Page 105 of Married to the Devil

“Hattie,” I say desperately.

“He doesn’t care about her. I think he’s afraid of what Rafe would do if he touched the girl. But I wasn’t sure…” He trails off, looking at the loading doors. “You have to run. The guards are out for a break for another twenty minutes. Run into the woods and hide. No matter what you hear, don’t come out.”

“Byron, what are you doing?”

“The right thing.” He smiles sadly. “Now go. I’ll stall him.”

“He’ll kill you.”

“I don’t think so. Please, June, just run.”

I take a few steps back.

But Nunzio pushes into the kitchen.

He freezes. His jaw twitches like someone punched him in the face. Byron turns toward him, hands raised, the knife clutched in one fist.

“What the fuck are you doing, Byron?”

“We both know this is wrong. Please, it isn’t too late to stop.”

Nunzio yanks a gun from the holster to his hip. “You stupid fucking prick. You weak, pathetic—“ He levels the weapon. “If that bitch moves, I’m shooting her. Ignazio doesn’t need her alive.”

“No!” Byron hurls his knife. It flips at Nunzio, spinning through the air.

Nunzio jerks sideways. The gun moves too. He pulls the trigger and the pistol bucks.

Byron makes an odd sound. It’s not a scream. More like a surprised grunt. My hands come to my face as blood blooms across Byron’s chest.

“Oh, shit,” he says, clutching at himself. The blood swells through his fingers. “Oh, that’s bad. That’s really bad.”

“Fuck, Byron!” Nunzio runs forward but stops. “What the fuck did you do?”

“You shot me.”

“You threw a knife at me! I didn’t mean—“ He waves the gun in the air. “SHIT! Byron!”

I take another step, inching to the door. Maybe he won’t see me. If he doesn’t realize I’m here, I might be able to get away.

Byron moans as he topples to the floor. I remember them embracing, their mouths pressed together.

Nunzio’s face is twisted in rage and horror.

And his eyes lock on mine.

“You’re fucking dead, bitch.”

I turn and run.

Bullets smash into the wall behind me.

I’ve never moved so fast in my life. I’m gasping for air, arms pumping, legs working. My brain’s going, run run run, but my heart’s saying, Hattie Hattie Hattie, and in the end I can’t bring myself to follow Byron’s orders. I probably could lose Nunzio in the forest. I could hide under Leanna’s rosebush for hours.

But that’d leave my daughter alone, and I can’t risk it.

Nunzio might not want her now, but he could change his mind.

I careen down the hall and back up the steps. He’s running behind me, roaring like a wounded animal. I slam my shoulder into the wall at the top of the stairs and keep going, sprinting, wild and out of control. I’m gasping, lungs burning, muscles straining⁠—