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Jackson steps forward, pulling a gun from his pants. He bends down and meets Ben’s eyes. “You were supposed to suffer for weeks. Months, even. But my woman—my woman—needs closure. She needs the trash from her past taken out. You deserved everything you got and more. This is you getting off easy.”
Jackson steps back and straightens. Lifting the gun, he lines the shot up with Ben’s forehead. He looks back at me, and I nod.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I meet Ben’s eyes. Eyes that once brought me joy now send a cold chill down my spine. Eyes that are constant reminders of every single bad thing that has happened to me. He killed our child. My child.
I keep my eyes locked on his as Jackson pulls the trigger. The bang is deafening in the quiet room. The sound echoes in my ears as I stare at his eyes. Never blinking. Watching them go from my tormentor’s eyes to lifeless, dead eyes.
He is gone. My tormentor. The one who was my childhood best friend. Who I thought would always be with me through every single moment in life.
He is dead.
Killed by the love of my life. The man who swooped in and saved me. The man who isn’t afraid to change for the better. The one who wants to support me and loves me just how I am.
I never thought I would be strong enough to face this. To watch someone die. But I am. It’s what I needed.
Benjamin Wyatts is dead.
Chapter Nineteen
Presley
One Week Later
Todaywehaveanappointment with a doctor to get checked over to see about the baby. I have been sick most mornings and have all the signs and symptoms that I’ve had before, but yet I seem to be refusing to see it.
Things have not been easy this last week. Since Raven and I were taken by Ben, I have been having nightmares. They come in waves, but they hit really hard. All of them are the same.
Your fault.
You created this monster.
You became a monster.
Your baby’s death is your fault. You failed, Presley, don’t you get that?
You shouldn’t have taken off on your own—
I shake my head and pinch the palm of my hand to distract myself from going down that hole. It’s already bad enough I have to do it every night, that Jackson and I have been getting barely any sleep. He constantly has to wake me up and help me through an anxiety attack and then he stays awake until I fall back asleep. And if I can’t fall back asleep, he doesn’t either. He is so supportive that it has been getting a little overwhelming.
Especially with how things are going with Raven, what happened… my mind is constantly screaming at me that it is my fault and it’s not like I can go see her or hug her to make it all better. That hurts worst of all.
Don’t think about that right now.
Then Jackson finally had time to tell me about my parents. He told me about the visit he took to them and every word they said. I didn’t know how to feel that he didn’t tell me he was going to see my parents without me before he went. I told him I wasn’t mad now, because I’m not. But I want to talk about it in therapy because I am not sure how I feel about it. I also told him I don’t want to see them. I guess they had gotten a hold of Rage and wanted to see me. I’m not ready, though. I don’t know when or if I ever will be.
Footsteps sound behind me, and I turn my head from where I am sitting in the grass behind the clubhouse, basically in Rage’s backyard. Grayson and Ryker approach me, both giving me smiles.
“Axe went into church. He wanted us to tell you.”
“Thank you for letting me know,” I reply with a grin.
Ryker plops down next to me, and Grayson rolls his eyes but sits on the other side of Ryker. “He was also standing in the kitchen staring out the window the entire time. Since you walked out the door, he stood there watching. Rage almost had to carry him downstairs; he didn’t want to go.” Ryker chuckles.
“He cares,” Grayson adds.
Ryker huffs. “I know that, smarty pants. But it’s still funny.”
Grayson looks at me. “How are you holding up?”
