right now, Ian.” Julian takes a step toward him. “I’m not the one pointing a gun at his boss.”

Another step.

“You betrayed me,” Ian spits. “I was loyal to you for years. And the second you get a warm pussy and a bitch who does as you say, you drop me like I’m nothing?”

Julian takes a deep breath, flipping that metal bar around the back of his hand like a baton. “Now, Ian. I’ve warned you about what would happen if you disrespected my wife.”

Ian laughs, waving his arms in the air. “I have the gun, asshole. I could kill her and fuck her dead body in front of you, and there wouldn’t be shit you could do.”

“I fell in love with her, and I won’t apologize for it.” Julian looks at me. “I’m not sorry for loving you. I’m only sorry it took me so long to realize that I did.”

My heart squeezes, and I know without him even explaining the will that he never would have gone through with it. Not after everything we’ve shared.

Not that it really matters now anyway.

“We had a plan,” Ian hisses.

“Plans change. Surely you realize, Ian, that I would never let you harm her.”

Ian’s eyes darken. “You don’t get to call the shots anymore.”

Julian nods, glancing toward Darryn, who is standing over me with his gun digging into my temple. “And I suppose you talked Ian into this sometime in Egypt?”

Darryn shrugs. “What can I say? He came to me for a meeting and left with a new friend instead. Look, we don’t want to hurt your wife. I just want the lamp. And you’ll have to die, of course, to make sure you don’t cause any trouble down the line.”

No.

Darryn’s attention goes to where Julian set down the lamp, and I take the opportunity, because I can’tnot, thrusting my head as far as possible into his hand and knocking the gun out of the way.

It scatters on the floor, and then there’s commotion.

A loud yell, and then a stinging sensation on my hair as I’m jerked harshly to a stand.

I whimper, my eyes squeezing shut from the pain.

Suddenly, I’m knocked over again, a high- pitched scream echoing through the tall ceilings of the warehouse, and I land on my side, a heavy throb radiating up from the fall. I roll over and seeRiyaon top of Darryn, her fists slamming repeatedly into his face.