Page 39 of Gorgeous Nightmare

He pulls away, releasing the pressure from my stomach, and I look down through tear-filled eyes. The skull is gone, vanished beneath my skin. But I can still feel it there.

Pulsing. Waiting.

The sound of the man’s belt unbuckling echoes through the room, and I close my eyes.

I brace for the worst, swallowing my screams.

Then-

BOOM!

A scream of metal and a hollow thud.

Smoke fills the room like water.

A shadow makes its way through the fog.

Then another. And another.

“Get your fucking hands off of her.” A low growl cuts through the room, as lethal as a knife.

And my body instantly relaxes, a tear sliding down my cheek, not from fear, but comfort.

Ronan’s here.

For me.

And everything inside me starts to unravel as chaos erupts around me.

CHAPTER 34

Ronan

The instant I see her my soul fucking shatters.

She’s curled up against the wall, naked and bruised, and that bastard? That fuckingbastardis standing over her with his belt halfway undone.

He turns. A black balaclava covers the majority of his face, but I can still see him smile behind it.

Cruel and uncaring.

He’s enjoying this.

“Motherfucker!” I snarl, aiming my Glock at him. My teeth grind together, so hard I can feel my jawcracking.

“How sweet, you actually came,” the masked man says, his voice calm. “It took you long enough.”

“Drop the hard guy act you fucking coward,” I growl, baring my teeth at him. “Take off the mask.”

I feel the boys flanking behind me and glance over my shoulder to see Kassius to my left and Cade to my right, both covered in blood from the bodies we had to get through. Lex steps towards Aisling, rushing to her side now that there’s a distraction.

The masked man sighs. “I was hoping you’d be able to figure it out quicker.”

“Take. It. Off.” I snarl, stepping closer now, rage fueling me like a wildfire.

His smile widens as he steps fully into the light, pulling the mask down.

My world tilts, stomach plummeting like I’m on some fucked up fair ride.

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