JUNIPER’S POV:
I’m crammed between two burly men in the backseat of the SUV. The air inside the car reeks of cigarettes and sweat, making it hard to breathe. My heart pounds in my chest as I struggle hard against the man who has his hand covering my mouth, but he doesn’t let up. I bite his palm, causing him to yelp in pain and pull away from me.
“You little-!” He grabs my hand, twisting it behind me, and the other man glares at me.
“You’re going to regret this. My husband-he’s going to find you. And when he does, you’ll be sorry.” I try to sound confident, but the four of them let out a heart-draining chuckle.
The man holding me snorts, his beady eyes narrowing as he glares at me.
“Girl, do yourself a favor and shut up.” I shift, trying to create some space, but the guy on my right jams his elbow into my side, forcing me still.
“You’re lucky,” he mutters coldly. “We were told to bring you in alive. If it were up to me, you’d already be dead. You’re too damn loud.” My heart skips a beat as I wonder who could have hired them.
There are too many possibilities-Larry, Victor, Cillian, or even a random man. My baby sends a sharp kick to my belly, causing me to groan out loud.
“Enough!” the man holding me yells, twisting my hand, making me cry out even louder.
“God, I’m gonna kill this bitch!” The man in the passenger seat exclaims, and at that moment, the SUV jerks to a sudden stop. I’m thrown forward, slamming my head against the center console.
Pain radiates through my head, but none of them seem to care. The man holding me lets go, then opens the door.
“Out,” he growls, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the car. The second my feet hit the ground, I try to run, but before I can take a step, he grabs my hand.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the man snarls. His hand clamps around my waist as he slings me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing.
“Put me down!” I scream, pounding my fists against his back. He doesn’t flinch, casually striding toward what looks like a warehouse in the middle of an abandoned lot.
The place is surrounded by crumbling concrete and overgrown weeds. My stomach twists with fear as we get closer, but I don’t stop struggling. The warehouse door slams shut behind us, echoing in the space. The man carrying me strides across the cold concrete floor and dumps me on the ground. Pain shoots up my side as I hit the floor, but I refuse to cry out.
“Stay put,” he grunts, straightening his jacket.
I glare up at him, but he doesn’t even look back. Both men turn and walk away, leaving me in the room. The door clicks behind them. The silence is deafening, broken only by the faint buzz of the flickering light above me.
Minutes pass, or maybe it’s seconds-it’s hard to tell. Then the heavy door creaks open again, and I freeze. Cillian steps inside with a smug smile on his face, which makes my blood boil.
“You bastard,” I hiss, struggling to sit up. He chuckles, strolling toward me. When he’s close enough, he crouches down, grabbing my jaw with one hand and tilting my face up to meet his gaze.
“Still feisty, I see. I like that,” he says, his voice dripping with mock admiration. His thumb brushes against my cheek, and his grin widens. “When I heard you were pregnant, I didn’t know you would still be this hot. I really made the right choice, and I would be a fool to throw it all away.” I jerk my head away, but he doesn’t let go.
His face lowers, and I realize with horror that he’s about to kiss me. My hand flies up, and I slap him across the face so hard my palm stings.
“Get your hands off me,” I snap, and he chuckles, pressing his lips forcefully against mine. Then I bite him like the last time. “You never give up, do you?”
Cillian’s cheek is red, and his lip is swollen with blood, but he only laughs, licking the blood off.
“How can I?” he asks. “Your husband took everything from me.” I glare at him.
“Hiram wouldn’t have done anything unless you deserved it.”
His grip tightens on my jaw.
“He got me expelled from school, Juniper. Expelled. Like taking you away from me wasn’t enough. He destroyed my future!” He is practically yelling at this point. “And now he thinks he can build a happy little family with my girlfriend? No.”
“You’re insane,” I spit.
“Maybe,” he says, shrugging. “But at least I’m not stupid. I’m not going to let him win.”
“Don’t you get it, Cillian? Hiram didn’t take me from you. I walked away because you cheated. I loved you, but you cheated, and that draws the line!” The smile on his face doesn’t fade.
“I do not get it, and I will never get it. You belong to me, and I will make sure he knows that!” he grits his teeth.
