Page 240 of Before Dawn

“No. What is it?” I pressed, desperation creeping in. This was tearing me apart—I needed to understand.

“Matthew,” she whispered, her expression darkening.

“Are they go—”

“I don’t know,” she cut in, voice sharp before softening. “Sorry, my hormones... But he deserves whatever Mikkel does to him. Murderor otherwise.”

I sank onto the couch, grief weighing me down. Azzaria pulled me into a tight embrace as sobs shook my body, each tear carving deeper into the emptiness.

“It’s going to be okay, Abi,” she whispered. But her words felt hollow—empty against the storm inside me.

I cried until there was nothing left, until exhaustion dragged me under. But even in sleep, there was no escape. Joshua haunted me—the café, the moment everything went wrong, the past refusing to stay buried.

Why couldn’t he just stay gone?

When I woke, it hit like a tidal wave, knocking the breath from my lungs. My chest tightened, and I gasped for air, struggling to piece it all together.

Everything was slipping through my fingers, and I couldn’t stop it.

The silence, the uncertainty—it was suffocating.

Warning

The following chapter contains heavy mentions of mental health/physical health issues. Please refer to the content warning list to be reminded of any potential triggers. Your well-being is important to me, so please take care of yourself while reading.

Chapter Fifty-eight

Mikkel

“Love is the whole thing. We are only pieces.”

~ Rumi

Hours had passed since everything spiraled out of control, and my anger wasn’t fading—it was growing, boiling deeper with each breath I took. Fury coursed through my veins like molten lava, scalding me from the inside out. My fists were clenched so tight my nails were cutting into my skin, the pressure building with every passing second. Dillon had used a favor to put Joshua on the no-fly list before he could even leave the country, and from there, he was brought to Malen.

As we pulled up to the nondescript warehouse, Dillon stopped me with a hand on my arm, his face more serious than I’d ever seen it. “Are you sureyouwant to do this?”

I didn’t hesitate. “Of course, I’msure.”

Arnoldo chimed in from the backseat, his voice cautious. “We have people who can take care of this—”

I cut him off, turning my gaze to Dillon. “Did you let people handle Matthew?”

Dillon’s expression darkened instantly. The mention of that name sent a flicker of something dangerous through his eyes. “You know damn well I didn’t.”

“Then let’s go.”

His jaw clenched, but he gave a single nod. He understood. Sometimes you had to take matters into your own hands and clearly, Joshua didn’t understand me verbally and I was sure after today, he’d get it.

The building was cold and unforgiving. Dim lighting barely cut through the thick shadows that clung to the walls like predators waiting to strike. The air was heavy with the metallic scent of old blood and sweat and the cracked concrete floors were stained with years of violence.

There was no pretense of sophistication here—just raw and brutal. A place where rules didn’t exist.

The faint clink of chains caught my attention. Joshua hung in his restraints, arms spread wide and limp. His wrists were bound in thick cuffs, chains leading to a hook above. His feet barely touched the floor, bruised and broken, his head hanging low in defeat. The dim light cast harsh shadows, making him look even more pitiful. He had no strength left, every bit of the pussy I knew he was.

I stopped in my tracks, a storm brewing inside me as I looked at him. This was the man who’d tried to humiliateel amor de mi vida197, who’d made a mockery of her, and reduced her to the point she hated herself. All the anger, the hatred that had been building up inside of me, now had a target.

Dillon stopped beside me, his expression unreadable. “Are you sure?”

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