The guard pulled the trigger again, another soft pop renting the air as a bullet struck Jasper in the chest. The bear wheezed, turning toward her. Their eyes met, his so full of anguish. Fourbloody bullet holes littered his torso, each one resonating in her mind more horrifically than the last.
This was her fault.
Jasper—
Another shot went off, hitting him in the back. He jerked forward.
“Run,” Jasper rasped. His eyes rolled back into his head, his knees buckling.
She screamed as he dropped like a stone, lying face-first on the floor. Completely unmoving. Tears blurred her vision as she backpedaled, moving blindly toward her office. The enforcers angled toward her, their lips moving as they spoke. She didn’t hear a single word over the sudden ringing in her ears, deafened to the world around her.
One enforcer reached into his pocket, pulling out a syringe. Her shoulder slammed into the doorway to her office, the slight sting of pain jarring her just enough to rouse her from her shock.
The gun … have to get the gun.
Nessa whipped around, stumbling over her feet as she ran toward her desk. Her hip slammed into the edge as she rounded it, but she barely felt it, her sights set on her purse resting on her desk chair. She snatched the bag up, a wave of relief coursing through her at the heavy, familiar weight.
Burly arms wrapped around her chest, trapping her arms to her sides. The man yanked her backward and off of her feet. She flailed wildly in his hold even as she fumbled with her bag, her fingers shaking as she tried to find the zipper.
The enforcer carried her out of her office and back into the lobby, Jasper’s prone body on the floor causing bile to rise up in her throat.
Tony stood over him, smirking. She’d never wanted to kill him more than in that moment.
“Let me go!” Nessa screeched as her assailant hauled her toward Tony, unperturbed by her futile struggles. Her fingers snagged the zipper, and she desperately tugged at it, the slight vibration from the metal teeth parting filling her with triumph.
Just as her purse opened, another enforcer ripped it from her hands, tossing it carelessly aside.
It hit the floor with a clatter, right as a loud crack pierced her ears. Her head whipped to the side, immeasurable heat flaring across one half of her face. Her teeth bit into her cheek as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
The shock of the slap barely registered before she felt a small prick on the side of her neck.
The syringe.
Nessa opened her mouth, ready to scream again, hoping like hell someone was nearby and had heard her.
Tony grabbed her around the neck, squeezing so hard her throat constricted, the air cutting off from her lungs. Her eyes bulged, and panicking, she struggled harder in the enforcer’s arms, her limbs oddly heavy as she tried in vain to free herself.
Tony released her throat abruptly, and she coughed, sucking in heaving breaths, her throat and lungs burning. Tears ran down her face, the warmth of them fading as the fight drained from her body. Her head rolled to the side, and she went limp in the enforcer’s hold.
“What did you do to me?” Nessa demanded, her words slurring together. She blinked, trying to keep her focus on Tony, desperate to remain alert. To remain conscious. But as each second passed, it became harder to keep her eyes open, to do anything but submit to the darkness threatening to take her under.
Tony grabbed her by the hair, fisting the thick length and ripping her head back roughly. “You’re asking the wrong question, Vanessa.” He cupped her aching cheek, his fingersdigging into the bruise she could already feel forming. “You shouldn’t worry about what I have done to you, but what Iwilldo to you.” His grip tightened in her hair as everything around her blurred together. “Our years together will seem like paradise by the time I’ve finished taking what I want from you.”
The world went black.
Chapter 42
The afternoon sun beat down on Murphy’s back, the familiar sounds of the woods lacking the comfort he usually took solace in after a grueling day. His posture rigid, he stood facing the trees and away from the small shack door that led to his clan’s dungeon.
Zeke was a menacing sentinel beside him, arms crossed as they both observed their surroundings, waiting for their third companion to join them.
He didn’t want more spectators than necessary for this—it was a private affair. He would reveal its outcome after the situation had been handled.
“Are you ready?” the dominant bear asked, glancing over his shoulder and toward the dungeon’s entrance.
Murphy nodded in answer, though he wasn’t being honest.
He could never be ready for something like this.
