Page 32 of Liam

I open the door and look out into the lot but, at first glance, I don’t see Vanessa. Weird, where is her car? I walk closer to the gate and look through the bulletproof glass.

I don’t see her anywhere. This is really unusual for her. “Vanessa?” I call out to her but all I get is silence.

Something is seriously wrong.

I turn around. I need to tell Liam what is happening. What if she is lying out there or the cartel has her?

Something wet hits the top of my shoulder and falls down my back.

Pain, intense pain.

I scream and touch my back, and my hand immediately starts burning. I scream louder as the pain gets worse and worse.

What is happening? My legs give out and I hit the ground hard. I smell something god awful.

I look at the door to the clubhouse; Shaylin is standing there looking at me in horror. I scream again, the pain sinking in and becoming worse.

It’s like my whole back is on fire, it hurts so bad.

I am dying, the world is getting darker around the edges. Shaylin runs to me and hits the ground, and she touches my face. Her mouth is moving, but I don’t hear a sound.

I close my eyes.

Darkness.

9

Liam

I finish pulling out the final fingernail on the last guy, making sure I get all of the information I need. About an hour has passed. I have gone through four of them, and all of them have spilled their guts.

The stupid fuckers tried to keep all of this shit hidden, but they hadn’t faced me. I was trained for this, and there is nothing I can’t get out of somebody. I can keep someone alive for days, weeks, and even months.

They all crack.

The door is thrown open, and one of the old ladies looks at us in pure terror. Then I hear it.

A scream, a scream that I will never get out of my head. A scream that I know.

Paisley.

I run out of the room with Torch at my back. I look around the main room, knowing she is outside. I throw open the door and see Shaylin on her knees by Paisley.

My Paisley.

The lower part of her back is burned. Liquid is on the ground behind her, and I fucking know it’s acid.

Pain, that’s the only way I can explain how I feel. It’s like my heart is being ripped out of my chest. “Call 911!” I yell at the top of my lungs, my heart ripping in fucking two.

“Paisley,” I choke out. My heart hurts so fucking bad. She doesn’t wake up. Torch falls next to me. “Baby, please.” My head falls, and my hand is shaking so fucking bad. I push her hair out of her face. “What the fuck happened!” I roar.

Shaylin looks at me, tears rolling down her face. “She got a text from her friend, she said she was outside the gate,” she whispers.

The fucking cartel.

I don’t know what to do. I am helpless. I lie down on the ground beside her, and I kiss her cheek and pray. Please don’t take her away, she is my life. Torch is holding her hand.

A few achingly slow minutes tick by before the ambulance shows up and the gate opens, allowing them inside. The paramedics run over, horror all over their fucking faces at the sight of her.

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