Cold Devotion | ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Seven

I lunge towards Melissa, trying to grab the knife out of her hand, but it's too late. The knife makes one long slice across my father's neck and the crowd begins screaming, people running towards the exits. All I can do it stand and stare in complete and utter shock as the blood flows like a river.

My mind is going a million miles per hour, what did I just witness? Melissa just killed my father. My father lays lifeless, blood pooling around him, at the hands of someone who I thought was one of my closest friends.

"Who... are you?" I question, disbelief clear as day in my voice. Her head slowly turns to face me, a smirk tugging at her crimson lips.

"If you want to live... I suggest you all shut your mouths!" Melissa shouts, her eyes never once leaving mine as she rises. "The whole facility is surrounded, we know about your little games... we are always one step ahead," the crowd goes silent and I look over my shoulder to see the many tear stained cheeks and wide eyes of the people.

"Who is "we"?" I dare ask and she cackles, an awful sound that makes me want to burst my own eardrums.

"You know exactly who we are and we've had enough... now the only thing in our way is you," she points her finger at me and I feel the panic rising in my chest.

My eyes meet with my father's cold, limp body. He barely put up a fight, no one in this room even tried to stop Melissa. She killed him, not me, her. I'll never get the chance to give him the death that he deserved. It was too quick, too kind.

But worst of all it was at the hands of the wrong person.

"Come with us and we'll let everyone here leave unscathed and untouched," Melissa says but someone cuts through the crowd. My eyes dart to him.

"Take me instead, please," Colton pleads and it feels as though someone has pulled my heart from my chest. There is no way in hell that he is going with them.

Melissa's smile only grows, becoming more sick by the second. This is exactly what she wanted.

"A hard bargain you drive Colton... don't get me wrong, I'd love to bring you along for the ride but you simply have no value," she shrugs and I thank whatever higher power for not letting Colton get involved in this mess.

"There is not a chance I am letting you take her," Colton says, his hand inching behind him. I meet those evergreen eyes and plead with him. I give him a look saying, don't make this any worse but he shakes his head, dismissing my pleads.

"Be careful Colton... one word and you're all dead," Melissa's smug grin returns and I feel the bile rising in my throat. Colton begins to step closer to the dais, where we stand, and everyone's eyes are on him.

"How long have you sided with them for, been their lackey?" Colton spits, rage burning in his eyes as he still moves closer. I find myself inching away at the sight.

"Does it really matter?" Melissa sighs and wipes the bloodied blade on the skirt of her gown. The blade she used to slice my father's throat open. "The lead commander needed to be killed, he wasn't the kindest of people, Rose would know that wouldn't you?" the words hit me like a blow to the head.

My eyes meet hers and I have to stop myself from reaching into the opening in my skirt, unsheathing the dagger and placing it firmly in her gut. For everyone's sake, I ball my hands into fists at my sides to stop them reaching for something they shouldn't.

"I knew you were stupid Melissa, but I didn't take you for a fool," Colton smiles, although I know there is nothing sincere about it.

Melissa's face twists in confusion before responding, "How do you mean?" and Colton laughs as he finally reaches the bottom of the dais, mere footsteps away from me.