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Her nostrils flare and she inches toward me, stiffening her arms. “He was…my son.”
I pinch my brows. “What? I didn’t think Franklin had…”
She rocks her head slowly.
“Oh,” I say as the realization dawns on me. I let out of laugh. “You chastise me for having multiple men but you had a bastard son with another man. Is that why you hate me so much? I have something you wanted but never had? You’re mad becauseyouhad to choose and I don’t.”
Gunshots go off in the distance. A sign that others are coming. That our time here is limited. My only hope is that Simon and Johnny can get Coen out of this hellhole before any more harm is done to them.
Coen has to live. He has to. Because if he doesn’t, I don’t know how I will survive the permanent loss of him. Just because I have gained one man, doesn’t mean I’m okay with letting another go.
“You,” Gwyneth spits out. “You are a selfish and greedy bitch. Everything would have been fine without you. Dominic and Simon would have had a fair battle andnoneof them would have fallen victim to your disgusting seduction.”
I laugh again. “You realizetheypursued me, right?”
"You baited them!" She clenches her jaw. "You were after their money! The empire! You gold-digging bitch!"
"Wow." With blood coated all over my body, I stand there, completely dumbfounded. How could she possibly be any more wrong? None of this haseverbeen about the money. Is not having to worry about how I’ll scrounge up enough money for rent nice? Definitely. Is knowing I don’t have to worry about my next meal a luxury I’m grateful for? Absolutely. But I have never asked them for a single thing. Not once. The only thing I want from them is their time—their love. The rest is theirs to do with what they want. I don’t need the lavish lifestyle—I just need them.
And I would trade every bit of it for a chance to walk out of here with all four of those men.
I would go back to working three jobs, to dealing with shitty bosses who objectify me and treat me like garbage. I would live in squalor and struggle to make ends meet. I would walk through fucking hell and back to get our happily ever after.
Gwyneth turns on her heel, spinning so fast I barely recognize what’s even happening. She darts around a corner and runs.
I start after her, but a second later, she stalks backward with her hands in the air. I keep my gun aimed at her and wait for the reason for her retreat.
Claire appears, a pistol in her grasp, looking like the baddest bitch I’ve ever laid my eyes on. “Not so fast,Winnie.”
“Drop the gun,” I tell Gwyneth. “This is over.” I stalk toward Claire.
“Sorry it took me so long,” Claire mutters. “Took the scenic route.”
“You’re here, that’s all that matters.”
Gwyneth lowers her arms, and for a second I think she’s going to use the opportunity to shoot one of us, but she actually complies and sets the thing on the floor. “You’re going to kill a defenseless old woman?”
More gunshots, this time closer.
I flit my attention in the direction it’s coming and hold my breath. Are thoseherreinforcements coming to finish us off? Are Claire and I about to be outnumbered and taken out by this stupid hag?
But instead of her goons, Dominic Adler bursts through the fucking door, one gun in each hand. He quickly turns around and shoots at his rear, hitting his target and sending them falling through the door behind him.
“Dominic,” Gwyneth whines and fakes innocence. “You came. These two have made horrible accusations against me. And she…” The pathetic actor points at me. “Shot Coen. She’s trying to pin it on me.”
Dominic lowers his right hand and shoots her in the fucking leg. “Stop the antics, Gwyneth. I’ve heard enough from you.”
Gwyneth cries out and falls to the floor, clutching her thigh. “Wh-why? Dominic. I was li-like a mo-mother to you.”
"A mother?" Dominic sneers. "A mother would never do the things you've done." He rushes over between me and Claire. "Are you two okay?” He hugs me to his chest briefly but releases me, holding me at an arm’s length and studies the blood covering my body.
“It’s Coen’s, not mine.”
“I’m fine,” Claire says and steps toward the whimpering lady. “But I’ll be better once she’s dead.” Claire fires off a round into Gwyneth’s leg. “That’s for Franklin.” Then another. “That’s for Johnny.” Another. “That’s for hunting us down.” Another. “That’s for Luciano.”
I join Claire at her side, pointing my gun at Gwyneth. “This is for Coen.” I hit her in the stomach. “This is for Vincent. This is for Johnny and Claire. This is for trying to ruin my life.”
“And this,” Claire says while Gwyneth foams at the mouth with blood. “Is to end it.” She blasts a bullet straight through Gwyneth’s forehead.
