Chapter Fifty-One

My legs and arms are tied now. I’m strapped to a chair, much like how Zayden tied Jim up. I’m not in the bedroom anymore, but instead in some kind of musty basement. The room around me is a literal jail cell with bars and everything, and I even spot a puddle of fresh blood on the ground.

I sit down here, for I don’t know how long until the opening of the cell has my head whipping up, only to have me sinking back into the chair as far as I can, desperate to put as much room between us as possible.

When Maxim moves through the room, I don’t see the extent of his injuries until the moonlight catches on his face, revealing a rapidly swelling and bleeding face. His jaw is granite, eyes manic as he winds back his fist and punches me across the face. He hits me again and again until I’m spitting out blood before gripping a handful of the sweatshirt. He yanks me toward him as close as I can go while still being strapped to the chair.

“You stupid fucking bitch! I don’t know how you got him to turn on me, but make no mistake, I’m going to enjoy destroying you more than my fucking brother ever did.”

He pulls out a knife, cutting a line in the crotch of my sweatpants before pulling out his alarmingly small cock. He lowers himself to line up with me when a knife sinks into his shoulder, pausing his movements as he stumbles. Another knife sinks into his shoulder, a few inches shy of his throat, before Zayden runs into the room, like the devil himself, nothing but wrath and murder covering his features.

Dominic is right on his heels, his eyes coming to me first. I must look pretty bad because the look he gives me is one of absolute horror and devastation before it quickly turns to rage. Zayden closes the distance between him and Maxim just as Maxim yanks one of the knives out of his shoulder and swings at Zayden. He dodges Maxim’s swing easily, but the evil monster doesn’t stop, backing Zayden against the wall as he continues to land hit after hit.

I feel hands come to my own, a knife freeing me for the second time today.

“Babygirl. Are you hurt? Fuck, of course you are. Can you walk?” he asks as he slices the bindings holding my feet together.

“Yes. I just?—”

Dominic lifts me into his arms, throwing me over his shoulder regardless as he turns to leave.

“Wait! Zayden!” I shout.

Dominic shakes his head. “This is the plan. Hold on tight, babygirl. I’m gonna get us out of here.”

I begin thrashing against him, screaming and shouting for him to put me down. Just as we are about to crest out of view, I watch as Maxim sinks a knife into Zayden’s leg, forcing him to let out a rough growl. I scream in response, forcing Dominic to stop.

“Zayden! Help him! We have to help him!” I shout.

He hesitates for a moment before setting me down.

“Stay here,” he says before he runs back into the cell, tackling Maxim to the ground before he can hurt Zayden again.

Zayden’s eyes frantically go from his brother, landing on me instantly. Those bright blue eyes widen as he screams at me.

“RUN! Get out of here!”

But like hell am I leaving them to die. If they die, I die. I run back toward them as Zayden tries to stand before he collapses. He must be hurt really badly.

Looking at Dominic, I see him and Maxim wrestling with a gun before a shot rings out. My heart stops when I see blood beginning to pour from Dom’s shoulder. He presses his hand to it tightly, but the blood is pouring through his fingers. Maxim kicks him for good measure before standing, looking down at Zayden and Dom, gun in hand, before he swings his wild eyes to me.

“Perfect, come here.”

I know better than to defy him at this moment. Slowly, I make my way to him as he speaks.

“You seemed to have trouble choosing, so here is your chance. Who should I kill first? Dominic? Or Zayden?” he asks, pointing the gun at both of the guys.

I shake my head, tears pouring down my face.

“Please, please don’t do this. Don’t hurt them. Please,” I beg.

He snarls at me, shaking his head. “You’re so weak. Are you sure you were her daughter?”

Maxim levels the gun toward them, and I just react. I jump in front of him, gripping the gun in an attempt to change its direction. Unfortunately, I’m not fast enough, and the bang that sounds is deafening. Everything quiets, though I hear two screams that tear my soul in two. I feel as if life is moving in slow motion as I look up to see Maxim’s surprised expression.

Gripping the muzzle like Zayden taught me, I take advantage of Maxim’s surprise, hitting his hand as hard as I can and forcing his hold on the gun to break. I twist the gun in my hand, firing blindly until the gun runs out of bullets before I fall to the ground.

My eyes land on a body in front of me, and something fulfilling replaces the pain for a moment as I see Maxim’s dead eyes. Two holes in his head and one in his chest. That’s one dead piece of shit.

Zayden and Dominic both drag themselves to me, pinning me between them as Zayden rips his shirt off, pressing it against my sternum. I inhale a pained breath as he does, and I look to see Dominic shaking his head, his mouth moving quickly. A few seconds go by before the ringing in my ears subsides, and I’m able to focus on the words.

“Baby, baby, baby! NO! No,” he sobs as one of his bloodied hands begins pushing my hair away from my face.

“FUCK! She’s bleeding too much!” Zayden shouts. “I-I don’t know what to do! What do I do?!” he screams in panic to Dominic, who continues sobbing over me.

I want to tell them how much I love them. How I don’t want them to worry about me. How they made my shit life worth living, no matter how short our time was together. I want to tell them how I’m so thankful that they tried, how lucky I feel to have their love, but I don’t think I could physically say any of that, so instead, I settle for what I can.

“Even i-in deat-th. Foreve-r y-yours,” I rasp before I begin coughing, blood filling my mouth as Zayden and Dominic begin screaming.

“No, baby. No! Keep your eyes open! Keep your goddamn eyes open!”

“Angel, please! Please don’t leave me!” Zayden cries, tears hitting my arm as he does.

I want to tell them I don’t want to leave, but I don’t have a choice. I’m out of time, though. Everything turns dark and my eyelids flicker before the breath in me is stolen and I fade away, loving them with my absolute dying breath.