And then I hear it… the rumble of an engine approaching. A beat-up black truck rolls to a stop twenty yards from us. I can make out Jace, but barely because the sun glares off the windshield. I pull my coat closer around me as he gets out slow and deliberate, his head swiveling to scan the area.
Jace looks rougher than I remember. His stomach is paunchy and his eyes are hard and unyielding. But it’s the smirk that hits me hardest—like he’s already won.
“Well, well,” Jace drawls, arms spreading wide. “Look what we’ve got here.”
Peter steps forward first, trying to set the tone and putting himself partially between me and Jace. “Told you I could get her here.”
Jace snorts, his gaze flicking to me like I’m an afterthought. “Didn’t think you had it in you, Brennan.” His gaze roams slowlydown my body and then up again, a lecherous smile on his face that makes me shiver. “Look at you, Mila. All pretty, healthy and happy.”
Then his eyes settle on me fully—and all the venom that lives in him bubbles to the surface. “You ruined everything,” he sneers. “You fucking bitch.”
I don’t flinch. Somehow, I manage to sound calm and reasonable. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Jace. I did what I thought was right.”
“You thought it was right to destroy my life?” he sneers, stepping closer to me. Peter shifts uncomfortably, taking a tiny slide my way. “You took everything from me. I was a goddamn king until you opened your mouth.”
I brace, waiting for him to come closer but instead he starts pacing. He looks agitated, unhinged, but as long as he stays away from me, I can manage my nerves. “I honestly can’t believe you came alone.” He laughs and it sounds maniacal. “Stupid, stupid bitch.”
“You said you wanted to talk,” I say, trying to stay as soothing as possible so as not to rile him up further. “I’m here… so talk.”
“Talk?” Jace asks with a bark of laughter. “Oh, we can talk, I suppose, but then I’m going to make you suffer.”
“That’s not what you said,” Peter interjects. “You said you just wanted to scare her a little.”
“Shut up,” Jace snarls, turning on him. “She’s gotta pay for what she did to both of us. Don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for her.”
“No, not at all,” Peter rushes to assure him. “But I don’t know what the fuck you mean by making her pay. You got to clue me in here, man. Because if you’re talking about physically hurting her, I’m not going back to prison, dude.”
Jace’s eyes gleam and he leans in toward Peter. “What if I am talking about murder?”
“I’d say that’s not proportionate to what she did,” Peter says calmly.
“Not proportionate?” Jace screams. It grates on my ears. “Not proportionate? She took my life. She took yours. Sent us to prison, ruined our hockey careers. We might as well be dead, so why shouldn’t she?”
The hair on the back of my neck stands up.
Malik’s voice is in my ear. “Stay calm. I’ve got you.”
“Jace,” Peter implores, holding out his hands. “Come on, man. Fucking lay into her, get it out of your system, but then be done with it. If you hurt her, you’re going back to prison and you don’t want that, do you?”
“I’m not going back to prison,” Jace proclaims with his chest puffed out. “Going to toss her body down that abandoned mine shaft and no one will know what happened to her. Then we’re going to figure out how to end that piece of shit Navarro.”
“No way, man,” Peter says, shaking his head. “You got to calm down.”
But Jace seems to be beyond reason now. He starts pacing again, ranting about everything he lost—his hockey future, his reputation, his control. He pulls at his hair and shoots me hateful glances as he continues his diatribe.
And then…
He pulls a gun.
It’s not dramatic. It’s terrifyingly quiet and smooth, but I can’t stop the gasp of horror that slips out of my mouth. I take an involuntary step backward, but my knees almost give way I’m so overwhelmed with terror.
Jace takes glee in my reaction. “Scared now, bitch?”
“Jace,” Peter says, hands up slowly with his palms facing outward in a silent plea for him to settle down. “You can’t do this here. Not out in the open.”
Jace looks around, laughs at his own brilliance. “That’s why I picked this place. Yeah, it’s out in the open, but there’s no one around for miles. We’re all alone. Going to put a cap in her and dump her. Fucking piece of cake.”
My heart beats so hard it’s in my throat, and I throw caution to the wind. “We’re not alone, Jace.”
