Page 107 of Bullet

The first ring had my throat thickening with fear, the second had chills crawling over my flesh, and when he answered, his voice had ice running through my veins.

“It’s me,” I said because he’d recognize my voice.

“Madison.” The condescending way he said my name once had the power to take me to my knees. I was stronger now. I had to be.

I swallowed, barely able to push the words from my mouth. “Don’t hurt him.”

“It’s a little too late for that.”

No, he was lying. Killing Bullet would be too easy, not when he could make me suffer.

“We both know it’s not. You wouldn’t kill him.” Not when this was what he wanted. Me groveling back, begging him to spare Bullet and sacrificing myself. Then he’d kill Bullet in front of me as a lesson, to show me he had all the power, to punish me for my betrayal.

“You didn’t ask if he was dead. You asked if I’d hurt him.” He sighed as if exasperated with the conversation.

He had me on speaker phone. I listened to the background noises and the hollow echo of his words. Others would be in the room. Maybe Bullet could hear me. Maybe knowing I was coming would give him the strength to hold on.

“I’m sorry.” Tears filled my eyes. I could do this, but I had to make Emerson believe me. So I whispered to Emerson, the thoughts and feelings that I should have said to Bullet when I had the chance.

“I regret so much,” I started. And I did. I regretted not telling Bullet that I loved him. I regretted that I wouldn’t be able to touch him again, to kiss him once more, and to ride on the back of his bike.

This was my truth, because I’d never been a good liar. Picturing Bullet in my mind, his tattoos and piercings. The storm of passion in his gray eyes, the angle of his jaw, and the way his whiskers felt against my skin. Emerson would hear my words, but my heart belonged to Bullet.

“You scared me,” I said. Emerson terrified me. But Bullet did, too. He scared me because from the moment he stared into my eyes, I’d been lost without him. Bullet found me, and he awakened the part of me Emerson had tried to destroy.

He’d changed for me. But I’d changed because of him.

“What am I supposed to do when the man I love has two sides to him? I wrestled with how you could claim to want me, and then have other women in your life. But when you touched me, I knew I belonged to you.”

If Bullet could hear me, I hoped he knew my confession was for him.

“Then why did you leave?” Emerson’s voice broke the spell.

I wanted to confess my heart to Bullet. I had to remember this was to save his life.

“It killed me to leave you. I wanted the life we were supposed to have.”

The life in the little, old house, with trees, and quietness. The place where we shared secrets, and where I finally felt safe. The place where I fell in love.

But I wouldn’t have my fairytale with Bullet. I’d live in hell with the monster from my nightmares.

I thought of Bullet, the way he touched me, the way he made me feel, and how much he was willing to give up for me. “I wanted you to be my forever.”

“You were supposed to stay with me.” His voice grew louder. “After everything I’ve done for you, for us, I expected a bit of loyalty.”

“I am loyal. I used him.” The words were like acid in my mouth, burning my tongue with lies.

“Then you shouldn’t care what happens to him.”

“But I do, just like I cared what happened to those girls.” I choked on the vile words tattooed on my tongue. “But I care about you more.”

“I expect you to prove just how loyal you are.”

He sent the address to my phone. I’d been to the location before, on a night that changed my life.

“I was always loyal. I could accept a lot from you, including your wife and your infidelity. I could’ve gone to the police, Emerson. But I didn’t.”

“Forgive me if I find your altruism to be self-serving,” he said. “You’ve enjoyed the benefits of my business.”

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