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I only have one choice and that’s to end everything completely. That means I have to get the people I planted in his company as my spies out. I have to make things right. My hand drifts to my abdomen where I could now be carrying his child. I make the necessary arrangements. I get one of my people to set up a meeting with Thor tomorrow. This all ends.
Monday dawns bright and clear. The sun shining gives me thoughts that things are going to be changing for the best. When I walk into the office building, I go through the security area and move toward the private express elevator to head to my floor. A niggling feeling has me turning and looking around me. I see employees standing in the line for them to enter for the day. Beyond them, I see the contractor line. There are several people trying to gain access to the building. A man is watching me along with another person. I can’t tell if it’s a man or a woman because they have a hat on low over their face. I nod at them, thinking it’s someone who’s seen me in the society pages or such. The man turns away, but the other person sneers, and my blood runs cold for a moment. I need to notify security. The doors of the elevator close, and I’m being swept upstairs before I can get the call placed.
As soon as the doors open, I dial security.
“Yes, ma’am,” Justin, the head of security, answers. I’m proud of our security. Our building is one of the safest and most secure in Seattle.
“There was a couple in the lobby. A man and possibly a woman or smaller man standing at security a moment ago. I want them detained.” I’m walking toward my office where I notice someone standing at my window. There shouldn’t be anyone on this floor except Elora, our assistant, and myself. My appointment with the corporate spies is in a couple of hours and will be down on our boardroom floor below us.
“I’ll take care of?—”
Gunshots ring out across the line, and the person in my office turns. I see the gun in her hand before she can fire. I turn and dive for the stairwell door. My secure building has been compromised. Louise is in my office with a gun. I rush down the stairs. My heel gets caught on the edge of the next stair, and I fall into the wall.
“Oh, Briar. Fatso, I’m going to make sure you don’t get my man.” Louise laughs as she comes through the door. She fires the gun. The bullet impales the brick of the wall next to me. Shards of rock fly around me and strike my face.
“No,” I yell back as I continue down to the next floor, trying to stay ahead of her. If I can make it to the server floor with the extra security, I can get away from her.
“Did you know that my aunt is Shelagh? For years, she’s been making sure that Thor will only want me. She’s on her way to take care of your son. We can’t have Thor having an heir that isn’t from me. If you hadn’t gotten away from us in the parking garage, you’d be dead already.” She laughs. “But that’s okay. I’ll kill you now, and your son won’t be far behind you.”
Her words stop my heart, and I pause in my fleeing, giving her enough time to get a couple shots off. I jump away as more shreds of the brick pelt me. Thankfully, she’s not a good aim. That is now three bullets she’s shot at me. I’m not sure how many her gun holds because I didn’t get a good look at it, but I’m keeping count to get my mind off everything else. I need to get a message to Orion’s school.
I yank on the door next to me and step onto the floor. I’m faced with cubby offices with the walls lined with supervisors and more advanced employees. I’m not sure what floor I’m on. I turn to see a name on the door and realize I’m on legal. I dive behind a row and stay low. I slip off my heels so they won’t give me away. I pull out my phone and dial Chase. We haven’t set up Thor as an emergency contact at Orion’s school yet.
“Hey, girl, what’s up?” he answers on the first ring.
“Get to Rion’s school. Shelagh is on her way to kill him,” I whisper and then scream when the gun goes off right over my head.
“Bri, what’s going on?” Chase yells into the phone.
“Get help. BUTEE is under attack. Louise is here shooting at me. Two more people are on the ground floor shooting too. Help.” I scream again as the gun goes off right near me.
I stand and run for a side room. I make it inside and realize I’m in the copy room. I try to find something to push against the door, but everything heavy is bolted to the floor due to earthquake precautions or too heavy for me to lift.
Louise slams into the door, but I keep my body there to block it. The door is riddled with bullets, and I feel a burning in my side and arm. I fall back, and she comes through the door. She aims the gun at me, and in that moment, I do the only thing I can think of. I close my eyes and hold up my hands.
“I love you, Thor and Rion.” Tears roll down my face as I know I’m going to die.
The gun clicks on an empty chamber. My eyes open wide. I don’t even think as I kick out my legs, aiming for her knees. She screams as she goes down.
I roll over and crawl to get away from her. She grabs my hair and pulls me up. I grab her hand and hold it as I stand up and twist. The burn in my scalp doesn’t stop me. I have to get away. She slams her gun into the side of my head, and I reach behind me to the table to grab for something to defend myself. My hand brushes against the metal of the large bulk stapler. I lift it up and slam it against her head.
She releases me, and I fall forward onto the table. I spin around to find her coming at me. I slip to the side, causing her to fall. I grab the back of her head and pound her face into the table a couple of times. I step back, thinking she’s done. But I was wrong. She comes up with a bin and hits me in the side of the face. I grab hold of the bin, trying to wrestle it from her grasp. I hit the table, losing my hold, and she comes at me again. I reach out and my hand settles on a grip. I lift it, but it doesn’t move. Instead, I hear a metal sound and turn away from her. She turns too, and we both see the long paper cutter in my hand. She starts fighting harder, trying to get me to the open blade. I’m fighting to get away from her. I kick and buck against her body. A thought hits me as she almost has my head to the base. I relax for a moment. It’s all I need to get the upper hand. I kick her hard, away from me, and turn back to the cutter. I stand and twist the wing nut as fast as I can to release the cutter. As soon as it’s free, I swing it at her.
“Stay back, I don’t want to hurt you. Please, Louise, you don’t want to do this.”
“The fuck you say. I want you to die. Then he’ll see me.” Her voice is shrill as she rushes at me with a box knife she got off the table.
I swing the blade and miss. She doesn’t, and I feel the knife slice through my arm. Gritting my teeth, I swing the blade again. I’m aiming for her arm. She shifts slightly, throwing my aim off. The blade sinks into the side of her neck. Blood spurts at me and she screams. The sound turns to gurgling as she drops the knife and grabs her neck. I let go of the blade in fear and look around to find something to stop the bleeding. She falls to the floor and yanks the blade out. Blood sprays from the wound, and I feel weak and dizzy. I stumble back and fall to the floor as she collapses.
* * *
Thor
I’m sitting in my office with my back to the door, looking across the horizon toward the BUTEE building. Everything keeps rolling through my mind. She contemplated killing herself. She was disowned because she wouldn’t tell them I was Orion’s father. She was protecting me. She tried to put me out of business. She was told to get an abortion. For every argument I have, there is a direct reason why she did what she did. If I hold her accountable, I have to hold myself and those who directly kept us apart accountable too.
I’m pissed off at her.
I’m pissed off at myself.
