Page 40 of A Harmony of Procellarum

Shereen’s hand subconsciously moves to her stomach as Squall speaks and when he’s finished, she laughs heartily. “None of you care about anyone other than yourselves. Those women will learn the hard way and unfortunately for my niece, she’ll probably have the hardest lesson with Haynes.”

“Hailloves her,” Torrent huffs. “I’ve witnessed it. Much like Raiden and Tempest.”

“And you with Tiny?” Shereen asks him as the room suddenly plummets to icy temperatures and I can’t seem to take in air. “Or is it you and Squall? Or maybe both? It’s so confusing.”

Squall comes forward and kneels in front of me, removing my gag and brushing his hand down my tangled hair. “Don’t be afraid. I will always love you, no matter what.” Then he steps back as I press my lips together. I don’t think he’ll feel the same once Shereen spills everything that’s been happening in that small room.

The scene in front of me distorts as tears pool along my eyes and I drop my lids to stave off the eventual drip. I don’t want to look like the weakest fucking link here. Poor, used Tiny, a washed-up stripper fucked by two men who care more about each other than her.

“Squall, you were always so protective of the people around you,” Shereen continues as I keep my eyes closed. “From the first moment I met you, you were this powerful force, and I thought you were impenetrable.”

“Nothing is impenetrable,” Squall retorts. “Everything has a weakness.”

“Yours was always Victor,” Shereen continues as Torrent growls with the use of his legal name. “And Victor’s was you. But…” Her voice drops and I finally open my eyes to see her staring at me. “Who is yours, Tiny?”

The air whooshes from my lungs with a heavy exhale as I shake my head. My skin is icy-cold and I tremble with the force of her question. “I…”

“Come on,” Shereen coaxes when it’s clear I have no words. “I love a good triangle.”

“Don’t say anything, stupid girl,” Torrent growls at me. “It’s a trick, and you’re not the fucking brightest.”

His words should anger me, but I know what he’s doing. If Torrent didn’t care at all, he would’ve remained quiet. The fact that he’s warning me means there’s something there, and my thoughts are only solidified when Squall gives him a confused look.

Shereen’s clap and gleeful laugh break up the moment as Torrent’s jaw ticks in frustration. “I love it!” she exclaims.

“Can we get this over with?” Raiden tries to sound bored, but I can feel his tension emanating from the other side of Torrent. I wish I knew what the point of all this was.

“In a minute.” Shereen holds up her hand, her eyes on me with glittering mischief. “Grab him.” She nods toward Squall as two guards come forward and grab his arms, forcing him to the ground.

“Hey!” Torrent jumps to his feet, his fists clenched. “Let him go or I’ll kill everyone in this fucking room.”

I can see Shereen staring at me from my periphery, the heat of her glare burning my face, but I can’t look away from Squall. He doesn’t struggle, but he’s tense as he looks from Torrent to Shereen, his face a mask of surprise. What has he figured out?

“Don’t, Shereen—”

“Kill him,” she nods toward Torrent, and my entire world slows in front of me as a large guard steps forward, a gun in his hand.

Two others step forward to grab Raiden as he screams to Shereen to stop, but nothing is breaking my hold over that gun aimed at Torrent’s chest. “Put me the fuck out of my misery, friend,” Torrent says, the words like ammunition for my fear, making me step toward him as I suck in a breath.

“Him too,” Shereen adds as one guard holding Squall presses a gun to his head.

My heart pumps wildly as I look from Squall to Torrent, from one broken man to another. From lover to lover. Where do I fit in between them? Do I even belong there? Squall struggles against the cold press of the metal, his eyes on Torrent, the worry in their icy depths telling me there is no space between them. There never was.

I’m not doubting how much I meant to Squall. I could feel it whenever we were together, but here, in the same room as Torrent, our love doesn’t hold a flame to their history and what they have. Despite that, I don’t want anything to happen to either of them.

I open my mouth to say something, to beg this to stop when the sound of a gun cocking puts me into action. I scramble forward, my body moving before my mind can comprehend the action, and I find myself panting and light-headed, standing in front of Torrent with my arms out wide. The room around me sharpens into focus as Torrent’s arm comes around my waist, hauling me back into his chest.

“Uh oh, Marigold,” Torrent whispers. “Wrong choice.”

“Would you look at that?” Shereen calls out as she steps forward. “Squall’s brains were about to be sprayed across the room, and yet you ran to Torrent. How interesting?”

“What?” I stiffen as I blink through the anxiety coursing through me.

“This gun was cocked.” Shereen pushes on the arm of a guard holding the gun to Squall’s head. “How does it feel?” she hisses at Squall, but his eyes never leave mine.

I want to scream out and apologize, to tell him I wasn’t thinking. It was subconscious to run in front of the man very few people would protect. I did it for the boy inside of him who grew up believing he was evil and never worth it. Then Squall smiles, his eyes warming as Torrent’s hand tightens on my hip.Thank you,he mouths.

“Take her back to the room,” Torrent demands as he pushes me to the guard, who’s lowering his gun. “You’ve had your revenge, Shereen.”

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