GIFTED RILEY by Lacy Mierr

Chapter 70: Together or Nothing

*Riley*

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. There was a searing pain in my chest. Whatever they were doing to him in the next room, I could feel it.

I didn’t want to believe it. Not only could I hear his agonizing grunts echoing through the walls, but even worse, I could feel his anguish as if it were my own. I couldn’t deny it. It was Nicolas, he had come for

me.

No! He had walked right into a trap, and it was all my fault. I had to help him. I tried to mind link with him, hoping against hope he would finally hear me. But I still couldn’t reach him. **k!

“Malik!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Malik, stop. Leave him

alone.”

I hoped. I prayed the pain would stop. But still, the pain continued to flare up in my chest – sharp and unrelenting.

What were they doing to him? Why couldn’t I reach him? Tears spilled down my cheeks as a mixture of fear and guilt washed over me.

This wasn’t supposed to happen, none of this was supposed to happen.

And yet here we were, caught in a nightmare that seemed impossible to escape from.

The moment I came into Nicolas’ life. I made him vulnerable. If I wasn’ t in the picture, then Malik wouldn’t have had anything to use to draw him out. I didn’t want him to sacrifice himself for me, he can’t! Nicolas cannot die because of me.

“Malik,” I pleaded once more, desperation thick in my voice. “Please don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll tell you anything you want to know, just please…” My words caught in my throat as tears threatened to spill over. “P-p-please, I beg of you. Don’t hurt him.”

There was still silence and I didn’t know which was worse – hearing Nicolas in agony or the absence of any sound at all.

“You can’t kill him, Malik,” I shouted, panic rising in my chest. “They will come for you. They will all come for you. You won’t make it out of this alive.”

Still, there was no response from Malik. The only sounds were the labored groans of Nicolas as he endured whatever torture Malik was inflicting upon him.

I felt completely useless, utterly useless. Because I’d been so stupid, and so trusting I’d put not only myself in trouble, but also Nicolas, and the entire Lycan pack.

I’d spent the entirety of my time here crying and missing Nicolas

terribly. And now he was in the room next to mine, but I couldn’t touch him. I couldn’t go to him. I couldn’t help him. And I feared that I would never be able to touch him again.

“Riles?” a weak voice filled my mind. Nicolas.

His voice was barely audible, but it cut through the overwhelming silence like a whisper. How was he able to reach me? I had been trying to connect with him through our mind link, but it had been unsuccessful. What was happening?

“Nic?” I called out desperately, hoping for a response. My inner voice sounded just as frantic as I felt. I waited for a response, but the only sound was the pounding of my own heart. “Nic?” I tried again.

“I’m here, Riles,” his voice echoed weakly in my mind. It was enough to send shivers down my spine and fill me with both relief and worry.

My hand flew to my mouth, as sobs racked my body. I had been so scared, so unsure if I would ever hear him again. But now he was here, and that was all the hope I needed to keep going.

“Oh my Go d, Nic. You’re real, and I can hear your voice. You’re alive,” I whispered. I couldn’t contain my emotions any longer.

“It’s me,” he replied, softly.

“But how? I’ve been trying to reach you, but our mind link has been

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Chapter 70. Together or Nothing

blocked,” I managed to choke out between tears.

“I know,” he said with a hint of pain in his voice, as if the mindlinking hurt him physically. “I’ve been trying to reach you too.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “I did everything I could to break through the boundary. I didn’t think it would work, but…”

My heart swelled with love and relief at his efforts. I was truly in hist heart after all. Even though he couldn’t see me, I shook my head.

“I’m just happy to hear your voice,” I said, trying to keep my emotions. in check. I couldn’t let him hear me breaking down like this, not while he was in such a vulnerable position.

“We don’t have much time, Riles, so listen carefully,” he said urgently.

My entire body tensed with fear. What was he talking about? “What’s going on?”

“There’s only one way out of here,” he continued, his voice low and intense. “But the bastar d ma de sure it’s impossible for anyone to find. I had to use all my skills to locate it.”

“Great,” I exclaimed, relief flooding through me. “We can finally get out of here. I’m so sorry for putting you in this position, Nic. But we’re going to make it out of here.”

“No,” he replied firmly. “You need to make it out of here alone.”

My heart sank. Was that his plan all along? To sacrifice himself to save me? There was no way I was going to let that happen. “What? Nicolas, No! That is not an option. I refuse to leave here without you. I can’t. I won’t.”

“I need to stay back and make sure they don’t know you’ve escaped.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. What was this impossible situation? “No! I’m not leaving you. I refuse to.”

“This is not the time to be stubborn. A lot of things are at stake here. Please just go. I’ll be okay.”

“I would rather die with you than live without you. I’m your Luna Nic, we’re in this together,” I declared, fiercely.

“Riley, you…” he began, but his voice was impossible to hear. “You have to…” his voice was fading out, barely audible now.

“Nic? Nic? What’s going on?”

“Riley, d…” I struggled to hear him, but his voice kept growing weaker

and weaker.

“Nic, talk to me, please. Please, talk to me,” I pleaded desperately.

But there was nothing. Only silence. I couldn’t hear him anymore.

I felt the little hope I had slowly left my body. Please, don’t let this happen.

No!