Page 37 of Whatever It Takes

I’ve had exactly one lesson on how to use a firearm.

I’m outmatched in every way, but if we can get inside the building, maybe we can use the door to our advantage long enough for Keir to grab one of the many guns he’s got on his person. I saw the holster under his jacket when we kissed outside the shooting range.

The back of my head slams against the wall as I retreat, and a squeak escapes my lips.

“Enter your code,” Jameson directs. “One fucking day—that’s how long it took for Easton to lock me out.”

Keir steps to the side as I turn to type in my code on the key panel. My fingers move swiftly, but I pray Keir is completely blocking me from view, because I don’t just enter my code. I also add 9-1-1 immediately following it before hitting the pound key.

Calder told me it was for emergencies only, but if anyone ever tried to force me to bring them into the building or if I was being followed to do it.

So, I do.

Hopefully it’ll alert Calder and Easton that there’s an emergency, because this feels like it’s going to get bad really fast.

The door clicks like it always does when the lock disengages.

“S-Should I open it?” I ask.

“Yes!” Jameson sounds even more agitated, and the scent of my fear floods the air.

I tug the door open enough to slip inside and turn back to help guide Keir, but a hand wraps around my mouth. I’m pulled backward inside the building and moved to the wall just beside the back door.

I melt into the chest of the body holding me as soon as the smell hits me.

It’s Calder.

I recognize the rainy, fresh scent, even if I can’t see him.

“Shh, it’s okay, Easton is going to handle it,” Calder says close to my ear. He kisses my cheek, which would be soothing if I wasn’t terrified for Keir.

“You know she was a virgin?” Jameson taunts, and my entire body goes rigid.

That’s solely because I had no control over my body or my plans in life until my father died, but Jameson doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know about my family or my history at all.

Part of my marriage contract outlined that I had to be untouched on our wedding night.

My shitty husband didn’t have the same requirements, but his clause was that he must disclose any existing children he had or any children born not to me during our marriage. Even the terms painted a pretty grim future for me. If they had to put it in writing, they must have thought it was a good possibility it would happen.

Only, Avan’s guards were terrible at discretion, and I learned he actually had a daughter with a woman named Brooklyn. She’s the one he slapped me for asking about, but at that point, I had no idea they had a child together.

I discovered that four hours before our ceremony, but I kept the information to myself. Knowing my father, he would have called for the woman and child’s life as forfeit in order for us to go through with the union. Putting someone else’s life in danger just for a chance to get out of our marriage wasn’t something I was willing to risk.

Although, I did hope I could leverage that information at some point to get Avan to give me some autonomy. But then the massacre happened and it became a moot point.

“I can’t wait to see Easton’s face when he has to swallow down that realization.” Jameson chuckles darkly as Keir backs into the doorway with his palms raised. “I hope he fucking chokes on it.”

God, if Calder wasn’t restraining me, I might actually grab the gun from Keir’s waistband and try my luck at shooting Jameson. His cocky tone makes it clear he never cared about me.

“You’re the only person who gives a shit about that,” Keir growls. “But you can tell him yourself.”

Why is he taunting him? Does he want Jameson to snap and shoot him in the face?

Keir nods to the area behind Jameson that I can’t see. It almost feels like he’s telling Jameson to look behind him.

Only, before I can blink, Keir brings his right leg up in a high kick that I would think would be impossible in jeans.

Jameson’s gun goes off.

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