Page 113 of The Road to Ruined

"Get out of here, Teagan."

I turn and look behind me—toward the source of the voice. The man who had ahold of me before lies lifeless on the floor, blood pooling near his body from stab wounds in the side of his throat. Another masked man looks down at me, a bloody knife in his hand.

It wasn't my blood. And this one is Sebastian.

He grabs me under my arm, pulls me to my feet, and shoves me toward the door. "Go, Teagan. You're not going to want to see this."

"Teagan, run," Declan says. "It's okay."

They can't take him. Maybe when Luca was in better shape they would have had a chance—maybe. But not now.

"Please don't!" I cry, stepping in front of Sebastian. "Please just leave them alone. You don't have to do this."

"Teagan, GO!" Declan shouts."Now."

"That's him, isn't it?" Luca asks. "I'm going to fucking kill you."

"Luca, stop! Youcan't." I turn back to Sebastian, tears streaming down my face, and place a hand on his chest. "Please. You're not a monster; you don'thaveto."

"You're wrong," he says. "Last chance to leave."

I bend down and pick up my knife from the floor. "I can't," I say.

"Give Luca the knife and go, Teagan," Declan says, still holding the machete. "Whatever happens…it's not your fault. I love you."

"You know how quickly I can take that away from you," Sebastian says. "Get out of my way, Teagan. I'll make it quick."

I hold the knife to my own throat.

"Teagan, what are you doing?" Sebastian growls.

"I don't want to," I say. "But if you're going to do this, then I'll have to. It'll kill me. Please. I'll do anything—just don't do this."

Sebastian lifts the knife at his side as footsteps approach me from behind. "Give me the knife, angel," Luca says. He places a hand on my shoulder and goes for my wrist with the other.

"Don't!" I shout, shaking him off. I point the knife at him before bringing it back to my throat. "Get back!"

"Teagan…" Luca says, the hurt evident in his eyes and his voice.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Sebastian laughs, and I watch the hurt shift to pure rage.

"I thought you said he wasn't stupid," Sebastian says.

"Put the knife down!" I scream. "This isyourlast chance."

"Sebastian, let's talk," Declan says.

"Don't call me that," Sebastian says.

"We have a problem." Declan sets his own knife down, and I flinch as he walks around the two of us. He steps over Travis's head and sits down on the sofa. All swagger, zero fucks given.

He's the guy on stage again.

"What do you want?" Declan asks. "It's Teagan, right? You're obviously not going to kill her. You don't want her to kill herself, so you can't kill us."

"He can't fuckinghaveTeagan, Declan. What the fuck!?" Luca shouts.

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