Page 207 of A Love Like Venom

But she believes in me. I have to hold on to that. She believes in me. I can save her.

Grunting I pick myself up off the floor and start my way to her.

Except I fail.

Again.

This time two men come and kick me to the ground. Their steel toed boots connecting with my ribs and my already gashed open wounds.

Her cries are the only thing I hear. They’re deafening. Soul destroying. Heart breaking.

With my body battered and almost rendered useless they pick me up from the cement floor. I release a sharp breath as they do. And I can’t help but notice all my blood that has stained the floor.

They hold me up. They hold me up as Razor holds Alice captive. They drag me closer towards them.

And it’s pathetic how my body has collapsed. How if they weren’t holding me up I wouldn’t be able to pick myself back up from the floor. But I’m numb. Numb from the pain. I can’t feel a thing.

I’m stopped a foot away from her.

So close yet so far.

Inside I’m willing my body to continue the fight but it can’t. Physically I’m depleted.

His hand wraps around her neck and gives it a harsh squeeze. He might as well have put his hand through my chest and fisted my heart. The damage is the same.

As her eyes lock on mine afraid and I hear the whimper slip pass her lips as he squeezes too tight I feel it.

I feel all of it at once.

The pain, it’s unbearable.

His eyes flash with knowing.

The only way I will break is if he touches her.

He knows.

She knows.

We all know.

“Are you finally starting to break?” He questions. I don’t reply. I don’t trust my voice to. Instead I keep my eyes on my angel. My beautiful Alice. And my eyes are pleading with her. Asking her so many fucking questions.

She knows me so well that she knows what I’m asking. Her voice is strained as she tells me heartbroken, “You said you would give your life for mine. I can’t allow you to do that.” I let my eyes close as I release a deep breath. I thought she was asleep when I vowed that to her.

I open my eyes and lock them on hers.

“Alice.” My voice is pained. My eyes dark with torment.

His hand releases her throat and she draws in a large breath. From the look on her face I know that it burned. He takes the knife held to her side and points it at her chest. Right above her heart.

“The heart makes you do crazy things,” he muses. “Both of you sacrificing yourselves. All in the name of love,” he scoffs at the word.

“You can’t die for me, Reed,” she pleads with me, ignoring Razor.

“I would gladly die for you, Alice.” Her eyes well with more tears. One of my own sheds and falls down my face.

“And I would you.” Her voice cracks.

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