Page 101 of Lie With Me

No one says a thing. I manage to look up even though my body screams in pain at the movement. The man is frozen with a confused look on his face, pointing his gun at whoever is there. “Uh, who are you?”

Two men in black step into the room with their own guns raised—bodyguards—wearing finer suits than anyone from around here who would be gracing Petey’s establishment. My heart skips a beat, and mylips turn up, even though it causes the split to widen and more blood drips over my teeth and down my chin. There’s only one explanation.

Tripp.

The nasally man backs up, keeping his gun trained on them, and all I can think of is how Tripp is too pure to have a gun in his face and that he’s going to crack a poorly timed joke about it at any moment.

“Get that damn thing out of my face this instant!” a sharp feminine voice rings out.

Shock jolts through my chest as though a Taser has just zapped me.

Prince Charming isn’t here to save me.

The evil queen is.

Margo.

“Who the fuck are you?” Petey snaps.

Margo is still hidden by the door, but the moment I hear her heels clicking on the floor, I want to curl up and die. The thought of her seeing me like this is worse than if it were Tripp.

There’s a sharp intake of breath and a skid of her heel on the floor, followed by a loud thump. “Dear god. Valentina.”

“Don’t touch her!” Reker barks out. There’s a scuffle as the bodyguards rush the man with the gun and disarm him quickly.

Warm hands try to pull my pants up, and I let out a whimper as the material scratches the welts on my skin. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you,” she whispers.

“I won’t ask again. Who the fuck are you?” Petey shouts.

Margo looks over my body at him, and her eyes narrow. I’ve been on the receiving end of that look, and I’ll bet anything that Petey is at least a little terrified of this petite woman. “She owes you money, correct?” She nods to something by the door. “That will cover it. Consider her debt paid.”

“Are you fucking crazy, lady?” There’s a clicking sound and then a slide of something against the floor.

“Should I count it, boss?” nasally man asks after a beat of silence.

“No. That’s a lot more than she owes. Who are you? What connection do you have with her?” Petey asks again, sounding more intrigued than anything now.

Something glides over me—Margo’s jacket—before she helps me stand. Blood gurgles in my throat as I try to breathe through the pain of pulling my pants back up. The look of pity in her eyes is almost too much to bear.

She looks around me as she offers her body as a brace for me to lean against. I swear her eyes darken while she glares at Petey, the dragon I accused her of being roaring to life. “If you try to follow or contact us in any way, I willdestroyyou. If I hear so much as a peep of you stepping foot outside this vile town—and trust me, from now on, you will be under surveillance—I will make sure it’s the last thing you do. Do I make myself clear?”

Shakily, I turn to look over my shoulder at Petey, who is staring at us with a contemplative gaze.

“You’re not going to just let her go, are you?” Reker barks. He scowls between Petey and Margo before taking a step toward me.

Shots are fired without so much as a warning, causing both Margo and I to jump. One second, Reker is standing tall and threatening. The next, he’s on the ground in a pool of blood that’s rapidly spreading beneath him. His lifeless eyes stare up at me, and I want to feel peace at his death, but all I feel is mind-numbing pain.

Petey doesn’t so much as blink.

“Do I make myself clear?” Margo repeats.

My father glares at us with stark hatred in his eyes. Eventually, he gives a slight nod. “Until next time, my little valentine.”

Refusing to let him see me break, I hold my chin high as I hobble out of the room, heavily leaning on Margo for support. We go down a long, straight hall before she pushes open the door at the end to reveal a blacked-out car waiting for us.

Once we’re secure inside, the driver takes off, leaving the bodyguards behind. Margo reaches over and gently palms my cheek. “Are you alright?”

So many emotions flood me all at once, my lips trembling as a cascade of tears pour from my swollen eyes. Carefully, she gathers me in her arms, mindful of my back, whispering soothing sounds into my ear. “You’re safe now. You’ll never have to worry about any of them again.”

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