Chapter 59
“W–who’s there“” I repeated, but only eric silence answered me, along with the pounding of my chest.
My hands trembled as I reached for my phone in my pocket and turned on the flashlight
Darkness
My weakn
My breath hitched, and I started suurling to breathe.
“-canybody there?”
I was about to open the cubicle door when the beam from my phone’s light swept over the floor-
And I saw a pair of shoes just outside the cubicle
My blood ran cold.
A glimpse of the familiar man I had seen in the crowd flashed through my mind
I pressed my hack against the cold cubicle wall
No
This can’t be happening.
I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping this was just my paranoia playing tricks on me. Or maybe maybe I was having a panic attack. Maybe this was just – hallucination.
But the voice that followed confirmed my worst nightmare
“Why don’t you come out and see who’s!
s here.. Camille?”
I slapped a hand over my mouth to stifle d the grap threatening to escape.
Come out.. hermosa”
I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. That name. That voice. It’s really him.
The cubicle door rattled, and I pressed my shaking hands against it. But in my panic, my phone slipped from my grasp and hit the floor with a soft
thud.
The Light went out.
Darkness swallowed me whole again.
I reached for my phone, but before I could grab it, he beat me to it
A low chuckle came from the other side of the door.
“W–who are you? I don’t know what you’re talking about-
BANG!
I jumped as he slammed his fist against the door.
Another bang
Terramed. “Somebody help me?
Please, Oh God, help met
trembling as the metal frame shuddered under his force
my fingers t
Tumbled for the lock, my
Another bang-
And the lock gave way
The disst swing open violently, and I stumbled backwards, hitting the cold tile floor.
The glom from iny phone cast retir alumilows, illuminating the nun standing before me.
A smick twisted his lips.
The scarred N canel ss his face sent shivers idown my spir
T
“W Who air you” I stamincred, feigning ignorance,
And when he laughed–a deep, manic sound–I knew he knew tou.
He stepped forward, and I scrambled to my
my feet, summoning every
ery–mance of strength I had left.
Thad to get away.
boat in was turite.
I was still weak.
Weak as ever.
| -Let go of me
Feried out, gripping his arms as he lifted in effortlessly as if I were nothing more than a ragdoll. My fingers dug into his arms, struggling, trying desperately to pry him off me.
“W why are you doing this? Who are you
I couldn’t finish my sentence as his hand wrapped around my throat.
I choked, my nails digging into his arms, but he only tightened his grip
I was losing air. My vision blurred.
As long as I follow Liam
“Stop pretending. Hermosa,” be hissed. “Mia or Camille. Even if you change everything about yourself, I will find you. As long as Anderson, I will always find you.”
I shook my head violently, gasping, my lungs screaming for air.
“I was right,” he continued, his grip tightening like a vice. “You shouldn’t have lived.
It was like I had been thrown back into the past. My fingers weakened against his arms.
“Or you should have done a better job at killing me. Hermosa.”
A choked sob broke from my lips as I instinctively wrapped my arms around my stomach as if they were still inside me.
No. Don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt my child.
Darkness crept into the edges of my vision. My body started to go limp. Any moment now, I would lose everything–the life I had fought so hard to
Kylie and Ryker’s voices echoed in my mind.
No. This can’t happen. I can’t leave them alone.
And then-
Aloud bang.
The restroom door burst open. The light turned on.
Let good her, or Ell shout you.”
The familiar elu kot a gun echoed through the restroom.
The pressine on my throat didn’t rase. The man before me stilled for a moment, İsit I could see
se the sinister smirk curving on his lips in my blurred
Tail Peking let gooof her!”
The voice is famuliar.
Instead of releasing me, be yanked me upright and tumed me in face Hunter, using my body as a shield.
“Should I break this lovely neck, amigo?” he taunted. His fingers pressed harder around my throat, making me gap. “Throw down your gun, or I’ll
“Try si, and 1 promise you won’t leave this room alive”
“Do you think I’m scared to die? But let’s see who’ll die first, me or your boss beloved wife?”
heard in. The sound of a gun being thrown against the tiles.
