Page 35 of Reborn to Love You

Because I don’t want to live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.

And that was how they had ended up here.

“Move very slowly toward the stairwell,” Anya hissed under her breath.

Dear God, I know You’re real, and I know You have a purpose for all of this.

So...

Whatever it is, I trust You.

But for now...

“W-Why are you doing this?”

Payton was back to pretending she was frightened out of her wits, which—if she had to be perfectly honest—didn’t need much effort on her part.

“Say one more word, and I’ll kill you.”

If it had been anyone but Anya, Payton would have believed the other girl was bluffing. The hotel lobby might not be crowded, but it was far from empty either. But since this was Anya, and Payton knew firsthand the girl was crazy enough to do anything in the name of hurting Niccolò...

Payton turned in the direction of the stairwell.

“Good girl.”

Payton didn’t know if that was deliberate or not, but those words...

First, Eric, and now Anya.

Those two words...

They no longer had any power over her, but instead...

No more!

It gave Payton the boost of courage she needed to turn around in hopes of catching Anya by surprise, and—

Everything after that...

It always happened too, too fast.

“You ugly stupid hag!”

Payton managed to swing the gun down, Anya still managed to fire a shot—

Bang!

Payton looked down. Anya had shot her.

Bang!

Payton looked at Anya. She was shot, too.

Both of them crumpled at the same time, but just as the world started to swim, she saw the undercover agent who had arrested Eric in her first rebirth make a call to 911 even as he ran toward Anya.

I know you’re working with the Feds to capture her, she had told Niccolò earlier. Let them know what’s happening here.

It was too bad she had to get shot, but at least their plan had worked—