Nothing Without You | Eric Coulter [2]

eight

    "Well, well. Look who we have here," An unfamiliar voice drawled.

I struggled to catch a glimpse of who it was that spoke from over Eric's shoulder.

"Spencer," Eric grits out, his shoulder tensing more which I didn't even know was possible. "I thought you left Erudite."

"You would've loved for that, wouldn't you?" Spencer drawls with a smug smile on his face.

A chill crawls down my spine at the way his smile widens sinisterly when his eyes meet mine.

"You must be the girl they had to wipe from his memory just to get him to comply," He states in a bored tone, "Clearly, that didn't work."

It was obvious that this was news to Eric with how his fingers tightened painfully around the handle of his gun and the way he takes deep breaths as if to calm himself down.

"I take it he's never told you about me?" He asks with a shrug, "I figured. He's never been one to own up to his mistakes, huh? Just buries them."

"Don't speak to her," Eric snaps and Spencer let out a low whistle.

"Territorial, are we?" He taunts, "Too bad she's not yours to protect. She belongs to Erudite, now." He says before he asks, "Has Eric ever told you about what he'd done to his sister?"

Spencer must've seen something in my expression and raises his brows, "Oh, he has. Now, that's interesting."

Something passes Spencer's face as if he's reminiscing old times before he turns a glare on Eric once again.

"Elise was the love of my life. We were supposed to get married at the end of the month," He says, "And he took her away from me."

"I didn't do anything, Spencer." Eric retorts, "I'm done blaming myself for what happened to them. I've moved on maybe you should, too."

Spencer lets out a manic laugh, "Not. Your. Fault?" He grits out each word, spittle flying from his mouth. "You could've saved her! And now you're willing to die for the people who killed her?!"

My breath hitches in my throat at the way his gun trembles in his hand as he aims it at Eric.

"Open your eyes, Spencer." Eric replies, "Nessa had nothing to do with what happened to Elise."

Spencer suddenly drops the gun he's been holding, his shoulders shaking with laughter as he buries his face in his hands.

His actions were so peculiar even the guards with him were exchanging confused glances as they continued to point their guns at us.

"Get their cells ready," He confidently orders the rest of the guards when he snaps out of his laughing spell, aiming his gun at Eric once again. "I'll deal with them."

The guards looked hesitant to leave at first, but they eventually do, leaving us alone with Spencer.

Seeing how erratic Spencer was being, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. But I guess at least we weren't outnumbered now.

A beat of tense silence passes before he finally speaks again.

"Do you know what it feels like to have the woman you love taken away from you, Eric?" He questions slowly, "It feels as if someone has ripped your fucking heart out of your chest. That's what it felt like. And now, I'm going to make sure you feel exactly what I felt when I lost Elise."

"This is between you and me, Spencer." Eric tries to reason, "If you want fucking revenge, take it out with me."

"It's not enough!" Spencer yells, making me flinch.

Eric tightens his protective hold on me, and I clutch the back of his shirt in a white-knuckled grip.

"I want you to watch the life bleed out of her right in front of your eyes," Spencer states, "And that's exactly what the test will do to her. You're going to wish she was dead by the end of it."

"You weren't the only one who loved Elise, Spencer." Eric continues to try to reason with him, "I loved her, too-"

"No! No, you fucking didn't!" Spencer cuts him off, "If you'd loved her, you would've pulled that fucking trigger and did whatever you had to do to save her!" He scoffs, "But now here you are, protecting the monsters that took her away from us! Your sister would be ashamed of you!"

"If that's what you really think, then I don't think you knew Elise as well as you think you did." Eric retorts, "My sister would've wanted me to follow my heart. She would've wanted me to protect the person I love no matter what it fucking takes."

"So, this is it? You're willing to fucking die because of her?"

"In a fucking heartbeat," Eric responds without missing a beat.

Spencer scoffs in response, "How pathetic." He meets my eyes once again, tilting his head thoughtfully. "You know what? I don't think I want to wait to kill her anymore."

Before I could even react, Spencer darts forward as if to make for me and Eric slams him into the wall.

Perhaps he was so clouded with revenged that it had somehow given him the impression that Eric would ever let him get to me.

"Nessa!" Eric yells as he held down the struggling man, "Grab the gun!"

My eyes land on Spencer's gun on the floor of the hallway where he'd lost it amidst the fight, I immediately rush forward to grab it.

My fingers wrapped around the handle just as I see Spencer manage to break free from Eric's grip and turned it on him just in time.

"Don't move," I warned, "I'll shoot."

Spencer chuckles softly, "Sweetheart, I don't think you have it in you."

"I do," Eric's voice says from behind Spencer, and without a moment more of hesitation, a loud bang echoes through the hall.

Spencer clutches his thigh in pain and blood splatters onto the pristine white floor that he falls onto.

Eric cups my cheek, tearing my gaze around the wounded Spencer and making me meet his comforting blues instead.

"Are you hurt?" He asks and I shook my head.

"I'm fine."

"Good," Eric sighs in relief and presses a kiss to my forehead before he grips my hand in his and tugs me along with him back down the hall. "Let's get out of here."