𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐂 ❶

𝟔𝟒. ✭ 𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐘 ✭

The crying child in my arms barely registers to me when I see his mother get clocked in the back of the head by Remy's Glock. She falls to her knees with a shriek, clasping the back of her head painfully. Her gaze lands on the small crying human struggling against me and she immediately silences herself.

"Everything is going to be okay." She tries to comfort him but from her position it is clear to me that everything is not going to be okay. "It's okay." She shushes him gently with tears coming down her eyes. When I see Remy lift his foot I immediately put my face in front of my sons, blocking the view of his mother getting booted in the back. She doesn't let out a cry as her face cracks against the concrete floor. Her cheek is busted open and bleeding now as she lifts herself off the ground.

When he goes to land another blow I aim the gun in Remy's direction. "Don't you dare touch her again."

"Hand him to his mother while she can still hold him." My eyes slide over to Dedaj's expectant ones. "It's your choice Torey— prolong her pain or hand her, her child and get what you deserve." I feel the men inch in closer to me on all sides. If I wasn't holding my son I would've taken out more than half of them by now. That's when it clicks. This is exactly why Dani gave him away. This was the last thing she wanted for him.

"Dani..." I shake my head feeling completely lost. I don't know what to do. I need her to tell me what to do. Her gaze holds mine in the exact same fashion mine does hers. We both know this situation is hopeless. I should've listened to her. I should've known this was too easy, too odd an ask from walker. I should've known, seen the flags.

But I wanted her and our son to be safe. I wanted what I've waited so long for, worked so hard for. I wanted a happily ever after.

I suppose, above all else, I should've known that would never be in the cards for me.

I take a step forward toward Dani which has all of the men moving inward. Tears are falling down her face as I place the gun in the back of my pants and reach down for her. She grabs ahold of my hand and I pull her up to unsteady feet.

"It's all going to be okay." I reiterate her words. "You guys are going to be alright." Because I know I'm not. I hold out my son, who is currently whining and letting out soft cries, then hand him to his mother. I ruffle the top of his hair as I look him over, feeling emotion clawing in the back of my throat, behind my eyes, but I won't show it. I keep my shit together for the woman in front of me. "I love you, Dani." I place a swift kiss on her forehead before a number of men descend on me, tearing me backward and away from her and Wolf.

"Torey!" Dani screams out as she clutches our little boy to her helplessly.

"It'll be okay."

"That part of the deal is over with. You're free to go." Polat states to Dedaj but Dedaj is wearing a sinister smile on his face. "Unless you would like to stay?"

"I want to make sure that this rat is put down for good." He walks over to Dani and wraps an arm around her shoulders. She cringes away from him but he holds her tightly into him, almost painfully from the face she's currently making. I want to rip them away from him. "Let this be a lesson to you and your son of what happens when you are disloyal to your family." His eyes hold mine. "And you—" He spits on the ground in front of me. "I trusted you. Let you into my family. Treated you like a son."

"You treated me like a weapon," I growl out, straining against the multiple arms holding me back.

"I treated you with the respect your position required and yet you went and degraded my daughter while working with the fucking cops!"

I look over to where my crooked boss is still sitting just watching the entire situation unamused. My mind begins to reel thinking about one piece of information that I had kept from him throughout the entire investigation prior to me going to Seattle. I feel my eyes blaze as they flick from Dani and back to him again.