Page 59 of Scandalously Yours

It’s going to be okay, he mouthed to me, and I nodded. I was close to hyperventilating as fear consumed me.

I had spent months learning how to defend myself from weapon wielding assailants, but not from homicidal exes that wanted to kill me. I wanted so badly in that moment to believe him, but I was quickly losing hope, especially when she stomped on his phone to make sure no one would be able to use it again. Mine was just off to my side, and as if she realized where my thoughts had turned, she pointed the gun at it, and let out another shot.

“You’re fucking crazy, Hayley. What do you think this is going to accomplish?” he asked, completely cool and collected. I wished I could have that same ice in my veins, but I didn’t. He either knew she wouldn’t actually follow through with shooting me, or else he was underestimating her altogether.

What if that was true? Our lives could depend on this. “W-what do you want me to do. I’ll do a-anything,” I stammered.

She grinned. I was obviously playing right into her hand. “I want you to die.”

Kristopher growled, then went to move toward her, but she waved the gun at him, halting his steps immediately. “You’re never going to be with me, even if she does die,” he told her.

Again, it was like ice water in his veins. I couldn’t depend on his overconfidence because she was obviously screwed up in the head. I had seen enough patients requiring psychiatric care brought into different emergency rooms, and we’d even gone through lessons on how to spot and react when confronted with those in some sort of breakdown.

“I’ll leave him,” I finally said, and heard another growl.

“The hell you will,” he told me in a low voice, and I knew from the disgusted expression on Hayley’s face that she had heard him as well.

“Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe that, you fucking whore?”

“It’s true. I promise,” I swore.

“Shut up.” She sneered. “Have you spilled your secrets to her, Kris? Have you told how you’re just like your father?”

His father? I had never really even heard him talk about either parent. What did his father have to do with him? Had he done something to him? Was that his secret? My mind was awash with questions, and when I glanced over at the man I loved, his eyes were dark with anger. His own calm control was slipping, and when it did, I shuddered to see what would happen.

“I don’t care about that. I’ll leave him and never look—”

“Stop lying.”

She turned the weapon back on me.

“Let her go, Hayley,” Kris finally said. “Your beef isn’t with her. Hurting Alessia won’t get you what you want. Let her go, and we’ll talk about—”

“You broke the agreement and ruined everything,” she replied. “Your fucking lawyer served me with divorce papers, and all so you could be with her.”

The way she said “her” was with such hateful disdain, and I knew nothing I said would convince her that I would walk away.

“We can talk about that,” he tried to bargain, and she let out a haughty laugh.

“You both think I’m fucking stupid. I heard everything the two of you said to each other last night. You—”

“You bugged my home?” he asked, incredulously.

My mind was already spinning, and if she had done that, then she would know how much we loved each other. She would also have heard everything including him tell me his desire to get his children and everything else from her. No wonder she was so unhinged. She had to have heard it all and now was here to...

“You’ll go to jail,” I told her, and she let out another laugh.

“And you’ll go to hell where little whores go.”

“It’s not going to get you Kris. If you really did bug...” I had to pause and shake my head at the mere thought of it before continuing. “… bug his place, then you will know that he’ll never go back to you.”

“You’re right,” he agreed. “This will all be for nothing. Just put the gun down and let me get you some help. Maybe after you get some treatment, I will—”

“You two obviously think you’re in control. You’re not.”

“Hayley,” he warned. “Please put the gun down.”

“I’ll never let her have you,” Hayley told him, and for the first time, I could hear actual pain in her voice.

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