Page 132 of Beautiful Deception

Both Owen and James start kicking and punching every inch of my body. Pain reverberates through me. There’s no end in sight.

Soon, I start coughing up blood. That cannot be good.

And once I see the blood, the pain starts to disappear and is replaced with complete numbness. I don’t feel anything anymore because I’m dying.

I can feel the life slipping from my body.

I guess I deserve this for my lies. I was so worried about being honest with Viktor and having him kill me that I never thought I would be killed by someone else.

Natasha is laughing like a madwoman. I do regret asking Viktor to spare her life. She deserves death for this.

But I can’t even move to take her down with me. My body is spent. My bones are broken.

I have nothing left to fight for because I never fought at all.

The door to the basement opens and multiple footsteps come running down the stairs.

The next thing I see is Viktor’s face. Did he come to save me or kill me himself?

The fact that I don’t know the answer breaks my heart most of all.

Viktor

The sight of Inessa on the ground, broken and bloody, lights a fire under me. All the anger I had for her has completely evaporated.

It didn’t take long to find the house with Erik’s contacts at the police station. We gave them the license plate number and they found the owner and this was the address. It was the only thing we had to go off on.

The moment I entered the house and heard the sounds of someone being beaten, I knew we were in the right place.

Now, I stare at the two men who are kicking Inessa to death. Erik and Dante are with me. I can feel their shock behind me.

Without hesitating, I kil the two men before they can even register what is happening. I rush to Inessa’s side.

She’s still breathing, thank god.

“Sweetheart?” My voice cracks on the word. Fuck. I still love her. I never stopped loving her.

“I’m… sorry,” she coughs out. Blood spits from her mouth.

“Don’t talk. You’re hurt. We have to get you to the hospital.” I try to lift her up but the cry of pain that leaves her makes me set her back down.

“Call 9-1-1,” I bark at Erik. With a nod, he does what I tell him.

I’m not sure Inessa will make it out of her alive but it’s our only shot.

“What about her?” Dante asks, nodding to someone in the corner. Natasha. She’s huddling behind a large crate, trying to hide.

Trying to escape me from killing her.

I cup Inessa’s face. “I know you didn’t want me to kill her before. But I have to, sweetheart. I have to.”

Her eyes find Natasha’s. “I… have… something to… say.” Every word is strained but the fact that she’s talking is a good thing. It means she still has life left in her.

“Save your strength. Wait for the paramedics.”

“No,” she rasps out. “To Natasha. I…”

“You have something to say to her?”

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