Page 145 of Tempt Me (Dark Odyssey 4)

I hope he’ll understand why I did it. I’m sure he’d do the same thing for Timothy if he could. Somehow, I think of his mother; Sorcha, and what she must have gone through when she died. I think she would like that I tried to get him back. Once again, it’s the only thing I can do.

I think it’s the only thing anyone can do.

I just wish it didn’t feel like I was spitting in the faces of all the people who’ve tried to help me prevent this very thing I’m walking to.

Death.

As I walk, my legs heavy, my heart heavier, I feel like such a disappointment to them all.

Dad, Maksim, Sasha… Vincent.

They all tried to save me. As I walk to what I know will result in my death, voices of the dead call to me to run away.Turn back and run away, they all say.

My heart drives me forward in hopes of saving a little boy.

I see the gate ahead, and as I approach, a bright light goes on. A car light.

I can see it now. It’s a black Sedan.

A shadowy figure moves against the dark. When I get closer, I see it’s Dmitri. Yuri is driving the car.

I unlock the gate and walk through, not bothering to acknowledge Dmitri. I no longer care for myself. Fear is so embedded in me that I just want this to be over quickly.

“I thought that was you, Juliette Lobonov,” the asshole says, but I still don’t look at him. I still ignore him.

He opens the door to the back of the car, and I slide in next to the devil, my uncle, who’s smiling at me.

“Very good, so glad to have your cooperation,” llya says. The asshole and animal he is reaches across and runs his hand over my thigh. “I think we’ll have more fun with you this time before we kill you.”

Bile rises in my throat, and my skin blazes with that heat and cold mixed together as he continues to touch me.

“I will kill you myself this time,” he adds.

“The baby. When will you call them to make the exchange?” That’s all I care about.

“Juliette, you never were that bright, were you?” He chuckles and gives me a wide, wicked grin that makes me glower at him.

“What do you mean? What are you going to do?” Even now, the voices of the dead scream to me.

“I’m going to do the thing you knew I was going to do, which is nothing.”

My breath hitches, and tears pour from my eyes. I ball my fists and punch him. I try to open the door, but Ilya is fast and strong. He grabs me and hits me with the back of his gun, making me see stars. I slump down against the door, holding my head and feeling the wetness of blood.

“Stupid bitch, that’s the last time you try something like that. I will give that baby back after I teach Vincent Giordano a lesson he’ll never forget because all three of you will be dead before the next moon rises.”

He hits me again, and I black out in an instant.

Chapter Forty-One

Vincent

She’s gone. She’s actually fucking gone…

Christian walks over to the security panel on the CCTV and switches everything off.

We watched it. Watched her get the phone call and watched her walk through my closet and into the passage that led to the safe room.

I watched as far as her going outside, out through the side door and into the woods, then we lost her.

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