Page 127 of Lethal Weakness

His face falls to my neck, and I know I took too bold a risk when my body doesn’t soften in his embrace.

I can’t fight my detest for him, and he goes stiff.

I anchor my wrists together behind his back, as if that’ll stop the inevitable. “Kay, go!”

Turner jerks away from me, but my reluctance to let go slows him down. And when my grip loosens completely, it knocks him off balance, giving Kay a chance to disappear through the kitchen door with Avery.

I need to give them a chance to run.

“You bitch. I knew you were lying.” Turner’s gun digs into the center of my forehead, and I can’t feel anything but the pressure building between my eyes.

“I will always protect my baby,” I breathe out raggedly. “Like you should have!”

Turner’s fist wraps around the back of my head, and he yanks me forward roughly until we’re nearly hugging again. Except this time, my face is against his cheek, and his gun is poised on his opposite temple.

“Turner, don’t,” I beg, feeling the vibrations coursing through his body. “You can run away.”

“My parents will never let me go.”

“Your parents are dead!” I scream.

“What?” His fingers are gripped in my hair so tightly, I can’t budge as he locks our heads together, crushing my windpipe against his shoulder.

“Your parents were evil. If they aren’t dead right at this moment, they will be soon. Jack will kill them,” I snarl.

“Don’t say his name!” He yells, gripping my hair so tight I scream in pain.

“I hope he does it slowly, and tortures them like they deserve,” I grit out painfully, trapped between his head and shoulder.

“I don’t believe you!”

“He’s not a coward like you! He’ll do whatever it takes to protect us. To protect Avery!”

“No!” He yells. “You’re mine, Linden. Not his!”

“I hate you,” I cry. “I hate your family!”

“You can hate them, Linden, but Avery is a Scott, and so are you. Your little girl is tainted by our evil blood,” he spits through clenched teeth, gripping my scalp tighter.

I can’t see his other hand, but I know he is going to pull the trigger at any second, leaving Avery without a single parent in this world.

Jack. Keep her safe. Please.

Someone’s sobbing, and I don’t know if it’s him or me. The room around us is gone, and I’m drowning in what feels like my final moment.

Every exhale expels roughly from my lungs, and I keep waiting for the–

BANG!

Chapter Forty-Four

O’Connor

“Where is he?” I grip Edmund’s hair tight in my hand, yanking his head back roughly.

“Don’t tell him, Edmund-” Merrill’s demand gets cut off as I fire a bullet straight through her temple. I’m tired of hearing her voice.

Edmund’s screams split my ear, but I only crank his neck back harder. “Where is your son?”