Page 213 of Forever Never
“Remi!” William burst through the door to the house, Camille on his heels.
“He’s either been shot or he impaled himself on a fucking garden gnome,” Remi said. “Help me get him inside.”
William tucked his revolver into the back of his pants and bent to pull the man inside.
“He’s heavier than he looks,” Remi said, pushing the door closed. But she wasn’t quite fast enough. A shadow slithered into her periphery.
“Fuck!” She slammed the door but wasn’t fast enough. A black-clad arm slipped wraithlike inside.
Camille let out a sob that broke Remi’s heart.
William abandoned the agent on the ground and reached for his gun. But they’d underestimated the enemy. Warren Vorhees shoved the door open with exceptional strength, knocking Remi back so she stumbled over Agent White’s legs.
Gun outstretched, he fired one quick shot that sounded like the snap of a firecracker.
William crumpled to the floor next to White.
“No!” Remington shouted.
The gun swung around to point menacingly in her face.
“I wouldn’t scream if I were you,” he growled.
His handsome face was twisted in a grotesque mask of rage. His light hair had been dyed dark and cut short in a choppy buzz cut. The beginnings of a beard sprouted on his patrician jaw. He wore a cheap pair of sweatpants and a black jacket. His eyes, an unmistakable denim blue, had been disguised by colored contact lenses. He looked wrong, sick, evil. The shine of wealth and breeding had been stripped away to reveal the sickness beneath.
Fear coiled in her chest. Her phone was across the room, next to her painting.
“Warren,” Camille said calmly. “Just take me. Leave them alone.”
His smile was more a snarl. “You think you can ask for favors from me? You think you can appeal to my generosity after you tried to ruin me?” Gone was the debonaire charm that had seduced Camille and countless voters.
There was no shake in the hand that held the weapon. His rage gave him a chilling calm. “You think you can destroy me? You think you’re worthy of being my opponent? You’re nothing,” he spat.
Camille inched closer toward William, who wasn’t stirring on the floor.
“That’s what he gets for trying to stop me. For trying to take you away. I won in the end, didn’t I?” his laughter was an unhinged nightmare.
He fired another shot into William’s leg, the silencer suppressing the noise.
“No!” Remi cried.
“Don’t worry,” he said, turning to her with dead eyes. “I’m saving a special punishment for you. As soon as I do a little clean-up.”
He raised the gun to fire again. But as he did, Camille threw herself over William. Remi lowered her shoulder and charged the monster. The shot went wide. He laughed, catching Remi by the hair. A thousand nerves shrieked with pain as he twisted and yanked. Still laughing, he hurled her to the ground and landed a well-placed kick to her hip.
“Stop!” Camille begged. But her begging only seemed to excite him.
“You forget your place, wife. You’re a possession. A shiny, pretty thing that I take out when I want to and put away when I’m done. Tonight will be the last time I put you away.”
“If you lay a hand on her, the entire world will know the allegations are true,” Remi said, huffing out pained breaths. The last thing she needed was an asthma attack in the middle of a murderous assault.
“You can’t ruin me. Neither of you can touch me. You don’t have what I have. The power. The connections. The money. I’ll destroy you both, body and soul. And when I’m done doing that, I’ll make sure no one ever speaks your names again.”
“Delusional much?” Remi wheezed, crawling to her hands and knees.
He landed another kick. This one to her midsection. Camille jumped forward. Warren backhanded her in the face with the gun, and she crumpled like paper to the floor. Remi growled and breathed through the pain.
“Brick is going to kick your ass,” she said through gritted teeth.
