“The books say you shouldn’t be lifting anything heavy.” I advise.
A tinkle of a laugh slips from her lips and before I can stop her, she reaches into the trunk and pulls out two bags filled with curtains and blankets, “This isn’t heavy.”
“Fine,” I grumble, “Go on up I’ll be right behind you.”
She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before shestrolls toward the elevators and hits the button. I’m still unloading the furniture when the elevator doors open and she steps inside, heading up before me.
Silence settles around me as I place all the boxes in front of the car, ready to be taken up and close the trunk, my steps echoing through the empty parking lot.
As I round the hood, the sound of tires squealing reaches my ears, and I look up just in time to see a white Sedan screaming toward me.
“Fuck!” I grunt, leaping out of the way just before it rams into the front of my SUV. The crunch of metal sounds right by my ear before the smell of gasoline starts to reach my nose.
But before I can even figure out what the fuck is happening, the driver door flies open and a guy jumps out, my eyes widening the moment I realize who the hell it is.
Christian comes at me quickly, swiping his arm out ahead of him and in his hand is a large, gleaming silver knife. It misses me by barely a few inches. Caught off guard, I scramble to get my gun but with him swinging wildly with that blade, I’m in defense mode and need to find an opening to attack.
There are no words, just blind throws from him while I maneuver away, avoiding that sharp edge.
Fuck!
Christian lets out a grunt of frustration and stopsswinging, instead, he charges for me, catching me around the waist. To look at the guy you wouldn’t think he had the strength, but he manages to take me off my feet, slamming my spine into the concrete and knocking the wind right out of me.
He lands on top of me the next minute, rears back his arm and stabs the knife forward. I catch his wrist at the last second, stopping the blade from plunging into my chest.
“This is for my father,” Christian growls, eyes wide and manic as he pushes against my hand holding him from stabbing me.
“You should have left when you had the chance,” I snap back, catching my breath. I jerk up my hips and throw him off balance. The knife drops to the ground, and I manage to throw him off and get to my feet. He follows, getting to his feet too and standing off against me.
My breath comes out in hot, heavy pants and I risk a glance at the blade but then I hear the elevator doors slide open.
“Bast?” Willow calls.
I swing my gaze to her, panic settling in, and Christian uses it to his advantage.
“Get back inside!” I roar.
But it’s too late, he has the blade and by the time I’m swinging my head around to see what he is doing, he’s plunging the knife into my side, just below myribcage. The blade slides in and up, instantly stealing all the air from my lungs.
Willow screams and Christian thrusts harder, the blade lodging into me. Warm wet liquid soaks my side immediately and I feel my hands shake as I bring it up to clutch my hand across the wound as Christian steps away from me.
His eyes slide to Willow and then drop to the small swell of her stomach, and something passes over his face. Something I can’t name before it twists back to that mask of hatred.
“That was for my father.” He snaps before he spins and takes off in a run, heading for the garage shutters and slips out into the city.
“Sebastian!” Willow cries as my knees start to weaken. She gets to me when they finally collapse, kneecaps hitting the hard ground unforgivably, but the pain barely registers. My blood roars in my ears and it feels as if my heart is beating outside of my chest.
I don’t even realize the ground is coming up to meet me until Willow is grabbing me, stopping me from face planting the floor with a loud grunt as my weight tugs her forward. I can feel my blood seeping from me and then pain, searing agonizing pain as Willow presses her hands to the knife wound. I hadn’t even realized Christian had pulled the knife from me.
“No, no, no,” Willow cries as I fall onto my side and then roll onto my back.
I always knew I would die a bloody, brutal death, it was in the cards for me but not now. Not yet. I wasn’t ready yet. I’m having a baby. I have a woman.
I won’t get to see any of it. I don’t even know what we are having. Is it a girl or a boy? Will they have my eyes and Willow’s hair? Will they have her compassion?
Who will they be?
I will never know.
