Page 78 of Falling for a Killer

As much as I love seeing Ryan scared and bleeding on the floor, I still shiver from the ice seeping from Killian. He doesn’t even sound the same as he stares down at my ex fiancé unblinkingly, and I have to wonder if this is what Senator Lawson saw just before he died.

I hope it is.

“I-I—” Ryan stutters, then drops his shoulders with a scowl. “Fuck it. I was gonna take her, then show her what happens to bitchy little girls who don’t respect their betters.”

My stomach churns at the thought.

“That’s what you think you are? Her better?” His grip tightens. “Are you better because you’re in debt? Because you’re so pathetic you refuse to get a job and instead harass a woman that wants nothing to do with you? Because you can overpower her? Rape her?”

His voice rises with the last one, his emotions getting the best of him as he hits Ryan again.

The crunch of his nose breaking makes me smile.

What the hell does that say about me?

“The fuck!” Ryan yells, covering his face and trying to scoot backward. “Alright, fuck! I’m sorry, just let me go!”

“You scurried into the wrong hole this time, rat. You will not terrorize her anymore. Joey... I don’t want to take this from you, but I need you to tell me what you want.”

What do I want? I want to hurt him. I want to claw his fucking eyes out and cause enough pain that he begs me to just kill him, and then I want to hurt him some more.

“Keep him there. I’ll be right back.” Pivoting, I race to get my handgun from the side table and make sure it’s loaded and ready to fire, then walk back into the kitchen knowing exactly what I’m going to do. “Any last words?”

“You’re not going to shoot me. Fuck you. Those are my last words.”

Killian steps forward like he’s about to hit him again, but regardless of the fact that he’s trembling, he gains control again. He really is letting me decide Ryan’s fate on my own.

And now I’m even more tempted to shoot him.

“You’re right,” I say instead, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket and waving it at him. “I’m going to do something much worse for you.”

“You’re not gonna do shit unless you want your little boyfriend to go right back to prison. He assaulted me!”

“I’d do much worse if it was up to me,” Killian says coldly. “Your life means nothing to me, and I’d gladly go back to jail if it meant you were in the fucking ground. Look at her face. You assaulted her first, and I have every right to defend my woman.”

Grinning, I add, “Not to mention, you were caught breaking into my parents’ house. There’s a police report for that, and for all the times you’ve stalked and hurt me in the past. And this time, we’re not in a house with your name on it. As of two days ago, this cabin belongs to me and me alone. So I think that will mean quite a few charges, don’t you?” I look to Killian. “You’rethe expert, but I’d say this would include stalking, breaking and entering, attempted rape, attempted murder, and...” I glance around, noticing the dishes in the sink. “Robbery, too. That should put him away for a while, don’t you think?”

With a tense jaw, Killian nods. “Too bad he’s not going to Blackridge. I made more than a few friends in there that would love to meet a rapist.”

I’m sure he’ll have a good time wherever he goes, and honestly? I don’t care what happens to him from here.

The last thing standing between me and a happy, healthy future is about to go to prison for a very long time.

As I call the police and give them the address, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders. This is how I want to live my life — not with pain and suffering, but with peace.

The sirens drawing nearer illustrate just how close we are to that peace.

“I won, Ryan,” I say as his face goes white and the police knock on the door. “I finally fucking won.”

Epilogue:

Ten Years Gone

Sunsets are beautiful. Stunning, even. I’ve seen my fair share of them over the years, but nothing compares to a sunrise on our front porch. There’s nothing but land, trees, and mountains as far as the eye can see, and the orange and pink hues painting the horizon are almost enough to steal my breath.

It’s been ten years and he finally convinced me to wake up early enough to see one. “Okay,” I relent softly, tipping my coffee mug toward him. “You win. Sunrises might be superior.”

His body is facing me more than the view, and before he even opens his mouth, I know he’s about to say something cheesy. “Still doesn’t compare to your beauty.”

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