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Arabella’s heart was racing wildly in her chest, puh her veins, because she knew if Maddux arrived, he’d be nothingThat was Gavin’s entire plan
“Don’t coh for him to hear “It’s a trap!”
Fury raged across Gavin’s features at her warning to Maddux, and he lifted the gun and pointed it right between her eyes, ht of hier “Shut the fuck up,” he shouted
“Gavin, stop,” her father pleaded, his voice wheezing “This is going too far!”
Ignoring Theodore, Gavin exhaled a deep breath, trying to regain his coain “Ten minutes, Wilder
That’s all you’ve got before I start putting holes in your girl”
He disconnected the call, and while he lowered the weapon, his dark, angry glare remained on Arabella
She jutted out her chin, no longer caring if she irritated hiet aith this, Gavin”
“Ahhh, that’s where you’re wrong, Arabella,” he said, his dark, hatred-filled gaze focusing on her “I’ve worked too fucking hard to get to where I a to fuck it up forand everything standing in my waywhich is all three of you And once you’re all dead, I’ left except all of your ashes”
Gavin’s rant was crazy and insane, but theof all was that Arabella believed every word he said
Chapter 21
Maddux’s stoet to the address that had shown up on the tracker he’d installed on Arabella’s phone the first night she’d spent at his place He hadn’t been worried about her escaping, not when she’d given herself up for her father’s debt so willingly No, the added security had given him peace of mind as to her safety at all times He didn’t trust Gavin and knew the possibility existed that he ht try and kidnap Arabella out of spite and to piss Maddux off
His instincts had been accurate on one accountGavin had provoked hi Arabella as leverage to lure Maddux in only made him feel twice as violent toward the other man Without any hesitation or doubts, Maddux would voluntarily sacrifice his life for Arabella’sbut he was determined to make sure they both walked out of this situation alive
He tried not to think about the tu in his chest, the ones that told hie he’d sought the night of the fairy-tale ball Soed to charm him with her wit and smiles and the way she’d let herself be vulnerable with hiained his respect with her loyalty and soer and resentment he’d carried in his soul the past fourteen years And even though he’d believed it wasn’t possible, she’d thawed the ice around his heart and made him want more with heryet there was so much turmoil between their families, not toin a jail cell, which Maddux would have played a large part of He wasn’t sure Arabella would ever be able to forgive hi down the only parent she had left
But none of that wouldwhat Gavin had planned, Maddux had to prepare himself for any and every possible scenario As he turned into a low-incohborhood, he forced hi if he rushed in with a hot head and a vicious te to be able to think clearly and was liable to make stupid mistakes He needed his wits about hi happened to Arabella