Page 184 of Syndicate of Sin Bundle

“Laila!” someone said from my right.

I ignored them—because it wasn’t Constantino or Sage—and hurried through the front door. Tears blurred my vision. I glared across the street at the blacked-out SUV and headed straight for my car. I needed to get out of here now.

After shutting myself away in my car, I screamed at the top of my lungs. My heart broke, shattering into a million little pieces. I had just killed my best friend, watched my husband threaten to kill his brother, and hurt the one man who I loved the most.

At least Sage … at least she had forgiven me.

I hoped …

Once I turned on the car, I gripped the steering wheel and sped off into the New York City night. Constantino should’ve never brought Sage into the room—or into the damn club—while all that shit went down. And to hold a gun to her head, then her stomach?!

He had frightened her to no end. She had collapsed into my arms and cried so hard. I wanted to go find her, to comfort her. But I was too broken up over my husband asking me to leave him alone. Because for how long?

How long would he refuse to be with me? Forever?

I slammed my foot harder on the accelerator and gritted my teeth, crying out. I had screwed up so badly. Too badly! I should’ve dumped Bethany a long time ago. I shouldn’t have accepted the way she treated Sage. If I had loved her the way I’d said I did, I wouldn’t have let that happen.

The light turned red in front of me, and I slammed on the brakes.

“I love her,” I whispered, body lurching forward from the sudden stop.

I wasn’t trying to convince myself. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I loved her. But I … had also loved Bethany in a different way. I’d loved her because I wanted to be like her. I wanted people to love me the way they loved her. To admire me the way they admired her.

Why had those words come out of my mouth? I choose the baby?! I had meant to say that I chose a family, but I wanted a baby so badly. Yet I didn’t want to lose Sage for more than just that. I didn’t want to lose her because I loved her.

More than a friend. More than I loved Bethany.

When the light turned green, I gently tapped on the accelerator once more. I wanted to go home and paint my heartache away. I wanted to sculpt. To draw. To throw myself back into my art and finally be happy again. I had spent the past few years depressed without it.

Red and blue lights flashed behind me.

Fuck.

I swallowed hard and pulled over to the side of the road, hoping to God that they just needed to go around me. And when the police car passed me, speeding up ahead through traffic, I blew out a low breath and slumped my shoulders forward.

Thank God.

After glancing back into my rearview mirror, I merged back into traffic. I gripped the steering wheel hard and drove toward the skyrise. My gaze flickered back up into the rearview mirror, spotting a blacked-out SUV three cars back.

Immediately, I turned down a street that led away from my home. And so did the SUV.

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

When I turned right again, they followed. I drove slowly as I desperately tried to figure out what to do, who to call, where to go. I didn’t have that much gas left in the car. I would run out sooner or later, and they’d … stop me.

Arrest me.

Take me away.

And maybe even put me in prison.

66

sage

“I choose the baby,” Laila says, smiling at me as she points the gun at my head. “Not you.”

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