Page 103 of His Property

“No?”

I shake my head.

“Hmm,” Cora twists her lips. “I’m surprised.”

I glance at Mae, and my lungs seize. Cora’s going to kill her. I know it in my bones. I need to keep Cora distracted as long as I can, long enough for me to knock the gun from her hand.

“Why did you kill him?” I ask.

She gestures to TJ. “Is that a serious question?”

“I mean your student. Why did you kill him?”

She shrugs. “Because I wanted to.”

“How many were there?” I ask, shuffling my feet an inch closer to her.

“How many did I kill or how many did I fuck?”

I shuffle another inch and don’t take my eyes off her.

When I don’t answer, she laughs. “Are you jealous, honey?”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Maybe,” she says, her voice low. “But at least I’m not you.” She glances at my feet again then gives me a knowing smile. I freeze again.

“To answer your question,” she goes on. “Just him. He was special to me. Even more than you were. But all good things must come to an end.” She tips her chin at Mae. “You must know that.”

“Just kill me,” I say, hoping she’ll point the gun at me. “Just fucking kill me, Cora. It’s what you want. Just kill me and cut Mae loose. She won’t go to the police. She knows what you’ll do if she talks.”

Cora laughs, and I take a full step. I’m close. Only about four feet left. All it’ll take is one last distraction and a jump.

“You know that’s not going to happen. Even if I believed you, that wouldn’t work for me. It’s you whom I want to live.”

My brows pinch. “What?”

“I want you to feel my pain, remember? How will that happen if you’re dead?”

The haze that’s been over my mind since arriving at Mae’s finally lifts, and my eyes widen when I realize what her end goal is.

She wants me in prison. And I’ve made it easy for her. Mae’s DNA is all over my basement, along with equipment and restraints that look beyond BDSM. Mae’s father distrusts me and would make it his life’s purpose to avenge his daughter’s death.

The familia might be able to save my ass, but at this point, they might be happy to get rid of me. All Cora needs is a body and a murder weapon. The DA would take this as a slam dunk.

Cora’s grin goes wide, and she presses her finger over the trigger. I lunge at her, but the sound of gunfire explodes in my ears before I reach her. I knock into her and hear her screech.

My heart stops.

Glass rains down on us, which doesn’t make sense, but my mind reels with sorrow and drowns any reason. I lift up and rear my fist back to punch Cora, but I hover it in the air when I spot blood spilling from her lips and her eyes wide. She takes in sharp, gurgled breaths.

“Victor!” Mae yells behind me. I whip my head to face her and search her for a bullet wound.

“Are you okay?” she asks, her voice filled with as much terror as I feel.

Footsteps sound down the hall, and I quickly grab Cora’s gun, roll off her and aim at the doorway.

Lorenzo appears, and I take several shaky breaths into my lungs. Relief tries to wash over me, but I’m still not able to let it settle in. I can’t process what’s happening.

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