Chapter 19
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Bryan sat in the dimly lit room, bleeding, broken, barely conscious. Days of torture had stripped away his arrogance, his control. Yet he still refused to talk.
I stood in front of him, arms crossed, watching as his head lolled to the side. Blood dripped from his split lip, his wrists raw from the restraints.
My patience was running thin. I knelt down, gripping his chin, forcing him to look at me.
“Where is Wallace?” My voice was cold. Unforgiving.
Bryan exhaled shakily, his smirk weak but still there. “You think pain will make me talk?”
I slapped him. His head snapped to the side, a pained grunt escaping his lips.
I grabbed his jaw again, nails digging into his skin. “Tell me.”
He chuckled, though it was laced with pain. “You always get prettier when you’re mad.”
I nearly struck him again, but I forced myself to stay still. He wanted to provoke me. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
Instead, I leaned in, my voice sharp as a blade. “You claim to love me, yet you took him from
me.”
Bryan tensed.
“I thought you were sorry,” I continued, my voice trembling with fury. “I thought, for once, you were actually telling the truth. But why are you doing this?”
“I am sorry,” he rasped. “I really didn’t mean to hurt you. I was telling the truth, Mitch. I love you.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Then why did you do it?”
His eyes locked onto mine.
“Because as long as Wallace was alive, you would never choose me.”
I felt my heart clench with disgust.
“So you thought killing him would be the key?” My voice was hollow.
Bryan exhaled, his body sagging against the chair. “It wasn’t my plan at first. I didn’t side with Suzanne. I swear I didn’t. It was up to her. I never wanted to hurt you. But when I realized Wallace was standing in my way… I took the opportunity.”
I gritted my teeth, my stomach twisting. He had waited. Watched. Plotted. Very Bryan!
“You fooled me again,” I whispered.
Bryan’s expression softened. “I just wanted you back.”
I pulled back, my hands shaking. He was a monster. One that I had once loved. I was so grateful I got over him. He didn’t deserve my love.
I stood up, my gaze burning into him. “Then let me make this clear. I will never love you again. And I will never forgive you for this. Even if Wallace dies, I will never. I would even die so you won’t be able to have me,”
Bryan lowered his head, finally defeated. But he still wouldn’t tell me where Wallace was.
“My men handled it,” he muttered. “Even if I don’t kill him, they will.”
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4:04 pm
My blood ran cold.
“So you’re not going to tell me?”
He smirked. “Sorry, but I’d rather die than let him have you.”
“Fuck you!” I cursed.
I turned to my men, my voice sharp. “Find him. Now. And this one–make sure to torture him ‘til death before we surrender him to the police!”
They nodded, already moving. I wasn’t going to waste another second on Bryan.
Wallace still had a chance. And I was going to bring him home even though I bleed to death. Finally, the intel came at dawn. This was after we raised the reward again. I wasn’t sure if we could trust this, but this was my only hope of saving my Wallace.
It was an old port on the outskirts of the city. I didn’t wait.
With my men, the police, and a burning desperation in my chest, I stormed the location. We arrived to the sound of gunfire.
Shouts. Chaos.
My heart pounded as we rushed forward, weapons drawn. The docks were littered with armed men, a brutal fight already taking place.
Then I saw him.
Wallace.
He was alive and was fighting for his life. He was covered in dirt, bruises littering his skin, but he was still standing. Still fighting. I barely had time to process the relief before I saw the gunman behind him.
The one aiming for his back. I moved. Instinct took over. Before the shot could be fired, I grabbed the nearest weapon and pulled the trigger.
The gunman fell. Wallace turned, eyes widening as he saw me.
For a split second, neither of us moved.
Then–Someone grabbed me from behind.
A knife to my throat.
A harsh whisper in my ear. “You should have stayed out of this.”
One of Bryan’s men. The pressure against my skin burned, the sharp edge pressing into my flesh.
I gasped, but before I could react Wallace was there. His arm wrapped around my attacker’s throat, ripping him away from me. There was a struggle. I screamed, scared that Wallace might get hurt in the process.
Then Wallace drove the knife into the man’s chest. Everything stilled. I gasped, stumbling forward. My head was spinning and I didn’t know what to do.
Wallace caught me. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me against him. His breath was warm against my skin, his voice hoarse.
“It’s okay,” he murmured. “I’m here.”
Chapter 10
4:04 pm
And then–1 broke. The sobs I had been holding back for weeks poured out of me.
I clutched his shirt, my body shaking, my heart aching.
“I thought-” My voice cracked. “I thought I lost you.”
Wallace’s hold on me tightened.
“You didn’t. I’m sorry if it took me so long to come back, my love,” He kissed my forehead.
I buried my face in his chest, letting the warmth of him consume me. Letting the realization sink
- in.
He was alive. He was here. And I was never letting him go again.
