Page 137 of Betrayed in the Dark
“I don’t think the choice is that hard. I mean, if you marry Alastor, you’ll have me as a sister-in-law. Haven’t you always wanted a sister?”
“Yeah, just not one who I would consider to be certifiably insane!”
Her expression freezes, and her eyes remain unblinking. “What did you just call me?”
“Insane!” I lean toward her, my chest heaving.
“Don’t call me that!” She stands to her full height, pressing one hand into her scalp.
“But that’s what you are, for thinking Eli would want anything to do with you.” I laugh, leaning against the wall. “Do you have any idea what he’s going to do to you when he finds me like this?”
“Eli loves me!” she screams, stomping a foot like a disobedient child. Her eyes widen, her chest heaving erratically. “Or, at least, he will when you’re no longer in the picture.” She raises the gun, tilting her head to the side. “I’m giving you to the count of ten. And if you don’t choose by then, I’ll decide for you. One…”
Shit.“Cressida, just put the gun down,” I say calmly. “We can talk about this.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “There’s nothing left to talk about. I love Eli, and he will love me. And we’ll be happy together once you’re gone. Two…”
“Cressida, please, you don’t have to do this.”
“Three…”
Maybe I can run?I look toward the door.
“Don’t even think about it. My guards are waiting just on the other side. Do you think I lugged you here myself?” She scoffs. “Four, five, six, seven…”
Sweat rolls down my temple as my heart thrashes against my rib cage.
This is it.
I’m going to die.
In a fucking warehouse, wearing vintage Chanel.
The door bursts open, revealing the darkest pair of eyes I’ve ever seen. They lock onto me before shifting to the monster standing in front of me. “Drop the fucking gun, Cressida!”
Chapter thirty
Eli
“What did you say?” Vin questions, his eyes widening a fraction as he scratches his temple. “Did you just call Madeleine…your wife?”
“I did,” I rush out, dropping Alastor to the ground. He rolls onto his side, whimpering in pain as he clutches his leg. A pool of blood soaks into the fabric of his pants before dripping to the floor beneath him. “We stopped at the courthouse on the way here.”
Why the fuck would Cressida take her?
And where the fuck would she take her?
“And why,” Vin voices, “may I ask, did you think you should—”
“Because I couldn’t wait one more goddamn minute before I made her my wife!” I shout, my chest heaving.
A strong hand grips my shoulder, and I look to see Mauro standing beside me with a stoic expression. In the face of danger, he’s always the calmest among us.
He lifts his phone to my eye level.We’re going to find her.
I nod, my pulse quickening. I straighten my arm, pointing my gun right at Alastor’s head. “Tell us where the fuck she is, or I swear to God, I will have this floor painted with your brains.”
Alastor looks over his shoulder at his cousins and then back at me. “You wouldn’t be stupid enough to do that. If you kill me, you’ll never see that bitch again!”
