Page 57 of Cup of Lies

Pop!

The glass bursts into a million pieces as the bullet pierces the door. With a groan, the man stumbles back into the wall. He grabs at his stomach with desperation as if his soapy hand can do something about the bullet hole there.

Newsflash. It cannot.

I put another bullet in his thigh. This makes him scream in pain as he crashes to the floor. Once I turn off the water, I crouchnear him, glass crunching beneath my boots. I dig the hot barrel of my gun into his thigh, reveling in the horrified scream that escapes him.

When I look at his face, I realize I recognize him. Dr. Portman. That douchebag who wanted to dance with my woman the night of President Huxley’s event. The same night I asked her to marry me.

Blind rage is quelled by satisfaction as I watch his face drain of color. Crimson blood pools beneath his naked body.

“You took her from me,” I growl. “You fucking took what’s mine.”

His head lolls to the side and he groans. “My wife. Mine.”

This fucking guy.

I lift the Glock and fire another shot, this one putting a hole through the center of his neck, destroying his throat. He’ll never say those words again. Or any for that matter.

“Mine,” I snarl. “Always mine.”

Someone screams from behind me and then a little kid runs with her bare feet over the glass past me. “Daddy!”

“Fuck,” Nees snaps nearby. “She was too quick.”

I realize the girl clinging to the dying man in front of me is Kaitlyn.

“You killed my daddy,” she says, crying hysterically. “Please don’t kill my mommy too.”

“Get her out of here,” I rasp out to Nees.

He huffs because this isn’t going to be easy. Sure enough, when he grabs Kaitlyn, she flips the fuck out, screaming and clawing at anything and everything. Dr. Portman stares at her, eyes glazing over as his life bleeds out of him.

Nees stalks out of the bathroom with Kaitlyn howling. I stand and follow after him but stop at Romy’s bedside. A key for the handcuffs sits on a dresser out of her reach.

“I’m here, love,” I murmur as I unlock the handcuffs as gently as possible. “I came for you. I found you. I’m getting you out of here now.”

She’s crying hysterically now. I manage to pull her onto her back so I can see her face. A massive bruise covers one side of her swollen face. That motherfucker hurt her so badly.

I lean forward and softly press my lips to hers. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

“Caius,” she chokes out before losing it to more sobs.

Hugging her to me, I try not to break into tears myself. This woman is broken. I’m terrified to know what all he did to her. I’ve been holed away in Canada for months while she’s been his prisoner. I feel so fucking helpless right now.

“He’s dead,” I assure her. “I killed him for you. I’ll kill them all for you.”

It’s true. I killed my own brother for this woman. I’d do it again if I had to.

“Kaitlyn?”

“She’s safe,” I assure her. “You both are.”

Her mouth finds mine and she kisses me with desperation. I can taste the salt of her tears and maybe mine too. I just want to fix her—to make her happy again.

I’m going to get her out of this place.

One step at a time.

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