Page 75 of Killian

I hesitate only a moment.

Then I pull the trigger.

My ears are ringing.I can’t hear anything, but I can see. I can see my heart lying on the floor in front of me. Kneeling, I immediately gather her in my arms.

“A ghrá.”I know I’m yelling, but I can barely hear the words leaving my mouth.

Her body is convulsing as she lies crumpled in a pile on the floor.

I don’t know what happened. One minute she had a gun to my head, the next she pulls the trigger, but not before jerking the gun away from me.

My hands trace every part of her body, looking for the wound. My chest is tight as the thought hits me.

Did she shoot herself?

No. She wouldn’t. Would she?

“Greer. Look at me, damn it. Don’t you leave me,” I beg.

I pull her hands away from her face, able to let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding when I see it is unmarked.

She is bawling her eyes out, but there is no blood. No holes marring her beautiful face.

I pull her into my chest, crushing her to me. I can feel my own tears on my face, but I don’t care. All I care about is her. She is the only thing that matters in my entire life.

Fuck the Westies. Fuck all of it.

She is my redemption. The only reason to continue breathing.

I pull back to look at her face. I can see her lips moving, but I can’t hear what she is saying. Instead of trying to talk, I lean down and press my lips to hers. She melts into me instantly, the salty taste of her tears mixing with the intoxicating taste that is uniquely Greer.

We kiss for who knows how long, but I finally pull back when her body stops shaking and my hearing is less fuzzy.

I look down into her face.

“I can’t do it.” The pure look of anguish on her face feels like a hot poker in the middle of my chest.

Seeing her hurting this badly only hurts me. It’s as if we are one, sharing each other’s happiness and sorrow.

“It’s okay, baby. We will figure it out. Shhh. Hush now.”

She shakes her head. “We don’t have time. They gave me twenty-four hours.”

I nod in understanding, pressing a finger to her lips. Standing with her still in my arms, I make my way to my safe room. Tapping in my code, pressing my hand into the biometrics, then using the eye scanner, I watch as the door opens. Once in the room, I shut it behind me, pressing the one button that can give us what we need. Total privacy.

The lights flicker off, leaving us with only thirty minutes of air, but that’s all we need.

“Tell me everything.”

As I sit in the chair, keeping Greer in my lap, she tells me the entire story.

Whoever this person is, knew Greer would look into them. When she’s done, I kiss her gently.

“We are going to handle this together, but we need to keep it quiet. I need you to act like you are still going to go through with it. As much as it hurts, you’re going to have to be strong.”

“Why?”

“Because tomorrow, you’re going to kill me.”

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