Page 47 of A Monster Is Coming

I stared down the barrel of my gun, and I looked directly at Finn Byrne. He’d fucked everything up, and I had a feeling he knew it, and didn’t give a shit about who he had hurt in the process. I’ve met men like him. Just staring at his face reminds me of my father, of the men I’d killed to free myself.

I couldn’t let this bastard live. I didn’t want to walk out of here knowing he was alive. I get Ivan had his reasons, but I didn’t like it.

Finn Byrne must die.

He was taunting me.

I hated him.

“Not today,” Ivan said.

I didn’t want to listen to him. Killing Finn now would save us a lot of trouble and that was exactly what I wanted to do.

“Let her go,” Ivan said.

“Tell him to lower his gun,” Finn said.

“Lower your gun.”

I looked at Finn, and the temptation to say no was so strong, but Ivan Volkov was the boss. He was in charge. That’s what made him king and why the Bratva was strong and constantly expanding.

Lowering the gun took a lot of strength. But I knew, one day soon I was going to use it, and when I did, I was going to look into Finn Byrne’s eyes and end his life. Then I’d be the one laughing.

Chapter Twelve

Niamh

Laying in a hospital bed, I stared up at the ceiling, and it was kind of surreal thinking about what happened just a few hours ago.

I hated referring to that man as my father. He was no father to me. He was a monster and I hated him more than anything else in the world.

The man, Ivan Volkov, left without giving up my brother, and took me out of that hellhole. I’d been about to die. I knew my father would have gladly sent a bullet into my skull without a thought. I wasn’t dead, and I was no longer pregnant either. The doctor had already come and told me that news.

I was alone. Again.

Peter hadn’t stopped by. Neither had my brother, or anyone.

I should be used to this now but the biggest problem was there were so many unanswered questions. Who was Peter Shadows? Who was Ivan Volkov and why did I recognize him?

I couldn’t focus as the pain in my body hadn’t been quite numbed by the medication. I didn’t like to take painkillers. I’d seen too many people become addicted to them, and, well, I was in pain and could easily get addicted to them.

I had no idea who was paying for all of this. I didn’t have any health care insurance, and I certainly didn’t earn enough to pay for this kind of treatment.

Tears filled my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away as the door to my hospital room opened. I opened my eyes, and sure enough, there was Peter Shadows. He closed the door.

Only, this wasn’t the Peter Shadows I knew. This was someone different. He pulled up a chair, turned it, and straddled it.

Neither of us spoke for several minutes. I glanced at him, and then looked around the room, trying to figure out what I was supposed to say to him. I didn’t know what to say, or what to do. Everything was a mess right now. We were going to have a baby and I had thought myself in love with him, but that had been a lie. I was in love with a man that didn’t exist.

“I spoke to the doctor,” Peter said.

This drew my attention to him.

“He said you are going to be fine. One day, you’ll be able to have more child—”

“Who are you?” I asked. I already knew what the doctor had said. My pregnancy had been short and I had lost it due to the beating I took. There was nothing to suggest I couldn’t have more children, or even a healthy pregnancy. All the right words were being spoken, but I didn’t care.

“I know you’re not Peter Shadows.”

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