~Darius's POV~
Tears stream down Abigail's face, but her eyes never leave mine. They're glassy, losing focus, and the sight rips something open inside my chest. Blood has turned the sleeve of her white dress crimson; it drips from her fingertips now, pooling on the marble between us.
She's fading fast.
Nicholas watches me with lazy amusement. "Are you going to cry, son?"
I glare at him, my voice raw. "Shut up."
His smile vanishes. "It hurts, doesn't it? This is exactly how I felt when you put two rounds in my chest. Do you know how long the operation took? I almost died!"
"You were going to blow up the villa with all of us inside!" The words tear out of me before I can stop them. Abigail's knees buckle again; only Nicholas's grip on her hair keeps her upright.
"Please," I choke out. "Just...just give her to me."
