Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
All she needs is a moment to shoot me, and that will give Krychek time to take her out. Truly, Clara has given me the answer I’ve desperately wanted. The only chance for her son to have happiness. The only chance he has to be free of this monster who captured him.
I shove Logan aside, rushing toward Clara, who smirks. “I knew you were in there, Old Terror,” she says before the sound of the gunshot erupts.
I’m in a daze as everything slows. There’s another gunshot before her body twists and contorts. Just as I figured, I gave Krychek the time and distraction he needed for a shot.
Clara fires another round toward the ceiling, assuring me he nailed her.
Most importantly, that Logan is safe.
The room spins, and I’m on the ground in no time, with Logan on his knees at my side.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he says, his words sounding muffled. “Killian, you’re gonna be okay. It’s gonna be fine.”
His concern is all over his face, and I know better. He gazes down at me with those beautiful blue eyes, those eyes that remind me why I took these final steps. Because this man who holds me is so special, so incredible, he deserves a world of joy I couldn’t give him. I’ve never felt an emotion this profound, never known it could feel this incredible to care for someone other than biological family.
I am a monster, but maybe I was more capable of love than I realized.
It’s so exciting that I want to share this with him, want him to know that it was all for him.
“Logan,” I say, but I’m slipping.
As I fade, I feel the crushing weight of knowing he’ll never know the truth, hating that someone as amazing as him will find love again and that it won’t be with me.
35
LOGAN
Chaos.
Panic.
Dread.
The past few hours have been turbulent. One minute I could’ve sworn Mom was about to shoot me, and the next Killian was running toward her like he’d lost his mind. It’s wild to think I went from loving him only a few hours ago to hating him for what he did. She’s my mother, and that was my bullet to take.
After the shootout, Wrath, Krychek, and I jumped into action. Fortunately, being in a mob family means everyone knows how to transport bodies to the Center quickly. As the doctors operate on Killian, Jaime, and Mom, I sit in the waiting room with Rage and my brothers, the anxiety steadily overpowering me.
If he dies…fuck, I can’t bear the thought. It’s a shrill sound in my ears that won’t let me ignore it, but in vain, I try to pretend I can’t hear it. Eventually, I can’t sit in the waiting area anymore, so I head into the hall, pacing. Being a man entangled to the sins of my blood, I can’t help but carry guilt for what Mom did to his family. Their blood is on my hands, and I can only imagine his contempt for her after discovering she was behind his family being killed that fateful day.
“Is there anything I can do?” Masters asks, and I turn to see him step out of the waiting area.
“Wanna go back there and finish Mom off for me?” And I nearly mean it.
“You know Dad wouldn’t want that,” Wrath says as he steps out behind Masters, and it’s the bridge I needed him to cross because I see red, and before I know it, I have him by his collar, shoving him against the wall.
“Would Dad have preferred she fucking shot me? Or you, or Masters, or Malaki, or Rory? Would he have preferred we all died that day? Are we just gonna keep her around until she comes back and knocks us off one by one?” I relive my fury at her betrayal, the sadistic look in her eyes as she fought to drown me, and then tonight as she tried to rob me of my life once again.
Wrath smirks, which sends me into a tailspin.
“I got you out of your head, didn’t I?” he asks.
I can’t shake the rage he unleashed, but I must admit he was right. It’s better that I got it out.
“I should deck you for that.” Even knowing it was just to earn a desired effect, I’m not sure I can forgive the nasty jab.
“Come on,” Masters says, prying my hands off Wrath’s collar. “No one else has to get hurt tonight.”
I pull away from Wrath, though part of me would feel better if I gave him the punch he deserves. Fuck, I wish I had a Sik Vik tied up somewhere whom I could tear apart. “I fucking hate this pain, the thought that they might come out and tell us he’s…” I can’t even say it.
Masters draws me in for a hug, and I hold him close, struggling with the warring emotions that plague me.