Page 89 of Dominion

“Tell her I’m sorry. Tell Ash to take care of her. I’m really sorry for everything.”

“Do not fucking do this to me, kid. No. Dylan, don’t be—” But I switched my phone off before he could say anything else, and slowly exited the car.

If anything happened to Skylar, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I wouldn’t be able to go through another day if they harmed her in any way.

Casimir would be here in five minutes, but in five minutes, they could destroy her and disappear. Five minutes was a long-ass time when your life hung in the balance, and I couldn’t wait for them to arrive.

My legs led me toward the entrance to the house, slowly opening the doors, already hearing their voices coming from theliving room. Skylar sounded strong, arguing with Judah, but I knew she was just taunting him, pushing him to attack.

I couldn’t just stand here when I could hear the insanity in Judah’s words.

I’m coming, Little One. I’m coming.

31

SKYLAR

I had moreregrets in the eighteen years of my life than some people had in their lifetime, but one thing I would never regret was caring for my people. For Ash, Dylan, Kane, Rowan, even Casimir, and as I took the first step outside of the car after I arrived at the house, I regretted the most not living my life how I wanted it to be, constantly following the rules that weren’t there to protect me, but to destroy me.

I regretted not hugging Ash tighter this morning, and not telling Dylan how much I loved him, because I knew that I wouldn’t come out of this alive.

I could bet that Judah and Danny thought I was a foolish little girl for coming here alone, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before Casimir and his crew would arrive here. Ash might be pissed, but he wouldn’t go after me all on his own. He would ask for help. If my sacrifice meant that the man who destroyed so many lives would finally be caught, then so be it.

The floors creaked as I walked inside, my lower lip trembling when I remembered the first time I came here with Dylan, right after that insane ceremony. I was so confused, hurt, in shock, while he had stars in his eyes and he thought we would spend forever together.

But if life had taught me anything, it was that forever didn’t exist for people like me, and my only hope was that the two of them would help each other if this ended badly.

I could hear voices coming from the living room, and instead of delaying the inevitable, I walked straight there, ignoring the warning bells ringing in the back of my head. I was here already, so I might as well get this over with.

Kane was the first one I saw, glaring at something opposite of him, his hands bound behind the chair and his legs tied with a chain to the legs of it as well. The cloth in his mouth turned red from all the blood he was probably coughing, and I fucking hated seeing the bruises and new wounds on his body since Danny sent that last message.

I bit back tears when I saw the state Rowan was in, but at least he was conscious. Barely alive, but his eyes were open, and he was looking straight at me. I couldn’t decipher what he was trying to say, but the shaking of his head and the pure panic that seemed to take over his face was indication enough—I shouldn’t have come.

But instead of going back and calling Casimir, I walked into the room, keeping my head high and my hands behind me, hiding the trembling.

Kane’s muffled voice speared straight through my heart, and I refused to meet his eyes. If I did, I knew I would relent and try to change my decision.

Thoughts I never had before flew through my mind. The imaginary scenes of the life I could’ve had flashing one after another as the sorrow gripped my heart, reminding me that I would never have any of it. Maybe in some other life I could’ve had it all.

Maybe in that life I would’ve had enough luck to be born into a family that wanted me and loved me. Maybe the heartache andpain were just passing thoughts and not something that would follow me throughout life.

Maybe that Skylar, in that other life, was stronger and smarter than I was, and instead of allowing monsters to use her, she reported them, destroying their little kingdoms before they could become strong enough to destroy innocent people.

“Ah, Skylar,” Judah’s voice broke through my thoughts, bringing my attention to where he was standing, shrouded in the shadows in the corner of the room. “You have finally made it.” He walked toward the center, into the light, where Kane and Rowan were tied up, wearing that crooked grin that always made me sick to my stomach. “I was starting to worry that you wouldn’t be able to make it.”

“Well, here I am,” I said, proud of the strength in my voice. “You wanted me here, Judah. I’m all yours.”

Something dangerous flashed through his wicked eyes, and just before he opened his mouth to say another word, Danny walked toward me, moving from the same dark corner where Judah had been sitting earlier.

His hollow cheeks and empty eyes made him look like a stranger. Nothing like the guy I grew up with.

“Hello, Sis.” He smiled, showing rows of perfect, white teeth. I always thought that Danny was the best of us. The calmest, the most patient, the one who wouldn’t hurt a fly. While the rest of us partied without a care in the world, while we let everything burn to the ground, Danny worked his ass off for school, for the football team, always being the most reliable one when you needed someone to talk to, or simply someone to get you out of the mess you created.

I never thought I would see the day when the golden boy we all knew and loved would turn out to be the main psychopath.

“I missed you.” He suddenly hugged me, sniffing my hair, while my entire body froze. His hands roamed over my body, hisnose buried deep into my neck, and I could swear that he wasn’t doing this just as a show. “Did you miss me?” he asked, placing his chin on my shoulder, his lips almost touching my cheek.

Did he think that I would let him just do whatever he wanted to do to me? Did they think I was here just to play another sick game?

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