Page 260 of Deceit

I steal a quick glimpse at her, finding her shifting uneasily at my side.

I don’t have to repeat how her and I don’t get along. She allows, and I discourage—mostly when the boys want to be idiots—we couldn’t be more different.

“You kidding, right?” Her pretty hazel eyes narrow. “Why the hell am I going to turn down a free babysitter?”

Her face breaks out in a smile but I don’t have time to take it in.

No, I mom-arm her ass to the side so I can see my man take his shot.

Bishop releases a second later and a blood-curdling scream escapes Alexander.

With an arrow sticking right from between his legs.

The boys are howling in laughter and chuckles, and Blue has the balls to pat my head like a child even though Ijusttold her she could watch my kids, the bitch.

She moves for Bishop to reclaim his spot, a satisfied smirk playing off his face.

“I heard you talking about dick,” he muses, rounding my body to stand behind it again. “Thought it was fitting—“ He bows closer to whisper, “—since that’s all you’re going to be getting tonight.”

My body breaks out in a cool chill as he hands over the large bow.

“Your turn.”

Alexander is arched back in his chair, clearly beside himself in agony as Bishop guides me to my next attempt. We lock eyes and my brain rummages through everything Alexander and I have done.

The annoyingly charming way he picked me up when Bishop bailed.

How effortlessly thoughtful he was.

The fearless way he expressed his feelings.

The confidence he oozed.

The knife he took that pierced and almost murdered our children.

The faint scars that I will always wear because of him.

I don’t wait for Bishop’s help on the next, lining myself up like the last time but a little to the left. With my two fingers holding the firm string of the bow along with my held breath, I let go. Time slowly enters the room, but I regret nothing.

An ear-splitting wail then echos off my condo walls, and my vision becomes clear.

Alexander with my arrow in his chest, near his heart. His mouth is opening to let me have it again, but he’s losing the fight.

“You stupid…fucking—“ The loud crack of a gunshot startles me back against Bishop’s body and everyone else in the room. And out steps a man from my kitchen.

Ledger.

“I told you boys to stop playing so long with your prey,” he chides, pocketing his gun behind his gray suit jacket.

I watch him stride deeper into the living room, but my eyes flick to Alexander. His head slumped to the side—dead.

The shaky exhale of my next breath is caught by Bishop, and he encases me in his arms like a cocoon.

“Mills, go check out the neighbors,” Ledger orders with a jerk of his head. He runs off while our commander stops in front of the rest of us. “Blue, happy to see you here.”

“Wouldn’t miss it, commander.”

His eyes flick to Marty, then Kyson before those dark greens rest upon me. “Emmy Lou, are you okay?”

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