Page 139 of Blood of the Saints

My eyes widen, but I can’t talk with Ace’s palm crushing my windpipe. Deep down, I know he’s right. They’re taking evil out of the world, just not in a conventional way. They are taking down those that escaped the criminal justice system. Ones that will keep getting away with it, if they aren’t stopped.

Ace’s eyes snap to Blais over my head and he nods, giving Blais a silent command. Ace’s hand falls from my throat, quickly replaced with a cold kiss of metal. I can’t stop the gasps and coughs from the sudden relief, my movements causing the blade to dig into my skin. The sharp edge breaks through, the warmth of blood running down my neck.

“I see the wheels turning in that little head of yours. You’re just now realizing what I knew all along. You’re like us,” Blais whispers.

Turning my head, I take in the view of his handsome, chiseled face and dark eyes. I better get a good look, since this is the last chance I’ll get. This is where my story ends. I’m in love with them and my dumbass is just now realizing this as they are about to rip me to pieces. No one has ever made me feel as alive as they do. No one has made me feel like it’s okay to truly be myself.

“Maybe.”

His dark chocolate eyes stare into my soul, the edges crinkling when he gives one of those intoxicating smiles I love so much. I take a mental picture of it for when I take my last breath. That’s the last thing I want to see in my head.

I’m not afraid of dying, that’s not what I’m worried about. It’s them—I don’t want to be without them. I never thought I’d be scared of losing Ace, Blais, and Theon. That was until they inched their way right into my heart and showed me who I am. They made me see the real Zamira Stone.

After one last look, I turn my head back, looking at Theon and Ace one last time. My heart twists when I see the grief in Theon’s eyes. I was just getting started with him, his walls were crumbling, he was letting me see past his tough exterior. I know he doesn’t love me like he did Allie, but there’s something special between us, and now he has to watch me die too.

“Theon…” I whisper, silently begging him with my eyes to look away so he doesn’t have to see this. His brows furrow and his lips purse in a pained expression, but he doesn’t look away, he just shakes his head.

A tear spills from the corner of my eye, slowly trailing down my cheek, until Ace’s thumb wipes it away. My heart stops at his gentle touch. I don’t think this man’s ever been this soft with me, not even the time in my apartment.

“Don’t cry, temptress. It won’t hurt that bad.” His rough hand cups my cheek as he stares into my eyes. Jesus, I could look at his hypnotizing emerald eyes forever. But I don’t have forever. I know why he has to do it. I understand I’m a liability. They can’t trust me. They shouldn’t trust me.

I wouldn’t trust myself either if I were them.

I knew this would happen; I just didn’t know it would hurt this bad.

“Just get it over with,” I say, my tone flat.

Ace averts his attention to Blais again, like they’re communicating with only their eyes. Blais grabs my hip, pulling me back into his body. “Ace, no,” Blais warns. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

Ace suddenly grabs the blade from Blais, the movement causing the metal to cut me again, but my mind doesn’t even recognize the pain. “If you can’t do it, then I will.” Placing the knife on my throat, the room goes silent. I can only focus on Blais’ strong arms wrapped around my waist now and Ace’s damn eyes. I’m glad Blais is behind me, I don’t think I could stand seeing the pain in his eyes as Ace slices my throat.

I knew this day would come. There was a time I even wanted it to. So many times, I begged them to just kill me and they didn’t. But now… it’s not what I want.

But it’s inevitable.

“I’ll tell Allie how much you love her.” I’m talking to all of them, but I’m hoping Theonfinds some comfort from my words before I die.

A growl sounds from behind Ace, and I close my eyes, waiting for the life-ending cut.

I just realized who I really am, and I’ll never get to live as the real Zamira Stone.

At least they are able to let me accept who I truly am, before it all ends.

“Open your eyes, Zamira.” Ace’s cold voice meets my ears, making me clench my eyes even tighter. He presses the knife harder against my neck, the sharp blade stinging against my skin, causing warm blood to trickle down my body.

“Just get it over with. No sense in playing with your food.” My voice is strained, just begging for him to make it fast. After all they’ve put me through, I feel like I deserve a quick death at least. But knowing them, they’re going to draw this out for as long as possible. They like the torment, the screams, the blood. It fuels them.

“Mmm, I like playing with my food though.” Just as I open my mouth to shoot back a sassy retort, Ace’s lips crash into mine, tugging, pulling, and fighting for me to open my mouth more for him.

What the hell is he doing?

He’s demanding, being brutal, attempting to force his tongue inside my mouth. My body loses its resistance as it lights up under his force. The initial shock completely subsides, caving in from his touch, opening for his delicious tongue to dip inside. We both fight for control with a burning intensity, waging war with each other.

He moves his head back, taking my bottom lip with him. His teeth dig into the skin with a rough bite, making it bleed. Licking up the blood, his tongue kneads the fresh wound. Blais groans behind me, pressing his hard cock into my spine, while his fingers tighten on my waist. At some point, Ace dropped the blade from my neck, but I was too distracted with his thorough mouth fucking to notice.

What the hell am I doing, letting him fuck with my head before he kills me?

Pulling back, I yank my head away from him as much as I can, even though Blais’ body behind me prevents me from pushing too far away. “What the hell are you doing?” My voice is shaky, wishing Ace’s lips were on me again.

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