Page 156 of The Catalyst

He’s going to milk it for all it’s worth.

I push open the door and see O’Reilly sitting on a thin pad masquerading as a bed, but he immediately jumps to his feet. The door opens and I lean against the doorway.

“Wow. You must really be on edge, O’Reilly.” My words lack any feeling. I can’t imagine what my father’s minions have been putting him through since he got locked up. The man has some massive bags under his eyes.

“You have a lot of nerve coming here,” he growls, looking at me like he wants to tear me apart.

He can try, but I’ve already proved that I’m fully capable of kicking his ass. He’s ready to charge for me, but considering the guard is watching this interaction, I put up my hand to signal for him to pump the brakes.

“Remember how you got here in the first place. That temper will be the death of you.”

He scowls at me. “What do you want? I have solitary to get back to.”

I really don’t want to do this. This is cold, even for my father. “I have good news for you. You’re being released in a few hours. My father had a change of heart.”

“Okay. Anything else?” He rolls his eyes as if he already knew this. I wonder if Beth had the chance to warn him. I hope she did or this is going to sound way worse than it actually is. He deserves the pain for everything he has put her through, but she doesn’t deserve to deal with the aftermath.

“Yes, actually. He wanted me to extend an invitation to you and your friends for the wedding. It would be extremely important to the bride.”

His eyes narrow into slits. “What wedding?”

Just fucking great. So, she didn’t tell him.

“The wedding between my brother and…Bethany Mercer.”

“What did you just say?”

“My brother and Beth…are getting married.” I fucking hate this. She shouldn’t be marrying him. It’s not the choice she would’ve made for herself. She doesn’t want this. She’s only doing this because O’Reilly is the dumbshit who decided his life was worth what he did.

This is his fault, not hers and she’s shouldering all of the responsibility.

“You’re lying. She wouldn’t do–” His face goes unnaturally pale.

Then, I deliver the message I was tasked with. It was either this or I would have to watch my father violate Beth in the worst way.

No, this is the better option.

“She did. You can be in denial all you want, but the truth is she’ll be a part of my family soon. Your release is an early party favor from the wedding. Why don’t you think of it like this? You’re a free man now, no woman to hold you down. You can go back to fucking random bitches while she marries my brother, has his kids, and lives happily ever after.”

She won’t be happy though. I know that. There’s a reason I call her little rabbit. She can outsmart the fox, escape all sorts of danger, and run free. She shouldn’t ever be in a cage, definitely not one as gilded as my family’s home is.

O’Reilly slams his hands against the door frame and sneers at me, rage covering his face.

“I swear by all that is mutually holy and demented, one day–it might not be today or tomorrow, but one day soon–I’m going to fucking tear your flesh from your bones, rip out your eyeballs, andskull fuck youuntil you bleed out on the floor. I’m going to demolish you, Gray, and no one will be able to stop me. No amount of walls will keep you safe. I’ll knock every last one down to get to you.”

He doesn’t scare me. He can huff and puff and lose his cool all he wants, but it won’t do him any favors.

He takes a deep breath before he says the one thing thatdoesaffect me. “You shouldn’t be gloating about this. It makes you look like an idiot since Beth is the one who helped Casey escapeyou.”

What?

No.

No, no, no.

I asked Beth if she knew where Casey was. I just wanted to know she was safe. That was all. I didn’t want to bring her back to where she would be in danger of my father’s wrath. I just wanted to know she was okay…

I slam the door back in its place and monotonously walk as the guard escorts me out of the jailhouse. However, once I’m outside and make it to my car, I sit down in the front seat and stare out the window. I feel the devastation sink in at Beth’s betrayal.

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