Chapter 73

073 Judgement Day Sebastian’s POV We didn’t show up in front of Liam Ryan right away.

If his goal was to hurt me, then there is no telling what he would do when he sees me. If he pushes one of the girls off at the sight of me, then everything is lost. We stopped the car far away from the building, and approached by foot. I wanted to leave Justin in the car, but he insisted on sticking with us just in case his absence would rile up Liam Ryan.

He is a good kid, when it comes to serious business. He is just lost...blind, to his own. feelings.

I still think that Sparrow Ryan’s death cast a shadow on his would–have–been–perfect marriage, but it could be my own personal feelings talking. I just see a lot of me and Ava in Justin. He and Annie wanted each other, and they shared a special past that can’t be replaced. The only difference is, I caved into my Sparrow when he married. his Ava.

If Sparrow Ryan didn’t brand their marriage with her death, then Justin wouldn’t be such a mess. Her desire for Justin turned Annie into a monster and turned Justin into a walking dead.

I’m just glad Ava didn’t go as far as to threaten me with her life when I married Scar because it would have been impossible for me to choose: between her instant death, or her suffering the illness that not only could kill her easily but also cast a shadow of death over her head for as long as she could survive.

“What if he is hurting them right now?” Justin asks Jim, “Should we contact him?”

Hiding in the ground floor of the closest building, we dare not to stick our heads out of the window. The abandoned building has no walls from the 10th floor up. It was never built, and Sparrow Ryan’s death totally killed the project. But Jim’s men haven’t been able to spot Liam Ryan.

“Not yet,” Jim glances at his watch, “the snipers are set, but it would help if we can get air cushions ready, too.”

What can an air cushion do for a fall from the 17th floor? It’s nothing but a placebo.

“I’m sorry,” Justin says when he sees my sullen look, “I’m the one who caused all this. I don’t know why he didn’t come for me.”

#25 BONUS 073 Judgement Day It IS a bit weird that Liam Ryan would come after me who just paid for Justin’s lawsuit, when he could easily got Justin, the one who his daughter died for, to settle his wrath. But then again, if you are trying to reason with a crazy mind, then you are, too, losing it.

“He is the one committing the crime, not you,” I console him, basically just using any conversation to ease the anxiety burning in my chest.

My phone rings.

“It’s him!” I look at Jim, he makes a gesture at his men and they instantly scatter before he nods at me.

Under his hawk–like stare, I put the phone call through-

“Where the hell are you?!” Liam Ryan’s shout burst through immediately.

“I’m here, and before you do anything, I want a talk,” I talk into my phone, “I want your to promise that you won’t do anything reckless-”

“I already got them by the edge,” He cuts me off, “and if you don’t show your fucking face now, they will both go down!”

What?! Jim and I both shoot our heads up, and Jim taps on his earbuds. There is no sign of Liam Ryan anywhere, even the snipers from all sides sent Jim no signal.

Where the hell is he?!

“You think I’m stupid, don’t you?!” Liam Ryan’s cold words come out of my phone,” You think I don’t know that you have got snipers surrounding the building?! You really think you can come out of this unharmed?! Let me tell you! This building was one of those affordable housing projects, and rich a–holes like you might never even see such a building where more than a dozen families have to share one floor, each gets only a corner, with the center of the building an empty, sunless hole!”

His words drain the blood on my face, Jim’s and Justin’s, too. We all look up at the grey, concrete, half–built monster. Its wall–

less top looks like black mouths opening- shouting – at the dark sky.

In the throat of one of them, the two person that matters to me the most, are standing on the edge of their death, and I can do nothing about it.

“Come on to the 17th floor, Sebastian Knight, and come alone,” Liam Ryan’s voice sounds like the whisper of the devil, “Come to your judgment.”