The words had barely left my mouth when Alec leaped forward and slammed me hard against the wall. His hand wrapped around my throat, his fingers digging into my windpipe, and panic shot through me when I couldn’t inhale air.
“The fuck do you mean there was a home invasion?”he roared, pulling me forward to slam me against the wall again.“Tell me the fucking truth, Kiera. How did he die?”
Confusion mixed with my fear at his reaction. He’d never met my father, yet he was acting like he’d learned his lifelong friend had died. My lungs began to burn as my brain scrambled to understand what was happening, but with the lack of oxygen, I couldn’t think straight.
My hands flew to Alec’s grip, and I attempted to prise his fingers free. He loosened them enough for me to choke my words out.“Thatis the truth. He di…died in a…home…invasion.”
“Fucking lying bitch!”
I didn’t have time to brace before Alec slammed his fist into my nose. Blinding-hot pain exploded in my face, and my legs buckled. Without his hand around my throat, I fell to the floor, tears combining with blood pouring from my nose.
He grabbed a chunk of my hair, yanking me to my feet again as he forced my head back, his snarling face an inch away from mine.“The head of a secret fucking society doesn’t die in a home invasion, Kiera.”Beneath the blood and snot spreading over my face, my brows lifted. Alec knew about Legion? A wicked smirk took over his face as he answered my unspoken question.“Oh, you think I didn’t know about your dad’s and James’ little club?”His fingers tightened in my hair, and I was certain he was about to rip strands free from my scalp.“Well,guess what? I know all about Legion. Why the fuck do you think I’ve put up with your frigid ass for all this time?”
He suddenly released me, shoving me away from him. Losing my footing, I fell for a second time, landing on my already sore ass. Alec loomed menacingly over me, sneering like I was a piece of shit on his shoe.
“Your dad promised methatI’d be inducted into the society once we said‘I do’, but youjusthad to keep putting the wedding off, didn’t you?Hewas the only reason I let you and your cunt of a daughter sponge off me for all these years, and now, he’s fucking dead.”Despite the fear zapping around inside me, a spark of anger ignited under my skin at how he’d referred to Billie. I opened my mouth, prepared to face his wrath by screaming at him to apologize for calling herthat, when he spoke again, his tone unnervingly calm.“It’s a shame he died. He had grand plans for Billie when she got a little bit older.”
My blood ran cold, notjustfrom the malice lighting up his evil eyes, but from learning of my father’s plans for Billie. My mind threw up hundreds of memories of ways my father used to treat me, and I squeezed my eyes closed as nausea swam in my stomach.
Taking advantage of my trip to the past, Alec took a step forward. My eyes snapped open, finding his hands balling into fists by his sides. Despite the terror gripping my body, and despite my face throbbing unbearably, I knew I had to get away before he attacked again.
My dad was dead. He couldn’t hurt Billie. But Alec could.
Sliding my ass back on the tiled floor, my heart pounded frantically as I prepared to make a move. Alec continued to speak, but I wasn’t listening, too focused on what I was about to do. Taking a breath and hoping I would be quick enough, I flipped onto my side, leaping to my haunches before jumping to my feet.
And then I ran.
I ran through the hallway like the devil was chasing me.
But he was, and I’d made a mistake.
I hadn’t consideredthatI was only wearing socks on my feet, and the second I hit the hallway, my feet slid against the wooden floor. Losing valuable time as Itried to gain my footing, I shrieked as Alec’s furious roar reached my ears seconds before he crashed into me.
Air whooshed out of my lungs as we tumbled to the floor, a thud vibrating through the house. I tried to catch my breath, but Alec was too quick. He pinned me down, straddling me with his full weight crushing my stomach, making it impossible to breathe.
“Fucking bitch!”Alec bellowed, his palm crashing against the side of my face. My head whipped to the side, my brain fuzzy from the strike, and barely registering him wrapping his hands around my throat again.“You want to know something, Kiera? Ineverfucking loved you. You were nothing to me,justa whiny, irritating slutthatI had to put up with to get what I wanted. But now that’s not possible, is it? So I don’t have a need for you anymore.”
His grip tightened around my throat, my vision blurring as he squeezed. I tried to buck my hips to throw him off, but he was too strong, and a heartbreaking realization dawned on me.
This was it.
This was how I died.
Billie’s beautiful face swam before my eyes, and tears slid down my cheeks. I would never get to see her again. Never get to hold her in my arms and tell her how proud I was of her. How much I loved her.
Her face disappeared, replaced by Jackson’s, and my heart constricted. Regret flowed through me. I should have told him the truth. I should have told himthatI loved him,thathe was the only man I’d ever loved. I should have told him the truth aboutthatnight.
My eyes began to close when, somewhere nearby, a shrill alarm reverberated off the walls.
The doorbell. Someone was at the door.
“Fuck,”Alec muttered, momentarily loosening his grip to peer over his shoulder at the door.
I seized the opportunity, sucking in a deep breath and bucking my hips. Distracted by the door, Alec lost his balance. With every ounce of strength Ipossessed, I forced my aching body to a lift, taking him off guard when I threw my forehead against his nose.
He grunted and fell back. I scrambled to my feet, bolting toward the door.“Help!”I shrieked, hopingthatwhoever was there heard my cries.
But before I could reach the door, Alec crashed into me from behind, throwing me into the living room. Briefly glancing out the window as I fell to the floor, my heart sank. It had been a deliveryman at the door, and he was already climbing back into his truck.
