“And Darcy?”
He smiled at me. “Our friends will be here soon to help sort everything out.”
Our friends?
I swallowed, feeling as if the room were about to tilt.
“Hey.” He sat his muffin down and circled around the breakfast bar, approaching me slowly.
I slid away from him, eyeing the butcher’s block at the opposite end of the counter.
“There’s no need to worry. I promise I have everything worked out for the best this time. You and our baby will live a good life.”
He stepped right in front of me and gently took hold of my left hand, sliding the halo ring onto my finger.
“Don’t get worked up. It’s not good for the baby. Neither is violence.”
I took a deep breath to try and calm myself down, drawing the familiar scent of him into my lungs.
“This will never work. Please. Just go.”
“Why would I go now that you’ve let me in? You gave me the green light to walk right through your door. I’m not going anywhere ever again. You’re stuck with me till we’re laying side by side in a grave, Rosie.”
Before I could conjure up a reply, I heard a car pulling into the driveway as well as the water running in my bathroom. Con grabbed hold of me, handling my body as if it were made of glass as he positioned me against his front, removing his gun.
“What are you doing? You said you wouldn’t hurt her!”
“Calm the fuck down or I’ll lock you upstairs in your bedroom. We’re going to have a family meeting, that’s it. You remember those, don’t you? I won’t hurt her.”
Family meetings were always bloody. He may have been promising not to hurt her, that didn’t mean someone else wouldn’t. Between him speaking of friends and family, I couldn’t tell you who he was referring to.
“Who’s here? Who did you call?”
He didn’t answer. Whoever it was didn’t bother knocking or ringing the doorbell. As the front door opened and closed, Con’s grip on me tightened, but he was careful not to put any pressure on my stomach.
Multiple footsteps came from my right as Darcy entered from the left, oblivious to what was happening until it was too late. She looked away from her cell, stumbling in place.
Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out until Vicky and Justin walked into the kitchen.
No way.
No fucking way.
Where had she come from? Why wasn’t he still locked away? They were the equivalent of the devil’s underlings here to do his bidding. I curled my hands into fists, struggling to keep my breathing even.
“Rose,” she greeted me enthusiastically. “You look great, girl.”
“Let Darcy go,” I said to Con, ignoring Vicky entirely.
“Shh,” he hushed in my ear, placing a kiss on my cheek.
“W-what is going on?” Darcy stammered.
Con pointed his gun at her and smiled.
“Nothing too serious. Why don’t you have a seat, and then we can have a long conversation about what comes next?”
“Let Rose go first.”
I shook my head at her. She was trying to be brave. I got it. I’d do the same thing for her if our positions were swapped, but Darcy and I were not one and the same. I’d been conditioned to Con’s type of deranged schemes. She had no idea how fucked up the man she’d fallen for truly was.
“That wasn’t a request you could refuse, boo,” Vicky stated. I watched her walk to my butcher’s block and retrieve a knife, and then proceed to help herself to a muffin.
Darcy stiffly made her way to the stool I’d just occupied.
“What the hell is going on, Ryan? Who are these people?” Her voice cracked with each question, triggering the tears she’d been trying to visibly hold off to break free.
Like a chain reaction, my own began to fall, dripping from my cheeks. This was all my fault. I should’ve hunted Con down and put a fucking bullet in his skull. No—I should’ve burned with him in that cabin.
“You have to let her go, Con—”
“What did I tell you about getting worked up?”
I swallowed and clenched my jaw. How could I save her? I couldn’t be reckless like I used to be without risking my baby. Was that selfish? Was it wrong? I told her a thousand silent apologies with my eyes.
She blinked at me and forced the smallest smile as if she understood.
If only she really did.
“Poor things,” Justin remarked, looking at the two of us as if we were a pair of shelter puppies. “Maybe I should just keep this bitch? Molly’s a bag of bones by now. Vick and Rose could use another sister.”
“Hey, let’s see how this goes first. Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Vicky warned.
“They’re right. Darcy, I need you to focus, okay? I’ll explain everything after we’re done,” Con said.
“What do I have to do?” Darcy questioned.
He rested his chin on my head. I felt his grin, and my stomach heaved.
“We’re going to play a simple game first. If you participate, I promise I’ll let you go.”
I shut my eyes, hoping with everything I had that this wouldn’t end the way all his other games did.
Author Note
You’ve reached the end! If you’re wondering if that was a cliffy—it wasn’t. The original title of this book, Rose De Muerte, was something I wrote back in 2017. It has always had an open ending and I wanted to keep it that way. And who knows, I may revisit the Burrows and Rose one day because this reminded me of how much I enjoy them.
Whether you loved or hated TOR—thank you for reading!
OTHER BOOKS
Badlands Series
Savages
Deviants
Outcasts
Heathens
Degenerates
Hellions
Renegades
Miscreants
Old Money Trilogy
Queen Of Diamonds
King Of Hearts
Ace Of Spades
New Money Trilogy
Dope & Diamonds
Jack Of Clubs
Ash to Dust
Pretty Lies, Ugly Truths
Sweet Poisons
Sick Remedies
Pretty Lies, Ugly Truths
Broken Crowns Trilogy (paranormal)
Beauty & Rage
Beauty & Wreckage
Beauty & Havoc (Standalone)
Standalones
Covetous
UltraViolence
Dahlia Saga
Malice
Obscene
Depravity
Malevolence
Iniquity
Debauchery
Malicious
Stygian Isle
Del Diablo
Muerte
Deviant Duets
Crucible
Malady
Calamity
Misery
Devil’s Playground
Periculum
Maleficium
Daemonium
Coveting Delirium
Opaque Melodies
Melodic Madness
Reign & Ruin Trilogy
Lawless Kingdom
Savage Gods
Vicious Dynasty
DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND
Periculum: Unus
Chapter One
They say that some of the best memories can come from a bad idea.
I can personally vouch for the truth in that. But you know what else is true? The consequences that will be waiting to remind you of all your dumbass decisions.