Page 101 of Cruel Love

I check the clip. It’s full. Good.

“You can beg if you want,” I say, “but I’ll just enjoy it more.”

I point the gun at her face, ready to pull the trigger.

I’m so sorry I didn’t do this sooner, Elijah.

“Lilah, wait.”

I keep my stance locked, refusing to glance away from Myra. “Archer...” I warn.

He takes another step into the room behind me. “Wait,” he says again.

“For what?” I seethe.

Myra looks at him over my shoulder, her lips twitching and hopeful, but she doesn’t speak.

“If you kill her,” Archer says slowly, “then we may never find the Boss.”

“I don’t care.”

“Think, love...”

“He’s right, Lilah,” Myra says, her red teeth showing. “Listen to reason.”

“Shut up,” I tell her, my rage spiking with the sound of her voice.

“Do you really think it’s going to stop with me?” she asks, cradling her shaking hand. “Fox killed Mercer and that was just the start of his problems.”

I put a little weight on the trigger. “I’ll take my chances.”

“Lilah...” Archer eases closer to me and extends his hand toward my gun. “I know what this means to you, darling, but think big picture. We need her to find the Boss—”

“Archer—”

“—or else we may never stop running. She’ll hunt us down. She’ll never stop. I don’t know about you, love, but I don’t want that. For you. For Dante and Lucy. For us.”

He touches my wrist.

“Please, Lilah,” he whispers. “Give me the gun.”

Myra stares at us, looking more than a little satisfied as I let his hand guide mine. He slides the pistol from my grip, but I still keep my guard up just in case Myra makes any sudden moves.

Myra’s black eyes focus on Archer and she smiles. “Thank you, lover,” she says.

I lunge at her, but Archer quickly snatches my elbow.

“Don’t let her bait you,” he says, calmly pulling me back.

He keeps a tight grip on me as I take a breath to cool my red-hot cheeks.

“You always were quite the gentleman,” Myra says, tilting her head as she gazes at him.

Archer releases me and takes a step forward. He leans over her, extending his hand to help her up. I twinge as she takes it and another bolt of rage fires through me.

“Myra...” he says.

“Yes?”

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