Page 130 of Sinfully Yours

I tell myself it's fine. That this will be over soon. That Vanessa will finally be out of our lives, and I can go back to something normal.

Except nothing feels normal anymore.

Not the way Liam looks at me, like I'm the only thing anchoring him to the present.

Not the way my brothers keep glancing at me, like they're waiting for me to break.

Not the way my own heart is pounding, faster and harder with every second that ticks by.

Liam steps closer, his fingers ghosting along the edge of my wrist. He doesn't grab me, doesn't pull me in. He just waits, letting me come to him. I do.

"You ready?" he murmurs.

I swallow. "I don't think I'll ever be ready for this."

A flicker of something crosses his face—understanding, maybe. He exhales, then nods. "Then let's go end it."

With that, we begin our ride to the warehouse. It's terribly silent, not because we're at ease, but because all of us are waiting.

Liam's hands stay steady on the wheel, but his jaw is locked tight, the muscle there twitching. In the backseat, Ryan and Nate are murmuring about last-minute details, while Dean sits silently, staring out the window.

I don't realize I'm clutching my bracelet until Liam's fingers brush mine.

I glance up, but he doesn't take his eyes off the road. He just hooks his pinky around mine and squeezes once.

I squeeze back.

And for a moment, it's enough.

As we get closer, my heart picks up speed. The city starts thinning out—no more polished office buildings and neatly paved streets. Now it's just wide, empty lots and skeletal warehouses, the kind of places where things go to disappear.

The kind of place Vanessa has chosen for her last stand.

I spot it first.

"Up ahead," I murmur.

Liam's gaze sharpens, following mine.

The warehouse sits at the end of a long stretch of cracked pavement, looming in the moonlight like the carcass of something long-dead. Its metal siding is rusted, its windows either shattered or boarded up. It's a place that doesn't expect visitors.

Except for one.

Vanessa's SUV is parked outside, dark and waiting.

My stomach twists.

She's already here.

Liam pulls off to the side, killing the headlights before we coast to a stop. The second he turns off the engine, my brothers' truck follows suit, their presence solid and unwavering.

For a long moment, no one moves.

Then, Dean exhales sharply. "Showtime."

My grip on my bracelet tightens.

It's time.

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