Fall To Flames

Chapter 20

Whitney's POV

The autonomic nervous system is a component of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary physiologic processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal aka fight, flight or freeze. I was currently freezing. It felt like my legs were glued to the ground. Nothing around me was there anymore. I could only see one thing, him.

"Cat got your tongue Whitney." He sneered his brown eyes almost black to match the heart that sat in his chest.

Everything in me screamed, run as fast and as far as you could. The air around me felt heavy and my chest was tight. I stood unmoving at his words, unable to speak or yell or cry. I felt Declan push me behind him and Jessie stood by my side taking my hand giving it a squeeze.

I know Declan said I was safe here and that nobody would ever try anything. But he didn't know Jake; he didn't know just how truly evil he was.

"What do you want, Gray?" Declan snarled at him blocking his view to me.

"You know Damn well what I want, O'Ryan." The venomous tone in Jacob's voice was one I knew all too well. I felt my breathing start to speed up as Jessie tried his best to quietly calm me down.

"You have bigger problems to worry about than her." Declan's voice was low and sharp so as to not draw attention to the situation at hand.

"I knew it was you Irish scum. I hope you know this means war." I had no clue what Jacob was talking about but something told me it had to do with all the hushed phone calls with Tommy.

"Try it and I'll make sure you die by my hand." Declan's fists were clenched, his knuckles turning white. I know he was doing everything in his power not to cause a scene.

"You talk a big game O'Ryan I'm looking forward to seeing who comes out on top. When I do I'll enjoy making you watch what I do to her." I felt the back of my throat burning.

"You won't do shit to me Jacob." My own words took me off guard. I don't know where this sudden confidence came from. However I do know if I back down now he would walk all over me like so many times before. He absolutely hates it when I challenge him.

"Ah someone found a spine finally. Better be careful, I might just rip it out." His words were cold and harsh.

"It's over Jacob. Face it I'm gone, why don't you destroy someone else's life and leave me be." I shot back at him and watched as his face started to turn red.

"You fucking bitch I'll kill you." His voice was starting to get louder and draw attention our way.

"Come and get me then." I was stone faced and cold on the outside. On the inside I was pissing myself and vomiting. 

"Don't worry Whitney, your time is coming." He deadpanned looking damn near through me.

Declan grabbed my hand and we turned to leave. I'm sure to escape back home before Jacob could try anything.

"Has she shown you her tattoo?" I froze, panic eating away at me, tears pricking the corners of my eyes.

"You might change your mind O'Ryan when you see that." Jacob was laughing and I could feel the anger rolling off Declan. "It really was some of my best work." He taunted

"Enough!" Declan's voice roared causing a tense silence to fall over the ballroom. All eyes were on us and I suddenly felt more exposed than I ever had in my entire life.

Declan didn't even stop, he just kept pulling me along with him. Tommy, Jessie and his men followed closely behind us. My hand was starting to hurt from the pressure he was applying to it dragging me along.