Page 85 of While He Breathes

“You try sitting on the ground for however long you’ve had me down here, and then we’ll see who’s pathetic,” I snap.

Anger fills Cain’s eyes, and he steps forward as if he’s going to hit me, but Lucas places his hand on his shoulder, stalling him before he can get any closer.

“Not until after the wedding,” he says, and I shoot him a look.

“So once I’m your wife, you’re cool with your asshole bodyguard beating on me?”

“Watch your mouth, Ember. There are plenty of things he can do that won’t leave a mark for our big day.”

I swallow the retort that threatens to escape. It’s not worth it.

Once again, if I have the chance to escape, I won’t be able to pull it off if I’m injured.

And if I don’t get the chance to escape, I’d like to be able to take matters into my own hands and make sure I don’t have to live a life married to Lucas.

It’s a bleak thought, and I can safely say death would be a much kinder fate.

“Good girl,” Cain taunts, and I cut him with a glare.

I hate hearing those words from anyone other than Orion, and I’m desperate to throw a fist straight into his ugly face.

Asshole.

“We came in to give you some bad news, I’m afraid.”

My brows tug together in confusion. There are few pieces of bad news I can think of that are worse than wasting away inside this cell, waiting to be marched down the aisle to marry a man I hate.

“Orion’s dead.”

The words come out somber, but there’s a smirk on Lucas’s lips that tells me he’s loving every single second of this.

Everything stops.

My breath in my lungs.

My heartbeat.

My thoughts.

It all comes to an abrupt halt as his words sink in.

I shake my head as a wave of panic crashes into me, almost knocking me clear off my feet. “No, he can’t be.”

“I’m afraid he is.” Lucas nods to Cain, who holds a phone out to me, and I take it with shaky hands.

A video is playing on the screen.

Orion and Killian, walking up to a house I don’t recognize with their guns drawn.

Killian walks around the house, the camera cutting to him looking through a few of the windows before returning to Orion on the doorstep.

They talk for a few seconds, but there’s no audio on the video, something I’m immensely grateful for when Orion opens the door and steps inside.

It’s mere seconds later when bright red flames fill the screen, and a startled cry escapes my throat of its own accord.

No.

It can’t be.