That kind of person didn’t deserve to walk on this earth.
I frowned. “I like the option where you die, and Blairekicks this guy’s assinstead.”
On cue, Blaire threw her elbow into the man’s stomach, stomping on his foot until he dropped her. Conrad dropped his mask for only a moment, where I witnessed his shock as Blaire grabbed the moaning man’s head, bringing it down her knee with a sickening crunch. Incapacitated, she neatly snapped his neck with a quick twist.
I laughed. “Well, I wasn’t quite expectingthat.”
“You told me to kick his ass.” Blaire joined me at my side, and with my attention on her, Conrad snapped at the waist to reach for his gun.
“Don’t even fucking thinking about it,” I snapped.
Conrad rose stiffly. “What? You going to kill me after all I’ve done for you?”
“First, you’ve done nothing for me. Second, I’m not going to kill you.”
“You’re not?”
“No. I’m going to let Blaire do the honors.” I smiled, turned to Blaire, and offered her my gun. “All yours, baby.”
She looked from the gun, to me, to Conrad. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. You should be the one to finish this, after everything he’s put you through.”
Blaire took the gun with a steady hand, and leveled it at Conrad. “It seems like such a waste for him to have a quick and easy death, after all the lives he’s messed up.”
“I know, but I’d rather he not get to breathe a minute longer than he has to.”
Conrad glared at both of us. “I’m right fucking here.”
“Oh, are you? I nearly forgot,” I drawled. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Blaire hesitated, aiming the gun at his head, but not shooting him.
“If you don’t want to do this, I can do it for you,” I said in her ear.
She shook her head. “No. It has to be me. I started it. I have to finish it.” She looked at Conrad. “I know you think you took everything away from me. My life. My boyfriend. My memories. My freedom. And you did, but you didn’t break me. I bent a little bit. Cracked in other places. But I was still me. I just needed to find my way back. So, I’m sorry to disappoint. I will always find my way back, no matter how many times you try and take that away from me. I wanted that to be your last thought before you died. That no matter how hard you tried, I was always stronger than you will ever be.”
Without another word, she fired the gun, sending the bullet straight into Conrad’s forehead. A perfect shot. He fell unceremoniously, and Blaire immediately dropped the gun.
I gathered her in my arms, squeezing her tight enough that she would never be able to leave me again. I wanted her imprinted on my cells, tattooed across my skin. I wanted her to be a part of every bit of who I was, because that was the only way I would ever be whole.
Blaire shook, and I stroked her hair. “Hey, it’s okay now. You’re safe. I’m safe. We’re going to be okay now. I promised you, didn’t I?”
She sobbed, and pulled away from me. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so fucking sorry. I understand if you never want to see me again. I’ll leave you alone, and you can be done with me, I swear.”
“Baby, where the Hell is all this coming from?” I wiped the tears away from her face, wishing I could ease the sadness tearing her apart.
“I killed him. I killed Oliver. I don’t know how you could ever forgive me.” Blaire buried her face against my chest.
Oliver. The name was a knife to my heart, for more reasons than one, but the fact that Blaire was beating herself up so badly over this was top of the list. I pushed her away from her cocoon, crouching so we were eye to eye. “I want you to listen to me closely, because this is the last time I’m ever going to speak about this. You hear me?”
She nodded, sniffling.
“Good. Now, listen here. I loved Oliver because I thought he made you happy, and I lovedyou. I wanted you to be happy. If that was with my brother, so be it. I truly thought he made you happy. But my brother wasn’t someone I’d call a ‘good person,’ whatever that means. He had his issues, and he covered them all up with charisma and a smile. And it kills me to know you were hurting like that, and I had no idea, and no way to help. Baby, if I knew he was hurting you, I would’ve been there to take him out myself—blood or not.” I rubbed my thumb against her cheek, still in absolute disbelief that this heavenly being let me put my stained hands on her.
A tear dripped down Blaire’s face. “Are you sure you don’t hate me?”
I smiled. “I promise you, what I feel for you is the furthest thing from hate.” I gathered her into my arms again, giving us a moment to breathe each other in.
