"LAUREN!" Ian yelled. "DROP IT."
"I can't Ian. You're ruining him. He's only 4 and his only friends are your mercenaries!" Lauren protested.
"Declan is fine!"
"DECLAN IS NOT FINE!" She screamed at him.
The poor little blonde boy was in his room, sobbing, because all he wanted to do was play at the park with some of the other Irish kids who lived in the small town down the road from the Castle Ian liked to call "just a house".
Ian had flat out refused. He wouldn't even consider it, so she'd pushed. and pushed. and kept pushing. He was doing this just to punish her because she had refused to be Declan's adopted mother, but what he didn't realize was that he was punishing his son too.
She swore loudly.
"Watch your mouth." Ian said.
"Fuck off Ian. You're such a prick sometimes, no wonder Declan's mother left you. She couldn't bear the thought of raising a child with you because she'd have no say in his life!" Lauren said scathingly.
Before she knew it, she was on the floor with his hands around her neck squeezing so tightly she couldn't breathe. She choked, trying desperately to throw him off of her.
"Listen here. You NEVER mention that bitch in my presence. EVER." He growled. She was clawing at his hands futilely. She tried to scream, but he was literally crushing her airway all she could do was open her mouth. Then everything went black, and she was still.
Ian froze, letting her go. "Lauren? Lauren?!" He yelled. He shook her was she wouldn't come to. "LAURENN!" He cried. "Come on, Love! Wake up, come on baby, wake up! WAKE UP!" He cried tapping her face lightly. He checked her pulse.
Nothing.
He collapsed on top of her, begging her to wake up, apologizing, pleading, to no avail.
Because this time.
Lauren Reynolds really was dead.