Page 121 of Push My Buttons
Blood spurts from the wound, spattering my face and dress. Levi's eyes meet mine one last time, filled with disbelief and fury,before the light in them fades. His body crumples to the floor in front of me, revealing the figure standing behind him.
My brother, Lucien, stands there, knife still in hand, blood dripping from the blade onto the polished floor. His expression is eerily calm as he looks from Levi's body to me.
"Do you realize how long I've been hunting that fucker?" he says, sounding more irritated than anything. "I tried taking him out two goddamn years ago, but then he forced my hand and made me go underground. Then he disappeared." He gestures at Levi's body with the knife. "I figured he would stay close to you, but then you disappeared too. After over a year of searching, I ended up having to fucking surrender to the FBI just to try to find you so I could find him."
I stare at my brother, completely dumbfounded. The last time I saw him was on a tv screen being led away in handcuffs.
"I thought you were in FBI custody," I manage to say, my voice barely audible.
Lucien wipes the blade on Levi's suit jacket before sliding it back into a sheath at his waist. "Yes, well, once I knew where you were, courtesy of Juliette, I wasn't staying with the FBI. Not much intelligent conversation to be had from most of the feds."
I suddenly realize the pounding on the door has stopped. Through the glass, I see Theo and Jace frozen in place, their faces white with fear.
"Agent Voss told me I have to let her know if I see you," I say automatically, still struggling to process what's happening.
Something shifts in Lucien's eyes—a softening that seems out of place given the circumstances. "Don't worry about Juliette," he says, a strange intimacy in the way he says her name. "I'll deal with her."
When I see movement at the glass door I notice that security has arrived now, attempting to override the door lock.
"Your boyfriends seem concerned," Lucien observes dryly. "Protective. That's good."
"You just killed someone," I say, the reality of the situation finally hitting me. "In front of witnesses."
Lucien shrugs, unconcerned. "The only witness who matters is you, and I know you're not going to turn me in." He glances at the glass door where security is working on the lock. "They'll have this door open in about thirty seconds. You need to decide—are you going to scream about the big bad man who killed your stalker, or are you going to let your brother disappear before they get in here?"
I stare at him, my mind reeling. Levi's blood is still warm on my face, the metallic scent filling my nostrils. My brother—my brother who I thought was locked away—is standing here like some avenging angel, having just butchered the man who's terrorized me for months.
"How did you even get in here?" I ask, wiping blood from my cheek with a shaking hand.
"Service elevator. Kitchen staff entrance. Amazing what a catering uniform and confident attitude will get you." He glances at the security team still struggling with the lock. "Twenty seconds now."
"You can't just leave," I say desperately. "I haven't seen you in almost two years.”
Lucien shrugs, his eyes flicking to the security team now inserting an override key into the lock.
"Everyone said you were a serial killer," I whisper, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. "The FBI, the news... even Levi said you were the one who—"
"I am," Lucien interrupts, his voice matter-of-fact. There's no remorse in his expression, no attempt to deny it. Just a simple acknowledgment that chills my blood despite everything.
I stare at him, this stranger who shares my blood, who just saved my life by taking another's without hesitation.
"I have to go," he says, glancing at the security team still working on the door. "But I'll catch up with you soon, little sister. We have a lot to talk about."
"Wait—" I reach for him, but he's already stepping backward through a door I hadn't noticed before—some kind of maintenance access hidden in the wall paneling.
The security team finally overrides the lock just as the panel clicks shut behind Lucien. The office space is suddenly flooded with noise from the party—pounding music, excited chatter, the sounds of celebration creating a surreal backdrop to the horror before me.
Theo and Jace burst through the door first, security personnel right behind them. They freeze momentarily at the sight of Levi's body, blood pooling on the pristine floor, then rush toward me.
"Wren!" Jace reaches me first, his hands hovering over me as if afraid to touch me. "Are you hurt? Did he—"
"I'm okay," I say, my voice surprisingly steady despite the chaos inside me. "He didn't have time to—"
Theo pulls me into his arms, cutting off my words. His body is trembling, though whether from fear or rage, I can't tell. "I shouldn't have left you," he whispers against my hair. "I'm so sorry. So fucking sorry."
I cling to him, inhaling his familiar scent, letting his warmth chase away the chill of Levi's touch. Jace moves behind me, his arms encircling us both, creating a protective cocoon around me.
"What happened?" A security guard asks, his radio crackling with activity as he stares at Levi's body. "Who did this?"
