Page 187 of Teacher's Pet

A cold, suffocating dread settles over me.

"A knife to the thigh should be sufficient," Jake says, almost gleeful. Ana’s agonized sobs shred me apart.

"What the fuck do you want?" I force out, my voice raw. "You want to punish me? Fine. Bring Ana back and take me instead-"

"Now, now, Noah," Jake sighs, as if I’ve disappointed him. "No one gets what they want with her alive."

"You said-"

"You didn’t stay in line." His tone sharpens, razor-edged. "Any promise I made to you was void the moment you thought you could go behind my back. Antonovs don’t love. We hunt. You should be thanking me for getting rid of your distraction."

Stumbling out of the building with a smug grin, Roman adjusts his pants while Eden wipes her mouth, her lips curling in satisfaction. I don’t give him the chance to speak. Waving him down, I close the distance between us.

"So," I whisper, forcing myself to block out Ana’s muffled cries. "Should I assume Cole and Walker are with you too?" My voice is sharp, venomous.

Jake chuckles, the sound crawling under my skin. "They should be here soon," he says easily. "Sadly, your lover’s little escapade fucked over more than just you and me. I figured we should all get a chance to say our proper goodbyes."

I stop in front of Roman, who instantly picks up on my urgency. Eden takes the hint, pressing a kiss to his cheek before slipping away. Without a word, I switch the call to speaker, letting Roman in on the conversation.

"Where are you taking her?" I demand, my grip tightening around the phone.

"Somewhere you’ll never find the body," Jake sighs, as if he’s already bored. "Though, with this snow coming in, she might stay fresh enough for an open-casket funeral."

Ana’s breath hitches. "M-my parents," she whimpers. "My-"

"They’re fine, right, Noah?" Jake taunts.

My eyes scan the crowd frantically until I spot her parents. They’re smiling, completely unaware, as Will laughs with a group of old coworkers.

"They’re safe, Princess," I whisper, forcing calm into my voice. "And you will be too. I’m coming for you-"

"Lying to the lady, Noah?" Jake cackles. "God, you really are one pathetic fucking liar."

Roman doesn’t hesitate. Scrolling through his phone, he fires off a barrage of texts, his eyes locked in hyper-focus. Then, finally, he speaks.

"Jake Antonov," Roman says smoothly. "You’ve really gone and made a mess of things, haven’t you?"

The line goes dead silent.

Only Ana’s agonized sobs fill the void.

Then...

"R-Roman Briar," Jake whispers.

Did… did Jake just stutter?

"Oh, don’t go quiet now, kid. You were doing so well hurling threats at Noah." Roman’s voice is smooth, deadly. "Tell me, how long did you plan to creep under my nose? Hmm? Bringing my wife’s name into your petty quarrels…"

His tone darkens, the weight of his words pressing like a blade against flesh. "I’ve cut out men’s tongues for far less. You should know by now, only one man says my wife’s name, and that’s me. Tread carefully. The next thing you say determines how slowly I kill you."

Cold. Unforgiving. The Roman Briar standing before me now is the kind of man who could make even the most ruthless tremble.

"So… my brother has involved himself in Catalyst," Jake sneers, though his bravado wavers. "Is Echo with you too-"

"Echo is where he needs to be," Roman smirks. "In the shadows, lurking, waiting to take down men far worse than you."

Ana’s cries grow louder, slicing through the moment like a blade. I feel Roman stiffen beside me. Even his cold, calculating exterior fractures under the sound.

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