Page 90 of Tactical Revival

“Well, we can’t risk her surviving and getting away now, either.” Lanetti moves closer to me, then comes around behind me. “So, how should we do this? Straight to the jugular?” Something pinches against my skin, and I close my eyes, whimpering as fear takes a bite out of my soul.

Is this really it?

“Please don’t,” I tell them both. “Please don’t take me away from Matty.”

“Matty will be fine. We both know your parents will take him in. Probably better off, too. If you couldn’t keep Chad around, what makes you think you can keep Jaxson? We wouldn’t want little Matty growing up with an unhealthy outlook on relationships, now would we? Besides, Jaxson and I will watch over him.”

“You can come back from this, Lanetti. It’s not too late.”

“It is too late,” she replies. “Because I want Jaxson and you’re in the way. None of them could see it either. None of them know just how perfect he is for me.”

“Okay, we can talk about this later. Maybe at the diner. Over some food.”

Lanetti snorts. “Why, so I can serve you dinner while you two play googly eyes over the table? He’s mine!” she yells. “You had your chance, this is mine!”

“Lanetti,” Patty scolds. “Do it so we can leave.”

“You never let me have any fun.”

Footsteps above us silence both women. “Down—” I can’t finish because Lanetti wraps an arm around my throat and squeezes, pressing the needle against the side of my throat. “Shut up or I’ll do it now.”

Please, God, let that be help. Please don’t let me die down here. Tears stream down my cheeks as I struggle to breathe against the hold on my throat.

More footsteps just outside the door.

Patty raises her gun.

And fires.

A man groans, and the door splinters open. Three men dressed in tactical gear rush in, their weapons aimed.

Jaxson.

Michael.

Silas.

And behind them, Elijah is down, a hand pressed to his side. No!

“Let her go, Lanetti,” Jaxson says.

“I’m doing this for us, Jaxson. Don’t you see it? With Margot around, we can’t be together. Not really.”

“We can talk as soon as you put that needle down,” Jaxson says. “Come on, you’re not a killer.”

“I could have been. If that brat Kleo Finch had gone down and stayed down like she was supposed to. And I can do it now too. I’m not afraid. Then you’ll see. You’ll see.”

“Lanetti.”

“Drop your weapons,” Patty orders.

“Not a chance,” Michael snaps.

“Then—”

A gunshot sounds, and Patty yells in pain as she falls to the side. I slam my head back into Lanetti’s face and she screams, jabbing the needle into the side of my throat.

Everything moves in slow motion, and I stiffen. Did she push the contents of the syringe into my veins? Am I going to die? Even now that Jaxson has found me?

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