Page 28 of Vengeful Devotion
My stomach roils.I’ve never seen so much blood before. I’ve never seen a real life murder before. Declan’s eyes snap to mine. The green depths are filled with shock. Like he’s more surprised to see me than he is to be covered in blood. I knew he was dangerous, but to see it is something else entirely. Is this what will happen to me if he finds out the truth? Is he doing this to threaten me again? I feel sick. If this is what he was planning, why the fuck did he kiss me yesterday? Oh my God. What if Juliette and Simone knew about this, too? Is that why Juliette insisted I come with her to see Simone? Do they want me gone so badly?
I turn away from the scene and bolt downstairs. It’s not until I’m beneath the night air that I take a breath again. My heart can’t decide if it’s going to freeze in fear or shatter like glass. I can’t comprehend why this hurts so much. I really thought the McBride’s liked me. How naïve of me to believe that.
Walking away from the casino, I vanish into the crowd. Even with so many people around me, I feel unsafe. All I can see is the blood flowing from that man’s throat. It’s easy to imagine myself in the same situation. If I stay around, Declan will find out that I lied to him. And when that happens, it’ll be me sitting in that chair with my head hanging on by a thread.
Oh my God. A man died. A man died and I’m here thinking about myself. That man probably had a family. His poor wife is probably up wondering where he is. And I’m here worried that I’ll be the next life stolen. What is wrong with me? If this is the kind of person I am, maybe death would be the best thing for me.
The world becomes blurry. I can feel myself slipping from reality. Falling deeper and deeper into a downward spiral of self-loathing.
Before I know it, I’ve ended up at the Vegas bus station. My fingers wound tightly around the strap of my bag. All I have to do is walk inside. I could leave Vegas and the McBrides behind. I could move on. It would ensure my safety for the immediate future. But what happens when Lonny finds me again? Because I still don’t have the resources to leave the country. If I stay, at least I know Declan can protect me. But he could just as easily kill me. I sit on a bench to the right, biting my nails. There are no good options here.
There you go, thinking about you again.
The words bruise. But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. The man in the room is dead. There’s no bringing him back. I can still save myself. Maybe. Shit. Should I call the cops about what I saw? The moment that thought pops in my head, so does the Declan’s face. Could I do that to him? Hurt him in such a profound way? I’m not sure I could. But I’m also not sure he would feel such kindness towards me. Calling the cops might be a fast track to being damn near decapitated.
I don’t know how long I sit on that bench, contemplating how to get myself out of this mess. Long enough for my cheeks to feel chapped by the wind. Only at nighttime does the Vegas weather remind me of home. A reminder I could do without.
A shrieking sound frightens me. I look up, seeing the SUV Danny drives. The very breath in my lungs stalls.How did he find me?
The driver’s side door opens and Danny steps out of it. He turns towards me, his stony face revealing everything and nothing all at once.
“Gemma, I’ve been looking for you,” Danny says, closing the distance between us.
There’s a hint of something sinister in his face. Something I’ve never noticed before. But it’s there now, slipping through the mask he wears. He’s always been so nice. Danny was one of the first people to befriend me here. Now, I’m not sure he was ever a friend.
There’s another loud screech, and I look around him to see two more cars pulling up.
“Danny,” Balor says, pulling him back. “Don’t let the boss see you so close.”
Danny smiles, the monster beneath vanishing completely. “I was just telling Gemma how we’ve all been looking for her for an hour now.”
“Gemma!”
It’s Juliette’s voice I hear. She’s next to me before I can comprehend what’s going on. Juliette’s eyes look over me, her arms clutching my shoulders.
“Thank God, you’re okay. I was starting to really worry.”
“I’m sorry.” I offer in an uncertain tone.
“Don’t worry about it, Gem. I’m sure that was a lot for you to process.”
That’s a fucking understatement.
“Were you planning to leave?” Declan asks.
His presence immediately offers me a comfort. It makes the confession slip past my lips without a thought.
“N-no. I never went inside.”
“We should get home,” Declan says, ignoring my words completely.
The dismal hurts. It shouldn’t, but it does. Declan doesn’t seem to care what I’ve just seen, or how I’m feeling after seeing it. In fact, his eyes are so cold in this moment, I have to wonder if he doesn’t care because I’m already dead in his opinion.
“I’ll take Gemma home, boss,” Danny says, stepping closer.
Balor cusses underneath his breath. I don’t know what he seems so concerned about.
“She’s riding with me and that’s final.” Declan’s voice is firm. He’s acting like just because the words left his mouth, it makes it a law. Danny steps back, nodding his head.
