Page 81 of Bound By Thorns

Garret turned slowly, his cold, calculating gaze sweeping over Riley and me. His smile was cruel, predatory, as he cocked his head like he was toying with an idea that amused him.

“I’ve decided to keep only one of you alive,” he drawled. “Since I’m not a faggot, you see.” He waved his gun lazily between us, the barrel pointing back and forth. “Now… which one of you is better at milking my cock?”

The words hung in the air, obscene and suffocating. Neither of us moved. Neither of us breathed.

Riley’s entire body shook, rage rippling through her like a storm barely contained. But she didn’t say a word. Not yet.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry as sandpaper. My voice hoarse from disuse. “What the fuck do you need from us?”

Garret’s smile widened into something truly grotesque. “Absolutely nothing, darling. How terrifying is that?”

My breathing hitched, coming faster now as I saw the gleam in his eyes—calculating, speculative. He was deciding which of us was worth keeping, and which would be discarded.

That’s when I heard it.

Riley’s chant. Low, trembling but steady enough to pierce the suffocating silence.

“Tell Titan that I will always love him,” she panted, her words rushed but deliberate. “Tell him he’s worthy of a life without me. Tell him the fireflies—”

The gunshot shattered the air, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Her body slumped forward, lifeless, blood pooling beneath her.

“Booooring!” Garret said with exaggerated annoyance, shaking his head. He turned to me, his eyes glinting with twisted amusement. “You can help, darling. Maybe your skills will come in handy.”

I didn’t respond. Couldn’t respond. My entire body felt frozen, my mind reeling as I stared at Riley’s still form, at the vacant eyes of Kyle beside her.

Garret straightened, holstering his gun. With a casual wave of his hand, he turned and walked out of the chamber, leaving me alone.

Alone with the bodies of my squad mates. Alone with their blood on my hands.

And as the door slammed shut behind him, I finally flinched. I wasn’t strong enough to scream. I wasn’t strong enough to move. I just sat there, watching as the pool of Riley’s blood slowly crawled towards my bare feet.

???

I finished speaking, my voice barely above a whisper. Dylan stood a few feet away, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond me.

For a moment, I debated saying anything more. We’d never been close—not like he was with Logan or Zarek. But Riley had been important to both of us, and I owed it to her to share what she wanted him to know.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, my tone tentative. “I know this… this isn’t easy to hear.”

His jaw flexed, but he didn’t look at me. “Thanks for telling me,” he said curtly, his voice clipped and emotionless.

I nodded, unsure how to proceed. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my sleeve as the silence stretched uncomfortably between us. “She… she said something about fireflies,” I added softly. “She told me to tell you, but I’m not sure what it means.”

His shoulders tensed, the slightest flinch betraying the stoic mask he wore. “It doesn’t matter,” he said flatly.

I hesitated, my chest tightening at his response. “It sounded like it did,” I said gently, carefully choosing my words. “To her, at least.”

“It’s in the past, Kaylan,” he muttered. “It doesn’t change anything.”

His dismissal stung, but I didn’t push. I wasn’t here to argue with him or force him to open up. I glanced down, unsure of what to say next. “I just thought you’d want to know,” I murmured. “That she thought of you. She… cared about you, a lot.”

Dylan exhaled sharply, his hands curling into fists at his sides. For a moment, I thought he might say something, but he only shook his head. “She’s gone,” he said evenly, his tone devoid of emotion. “That’s all there is to it.”

I nodded slowly, the ache in my chest growing heavier. “I’m sorry for your loss,” I said softly, the words feeling woefully inadequate.

His lips pressed into a thin line, and he turned slightly. “Thanks,” he said shortly, as if the word burned his tongue.

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