Page 41 of Descent

“It’s been a long day; let’s not dig into this. We have food for you guys, and I need to go run an errand. I’ll be back,” he says.

Something is off about Ronan’s demeanor; it’s rigid and unyielding. I watch as his hand twitches near his hip, but his posture remains motionless. He’s wearing a pair of dress pants and a polo shirt with the school’s crest on it, so it’s pretty impossible to miss the bulge of a gun on his hip beneath his shirt.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

He pauses, blinking slowly.

“Out.”

“Where are you going, Ronan?” I repeat.

He grinds his teeth together, working his jaw from side to side before he speaks.

“I’m going to take care of my brother. He will never hurt you again.”

My eyes widen as panic floods me.

“You can’t! He could kill you!”

“Not if I kill him first. I’m fine, baby. Rest, I’ll be back,” he says as he moves forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I scramble for his arm, digging my hands into it as I hold onto him for dear life.

“No! Please, Ronan. Please, don’t do this. I can’t lose you. It’s not worth it!” I spiral, slowly descending into a suffocating panic attack.

My chest heaves, desperate for a breath I can’t catch as the room begins to spin. I won’t survive if I lose him. I won’t survive if I lose any of them. Oh my god. He can’t go. He can’t.

“Hey! Hey, hey, hey,” Ronan says, dropping to his knees as he puts his face in front of my own. “I need to, baby. I can’t let him have the chance to hurt you again. If I have to see you like this again, I…I’m the one who can’t.”

“Think, Ronan,” Asher chimes in. “My father’s security team would have you gunned down before you could even reach for your gun.”

“Your father has security too?” I ask over my shoulder.

“Of course.”

“I’ve never seen them before?”

“That’s the point, Princess,” he says before turning back to his uncle. “No one wants him dead more than me, but…this is not how we do it,” he says, as he gestures towards Ronan’s weapon.

Ronan’s jaw works from side to side, knowing we are right.

“I can’t just sit here. I have to do something,” he says.

“Stay with me?” I ask softly, causing his eyes to drop to mine and soften.

He watches me for several seconds, and for a moment, I think he is going to deny me. Then, he blows out a shaky breath, setting his gun on the bedside table as he nods.

“Always.”

Chapter Eighteen

Liam

It’s been almost two weeks since Skyla and Asher were beat to shit by Christopher. I’ve never felt a pain like that until that moment, watching the love of your life and your best friend so broken, so hurt. Knowing exactly who did it and also knowing that there isn’t a fucking thing you can do? Yeah, that shit sucks.

I’ve also never seen Ronan so out of control. While Skyla and Asher were getting cleaned up by the doctor, we were all downstairs, trying to give them space and escape Skyla’s screams. Each one had me cringing, and around the thirtieth time, Ronan sprung to his feet and went to his car. When he came back, he was loading a gun with a look on his face that promised retribution.

My attempts at getting him to calm down were futile, and if the doctor hadn’t come down the stairs to inform us about their injuries, I think he would have left right then. Being reminded of his girl upstairs, injured and in pain, made him pause, at least for a little. Though, I know why he really stuck around. He wanted to see her one more time, in case he didn’t make it back. Which he wouldn’t have. Asher is right on that one.

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