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“I’m the one asking the questions here, pretty boy,” Mel sneers before Emilia can reply. “And you got yours wrong.” Beaming like a deranged psycho, she says, “So now I get to punish you.”
She waves the knife in front of me, her eyes perusing my body as she tries to decide what she wants to do with me. Gritting my teeth, I stare her down, refusing to cower beneath her craziness.
Reaching my legs, her eyes slowly lift back up, lingering on my face. That’s when I begin to sweat.
“You probably won’t look so pretty with a nice big scar on your face, will you?”
“No,” Emilia pleads, leaning forward in her chair as though she’s about to get up.
With her ass hovering just above the seat, Mel rounds on her, knife outstretched. “Don’t even fucking think about it,” she snarls viciously. “Unless you want a matching scar on your face. Bet none of them will want you then when you’re all scarred up and broken. ButIwanted your broken pieces.” She smacks her palm against her chest. “Iwouldn’t have cared if you were scarred.”
Unblinking eyes stuck on the blade, Emilia slowly lowers herself back into her chair. However, Mel continues to stand over her. Fear that she will follow through with her threat spurs me on. “Are you doing this or what?” I spit at her.
It has the desired effect, and she dismisses Emilia, striding toward me with intent. “If I’d known you were so eager to get all cut up, I’d have stabbed you some more.”
“Do your worst,” I taunt, absolutely sick of listening to this bitch talk. I’m done with this fucking game. Done with her crazy rules. She can do whatever the hell she wants with me, so long as she doesn’t touch a single hair on Emilia’s head.
Her hand fists the hair on the top of my head, pulling until I’m forced to tilt my head back, brandishing my face for her to disfigure.
At the very corner of my eyes, I can see Emilia, tears streaking her face as she bites the inside of her cheek to hold back her pleas. I focus on her as the glint of steel flashes off to my left, a split second before searing pain drills into my skull.
Gritting my teeth, there’s nothing I can do but breathe through the pain as warm blood gushes down the side of my face. That stabbing pain moving as the blade slices through the skin all the way from my temple to my ear.
Even after she’s finished, the pain doesn’t subside. It just changes from sharp and deep to a burning sensation as though half of my face is on fire. My teeth hurt, my eyes sting, and I still keep my mouth shut, refusing to give her any satisfaction.
She admires her handiwork before letting go of my hair and stepping back. Falling forward, my head hangs there while I attempt to ground myself.
“Hawk,” Emilia cries, desperation bleeding into her tone. “Look at me.”
Closing my eyes, I can still hear her pleas as I gather my energy and lift my head, ensuring that when my eyes meet hers, there’s nothing but determination and strength shining in them.
The relief is immediate to see in her posture, even though her face is still pinched with concern.
“Okay, next question,” Mel says gleefully.
“No,” Emilia croaks. “No more. Is this why you’re here? To play games with us?” Her voice rises alongside her temper, fury burning in the fiery green depths of her eyes.
Eerily slowly, Mel turns to face her. “So anxious to die, Emilia?”
Swallowing roughly, it’s evident that Emilia is afraid, but she battles through her fear, lifting her chin and staring Mel down. It makes me so fucking proud to watch her. “I’d rather be dead than forced to be with you. I’d rather have spent my life married to Richard, or with any of the guys that came before him, than spend it with you.” She spits the words out with so much venom you can taste it in the air.
Mel freezes, her whole body locking up before she lunges forward. “It’s your lucky day, then.” She jumps on Emilia, sending them both careening backward as the chair topples. Emilia lets out an ear-piercing scream, my own joining the mix as Mel straddles her. Pinning her to the ground, Mel raises the knife above her head, readying to bring it down and end the life of the only woman I will ever love.
Chapter24
EMILIA
My eyes are rooted to the sharp blade looming above me. They say that your life flashes before you in your final moments, but it’s not my past that I see. It’s my future. Moments with Hawk, Kai, and Wilder. Dinners together. Holidays. Hadley’s wedding.Ourwedding. Kids.
Smiling faces.
Laughter.
Love.
So. Much. Love.
That future I always wished for but felt so elusive is finally right at my fingertips. Yet, still out of reach. I may never get to live it, but to know it was finally achievable; an eventuality, it eases the sting.