Hunter gave in
“Good boy”
Then, his grip loosened–just enough for me to suck in a desperate breath. He leaned in, voice a venomous whisper.
“This isn’t over. I’ll come back for you, Hermou..”
My stomach twisted.
His next words made my blood freeze
“Oh, and you have such lovely kids.”
Before I could react, he shoved me forward like I was nothing. My knees slammed into the cold tiles, my body crumpling as I gasped for air
“Catch him!” Hunter barked. His men stormed in, chasing after the man who had nearly ended my life.
And then–silence.
1 clenched my fists, forcing my breath to slow. But I couldn’t stop shaking
Lovely kids..
No. What is he planning to do with my i
vide
“Don’t,” I whispered, my voice hoarse
Hamer book a step closer, about to reach for me, when I mustered all the strength left in my body.
I stumbled to my feet, barely steadying myself against the wall. “My kids… Rylie… Hyker.”
I had to get to them –
I turned to run, but Hunter grabbed my wrist. “Wait-
“Let me go!” I yanked my arm free.
my children.
I didn’t care that my legs were weak, that my body was still trembling. The only thing that mattered was getting to my
Even with my throat burning and my head spinning. I ran as fast as I could.
I pushed through the crowd. People whispered in concern and curiosity, but none of it mattered.
3/5
Chapter 59
All I could see was thei
My children. Ineeded to reach thein. Now.
“Mommy! Where’s my soda-
disappeared
Rylie’s small voice broke off the second she saw me. Her bright smale disappe
Her eyes widened in horror.
Echoked back a sch “R–Rylie, Ryker… let’s go”
“Mommy! What happened! W–why are you hurt!” Ryker’s voice trembled.
Then I felt it –
A strong hand grasped my arm.
Acold wave of terror crashed over me. Han
But even when I looked up and saw that it was Liam, the fear didn’t fade,
di gripped me tighter.
“What happened-
Before Liam could finish, 1 yanked my arm away from him.
I stared at him. His dark p green eyes darted to my threat, his expression shifting into pure rage.
“Matthew, call our men.”
His voice was muffled, drowned out by the man’s threat echoing in my head.
How he mentioned my kids.
How he found me.
And this man–Lam Anderson-
It was his fault.
Liam led him here
Before I could think, before I could stop myself, my hand flew
The slap cracked through the air.
Liam’s hrad snapped to the side, but he didn’t move.
Casps rippled through the crowd, followed by Hylie’s sharp cry
I looked at my hand, red from the impact, then at Rylie, her small body shaking with sobs.
Then to kyker–who stood frozen, terror in his wide, innocent eyes.
Mommy, why why did you hurt daddy Liam?”
M
My heart twisted painfully, but I knew this wasn’t
the
right time to break down.
“Baby” I gasped, reaching for her. She sobbed harder, stepping away from me.
I broke me,
but even with my body shaking and in my desperation, I bent down to carry Bylie.
I wanted to carry Ryker, too, but my body betrayed me
My knees buckled, and I almost collapsed with Rylie until Liam caught me.
“Don’t touch me!“
“You have so calm down, you’re scaring the kids”
“W–we need to go, I cried in my shaking voice,
T help you, we’ll go together–”
“No-
Then, all of a sudden, a deafening boom shook the ground, followed by another loud sound.
People started screaming. Chaos erupted. Smoke curled into the sky.
“Lum, take her and Rylie! I’ll take care of Ryker!”
Before I could react, Liam snatched Rylie from my arms and held my hand tightly.
I was about to take Ryker when Matthew w lifted him with his son Toby.
“Mommy!” Ryker screamed, reaching for me.
“Protect my son, stay close with us, Matthew! Liam shouted, but I couldn’t even process his words as another explosion rocked the ground. More screams erupted.
My vision blurred, and my body almost reached its limit as Liam’s arms wrapped around me, protecting us.
“We need to run, Camille.
