Page 54 of Curvy Desire's Second Shot

He laughed, the sound low and humorless. “Leave? After all the trouble you’ve caused me? I don’t think so.”

I tightened my grip on the knife still in my hand, my pulse pounding in my ears. “This doesn’t have to end badly.”

“Oh, but it does,” he said, his tone casual as he raised the gun slightly. “You should’ve stayed gone, Naomi. Would’ve made things a lot easier.”

“Easier for you,” I said, my voice trembling with anger. “Not for me.”

His expression darkened, and he took another step closer. “You always did have a smart mouth. Let’s see if it’s still that way when?—”

The door behind him burst open, and Hudson charged into the room, his expression thunderous. Jared spun around, but he wasn’t fast enough. Hudson tackled him to the ground, the gun skittering across the floor as they grappled.

“Naomi, go!” Hudson shouted, his voice a mix of fury and desperation.

But I didn’t move. My hand clenched around the knife, and I stepped forward, ready to end this once and for all. The storm wasn’t over yet, but I wasn’t running anymore. It was time to fight.

Chapter Forty

Hudson

The room was a chaotic mess—scattered papers, overturned chairs, and Jared’s presence making the air heavy with tension. Naomi stood just a few feet away, his arm locked around her waist, the barrel of his gun pressing against her temple. My heart pounded in my chest as I calculated every possible move, every potential outcome.

“Let her go, Jared,” I said, my voice calm, steady, a sharp contrast to the storm inside me. My knife was hidden in my hand, ready, but I didn’t make any sudden moves. One wrong twitch, and he’d pull the trigger.

Jared’s laugh was sharp, mocking. “You think you’re in control here, Hudson? Look around. You’re not calling the shots—I am.”

“You’ve got this all wrong,” I said, my eyes locked on his. “You think this is control? It’s desperation. Let her go, and we’ll talk.”

He pulled Naomi closer, his fingers digging into her arm. She winced but didn’t cry out. Her eyes met mine, steady and clear, as if she was willing me to hold on. I couldn’t let her down.

“This isn’t about talking,” Jared spat, his voice rising. “This is about what’s mine. And she was mine.”

“She was never yours,” I said sharply. “Naomi isn’t a possession, Jared. She’s her own person, and she left you because you couldn’t see that.”

His face twisted with rage, his lips curling into a snarl. “She left because of you. You poisoned her. You made her think she was too good for me.”

“Sheistoo good for you,” I shot back, my voice cold. “And she’s with me now because she chose to be.”

Jared’s laugh was bitter, his hand trembling slightly as he adjusted his grip on the gun. “You think this is love, Hudson? You think she’s going to stay with you? You’re nothing but a stepping stone.”

“You’re wrong,” Naomi said, her voice strong and clear despite the gun against her head. “Hudson’s everything you could never be. And I’m not scared of you anymore.”

Her words hitJared like a physical blow. He flinched, his face contorting with anger as he yanked her closer. “Shut up,” he hissed, his voice venomous.

“Don’t listen to him, Naomi,” I said, my voice steady despite the tension coiling in my chest. “You’ve already beaten him. That’s why he’s doing this—because he knows he’s lost.”

Jared’s laugh was unhinged, his eyes narrowing as he glared at me. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t about winning or losing. This is about making you suffer.”

I tightened my grip on the knife hidden behind my leg, my mind racing. He was unstable, unpredictable, and that madehim even more dangerous. I needed to distract him, to get him off balance long enough to act.

“You’re not going to win this, Jared,” I said, my voice firm. “You’re outnumbered, outmatched, and out of time. Walk away while you still can.”

His eyes flicked to mine, and for a split second, I saw a flicker of doubt. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by a cold, calculating look.

“You think I’m afraid of you?” he sneered. “I’ve been waiting for this moment, Hudson. Waiting to take back what’s mine.”

“She’s not yours,” I said, my voice sharp. “She never was.”

The tensionin the room was suffocating, every second stretching into an eternity. Jared’s grip on Naomi shifted slightly, and I saw my opening. It was small, fleeting, but it was all I needed.

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