The door opens again, and a man walks in holding a small packet of pills and a glass of water. My stomach twists, and I can feel the baby kicking like it knows what Cillian is about to do. Cillian takes the pills, shaking six into his palm. His smile remains as he looks back at me.
“Now, open wide, sweetheart.” I press my lips together, shaking my head. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” he warns, grabbing my chin again and trying to force my mouth open.
I struggle, jerking my head side to side, but he’s stronger than I am.
“Hold still!” he snaps, and the other man steps forward, raising a gun and aiming it directly at my head. My heart stops.
“Good call,” Cillian says to him. I lock eyes with Cillian, and tears stream down my cheeks.
“If you claim you love me, then you wouldn’t do this,” I say to him, and he chuckles darkly.
“Oh, please do not start, June. Do you know what I have been through chasing you these past months? I watched another man fuck you.” He tightens his grip on my jaw. “Something you denied me of, and for an entire year. You made me a fool, waiting for when you were ready. Not anymore.” He kisses my chin, trailing his tongue up to my ear as I tremble in fear.
“Open up and do not allow me to repeat myself.” He grits his teeth.
Slowly, I open my mouth.
“Good girl,” Cillian says mockingly as he presses the pills onto my tongue. He holds the glass to my lips, tipping it until the water forces me to swallow.
I cough, glaring at him as the bitterness of the pills spreads in my mouth.
“You’ll regret this,” I say, and Cillian smirks, standing up and brushing off his hands.
“At least that thing in you will be dead.”
Cillian stands there waiting for the pills to work.
Suddenly, a roar echoes in the distance, making the walls shake.
“What the hell is that?” Cillian growls, glancing at the man in the room.
A smile tugs at my lips despite the fear gripping me.
“That’s my husband, and he is coming to get you.”
HIRAM’S POV:
I come to a halt in front of an abandoned lot as I pick up her scent. It’s faint, but it’s clearer than when I was far away. I can smell her and my pup. I sprint across the vast area of land, my growl reverberating through the space.
There are three men by the entrance, and as they spot me, they scramble for their guns, but they’re too slow.
The first man raises his weapon, but I’m already on him. My jaws clamp onto his arm, and with a swift twist, I send him flying. He hits the wall with a sickening crack and doesn’t get up.
The second man fires a shot that grazes my side. Pain flares, but it only fuels my rage. I lunge at him, knocking the gun from his hand before my claws tear through his chest, scratching down at his heart. He remains there with his heart pumping and bleeding out.
The third man tries to run, but I take a leap, slamming him to the ground. His screams are short-lived as my teeth find his throat.
With that, I turn toward the front door, ramming through it with all my strength. It gives way instantly, splintering into pieces.
Inside, I see her.
She is on the ground with her face pale. Relief surges through me. But it’s short-lived as Cillian stands over her with a gun in his trembling hands, aimed directly at her.
“Stay back!” he shouts, his voice cracking as he shoves another man toward me.
I grab the man, knocking him aside effortlessly. His body skids across the floor, limp and broken.
“Get away from me!” Cillian yells.
“Juniper,” I call out, and to my greatest surprise, her eyes meet mine, making me realize she can hear me. “Are you hurt?” She shakes her head.
“I’m okay,” she whispers aloud, though I can sense something is wrong. I slip up, and the next thing I hear is a shot ringing out before I can move.
Pain blossoms in my shoulder as the bullet tears through me. I stagger, but don’t fall.
Juniper screams in terror. “Hiram!”
In that moment, she clutches her belly, screaming out in pain. I suddenly sense it-my pup is dying.
This drives a different kind of anger in me, and I charge at Cillian. He pulls the trigger; the bullet grazing my side, but I don’t stop. I slam into him with all my force, sending the gun flying from his grasp. He stumbles back, his eyes wide with terror.
I roar.
Then I watch as Cillian attempts to run, but I’m faster. My claws slice through his chest as I grab him, slamming him into the wall. His screams echo in the warehouse, but I don’t let up. I snarl, plunging my claws deeper. With one final, brutal motion, I rip his heart from his chest, letting it fall to the ground with a sickening thud.