Page 29 of Shattered Love

Vex’s wide smile filled his face the same way he filled our exit. A dozen guards stood at his back. And between all of them, a limp body swung.

Even under the bruises, I recognized him. His soft brown hair was matted with sweat, his hazel eyes barely able to squint open. But when he spotted the six of us standing together, Murphy’s familiar smile lit up his face.

Rainer growled under his breath when he spotted his best friend, taking a stop forward, but I pressed a hand against his chest. We were in an enclosed space. If bullets began flying, there was no telling who would be hit. We couldn’t risk that, not yet.

“Well, step aside. Let me see her,” Vex said, his voice much too light for the circumstance.

Aiden and Warner stood shoulder to shoulder, refusing to budge. But I couldn’t let them get harmed. Not when it was me who Vex wanted. Maybe if I listened to him, followed his instructions, he’d let the rest of them go.

It was wishful thinking, but it was all I had.

Rainer tried to grip my arm, but I ripped the limb from his grasp, stepping forward. Aiden halted my movements, begging me with my eyes not to, but Warner was at his side, moving him away.

He took my brother’s arm, pulling him back as he stepped toward Mina, allowing me to be front and center. I took several steps, putting a gap between me and the others while not allowing myself to be directly in Vex’s vicinity.

Once I was alone, in the middle of the two groups, Vex clapped. “There she is! The one who got away!”

Although I had tried to keep my distance, Vex didn’t care. With four long strides, he was in my space, hovering over me, looking down his nose. “You thought you were clever, didn’t you? Escaping right under my nose.”

He attempted to keep his smile, to keep his jovial tone, but his words fell flat. A frown threatened his lips. This was no longer a game to him. He was angry that a simple girl like me had bested him.

“Clever enough to break in right under your nose as well,” I responded, thankful my voice didn’t shake, even as my body did.

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.” His eyes brightened again as my brows furrowed, realizing he had something over me. “Once I realized you weren’t with the first group, I knew I only had to bide my time.”

He circled my body, clucking his tongue. “You were always hovering over those children. Willing to take the beating instead of your brother. Even when you recognized my scientist, you kept your mouth shut.”

He came to the front of me again, leaning down, his face inches from mine, my body trembling with fear. “A protector. You would never leave them here. All I had to do was wait.”

Backing away, he spread his arms wide, a performer on the stage of his creation. “And so I did! You delivered yourself right to me. Now the only question is, what should I do with you all now?”

His gaze scanned behind my back, eyeing the guns in their hands. “You stole important information from me. The only question is, what do you know?”

Vex’s eyes landed on me once again, his grin manic. “You and I both know how much fun we could have finding out exactly what you know.”

I tried to keep my features blank, tried to not show my fear, but my efforts were futile. A shiver wracked my entire body, my mouth falling open in horror. I would rather die than be at the mercy of this man again.

“And this time, I wouldn’t stop until you broke,” Vex whispered against my cheek and I flinched.

A commotion of whispers and shuffling broke out behind me, but I didn’t dare turn to look. I couldn’t give my back to the monster before me.

My eyes were locked with his, his focus entirely on me. But I saw the shock of blonde hair approaching, something Vex was none the wiser to.

As she came closer, I recognized her as the woman who had stitched me up before my escape. The woman who had apologized.

Her steps were quiet as she approached Vex from behind. I saw her movements before Vex had any idea she was in the room. His arrogance, his focus on the woman who had bested him, his downfall.

Her tight fist, a liquid filled syringe inside, jabbed toward Vex’s neck. He spun too late, the needle already piercing his skin. His eyes drooped instantly, his mouth opening to form unspoken words, and then he fell limp to the ground.

I didn’t have a moment to thank the woman. No time for relief to flood my body. Because a voice screamed for me to duck and then bullets were flying through the air.

Chapter Sixteen

My stomach laid on the floor, chaos ensuing above me. My breaths came heavy, my chest heaving against the wooden floor as I attempted to crawl to safety.

My movements were choppy but fast as I slid across the floor until I reached a desk, hiding under the surface. Once I was in relative safety, I took in the scene unfolding before me.

Vex’s limp body still laid on the floor, but his chest moved rhythmically up and down, meaning he was still alive. Probably the reason the guards were still fighting.

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