"Your ex-wife is here to see you, sir."

"For what?"

"She says she wants to talk to you, sir. For what I don't know. But she says it's important."

Sighing, I give Spencer the okay to let her in. I didn't really want to hear anything she had to say, but if my speaking to her will get her to leave then I'm willing to spare a minute or two.

When I heard the doorbell ring, I let out a heavy sigh. Rolling my eyes, I didn't bother hiding my irritation with a smile as I opened the door.

"What do you want, Natalie?"

She pushed on my chest, entering into my house without so much as an invitation.

I watched her closely, trying to figure out what kind of scheme she was plotting now.

Although I was glad people were finally seeing her as the conniving little snake that she is, no one will ever really know the kind of hell she has and continues to put me through.

I made note of her attire, finding it strange that she's wearing a trench coat in eighty degree weather.

"I miss you, Levi."

She starts loosening the belt around her waist and before I can really register what's going on, she's revealing a dark pink lingerie set underneath.

I stare at the body I used to love, disgust and hatred destroying any attraction and feeling I had for her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She makes her way towards me, sashshaying in her stiletto heels with a look of pure seduction burning in her blue eyes.

She glides her hands down my chest, getting down on knees in the process. She bites her lip, looking up at me suggestively. "Please Levi. No man has ever been able to make me feel like you do."

I scoff. "Get your ass up, Natalie." She reaches for the button on my jeans and I roughly yank her up by her arm. "I'm not going to fuck you, so stop. This begging shit isn't a good look on you."

She frowns, the psychopath that she's become making itself known. "Fine!" She snaps, ripping her arm free from my grasp.

I glance up at the stairs, then whip my head back in her direction. "Lower your fucking voice," I growl lowly. "My son is napping."

"Is that bitch here too?"

"Watch your mouth," I seethe, walking over to the couch and grabbing her coat. Shoving it in her hands, I push her towards the door. "It's time for you to go."

Slipping out from under me, she's swift as she pulls something out her coat and aims it at me. "I'm not going anywhere, baby."

She waves the gun around, motioning me to take a seat. My hands are raised, my eyes focused on the loaded gun in her hands.

"So you're going to kill me now, because I won't have sex with you?"

"No." She laughs, the spine chilling sound psychotic and sinister. Not yet," she says, while frequently glancing at the door as if waiting for someone to appear.

What the hell happened to her?

Was she always this way and I was just too blind to see it?

She eventually looks back over at me. "How's Decky?"

"Go anywhere near him and I'll-"

"Oh please, Levi," she says with a roll of her blue eyes. "I'm not going to hurt our son."

"My son," I correct, placing my palm to my chest. "Mine. As far as I'm concerned you're nothing but a surrogate."

She growls, opening her mouth to speak, but is interrupted by the ring of my doorbell.

Her facial expression changes, a smile spreading across her face. "Move and Declan will no longer have a daddy."

Remaining seated, I watch her skip over to the door. Opening the door, I hold back the urge to yell Laurel's name when I see her with zip ties around her wrist and tape over her mouth.

A dark haired man with a mustache and dark brown eyes is behind her, a gun aimed at the back of her head.

I growl, her eyes filled with fear as they lock on to me. She's shoved onto the couch and I immediately pull her into my arms.

"Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?" I'm unable to hide my worry, the anxiety meds I'm taking doing nothing to reduce the panicked state I'm in.

She shook her head, unable to speak with the duct tape still on her mouth. I can see it in her eyes that she's wondering where Declan is and if he's okay.

"He's okay. He's still asleep."

Which is strange, because he's not a heavy sleeper. He wakes up at even the slightest bit of noise. Nonetheless, I was thankful.

Laurel sighs with relief. Kissing her forehead, I keep her close, pushing her behind my body to protect her.

Natalie starts clapping. "Well aren't you two so fucking adorable." She pretends to gag. "It makes me sick to my stomach."

"Who is this guy, Natalie?"

She squeals excitedly. "I'm so glad you asked. It's a funny story really. You two are going to love this," she says with a giggle. "So I decided to go to a restaurant one night after a long day of interviews. The waiter taking my order happened to be the manager and this bitch's former boss- Matt. Imagine my surprise when I learned he hates you as much as I do."

She walks over to the guy known as Matt and slaps him with a wet, over exaggerated kiss. They both moan obnoxiously loud, their hands roaming over each other's bodies.

I simply roll my eyes and yawn.

When their done devouring each other's faces, Matthew's the one to speak next. "I bet you want to know why I'm doing this. Why I'm helping her. It's pretty simple really. I want revenge. You don't get to walk away from me and live happily ever after!"

"Are you enjoying my sloppy seconds?" I cut in. His eyes snap to me. "It seems I'm not the only one she sunk her devilish fangs into. I mean you have to be fucking her. Why else would you be standing there like a dog on a leash waiting for your master to give you a treat?"

"Shut the fuck up!" The gun shakes in his hands. "You don't know what you're talking about! She loves me!"

"Mmm, intresting." I stroke my beard, knowing I'm getting under his skin. "If she loves you, then why was she just on her knees begging me to fuck her? To satisfy her in a way only I can? Mm? Tell me why that is, Matthew?"

His entire body is shaking. He wants to shoot me, but he can't. Because he's nothing but a fucking coward.

"Don't listen to him, baby." She grabs his face, forcing him to tear his eyes off me and onto her. "He's only trying to get in your head."

He shoves her away from him, tightly gripping the gun until his knuckles are ghostly pale. An evil smile etches onto his face. "Let's go see if little Declan's awake."

My heart drops and I immediately lunge, tackling him to the floor. I can hear Laurel behind me, her screams muffled by the tape still on her mouth.

I'm swinging, my fist connecting to Matthew's face over and over again. I can hear the bones in his face crunch and the blood on my knuckles squelch.

I no longer hear Laurel's stifled voice. All I hear now is Matthew having boldly threatened my son. It plays on a loop in my head, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I stop when I realize he's stopped trying to fight back. His face is red and swollen as a result of my fists, his eyes swollen shut.

Standing up, I remove my shirt and wipe the blood off my hands. Tossing it aside, I look at Natalie, tears starting to brim in my eyes.

"You were going to let him hurt my son. I can't fucking believe you!"

She shrugs. "He's pathetic anyway. The child can't even speak." She scoffs. "He's the one I should've aborted."

Still running on adrenaline, I don't give my actions a second thought as I reach down to grab Matthew's gun.

Tears are rolling down Laurel's cheeks. She's shaking her head and pleading with her eyes.

"You're not going to shoot me, Levi."

I grip the gun tighter, my finger resting on the trigger. My hands began to quiver.

Just pull the trigger Levi and all of this will be over.

She deserves to die.

"Fuck!" I shout, tossing the gun. Despite the voice in my head telling me to end her, I can't do it.

My arms drop limply at my sides, Natalie laughing at me. "I knew you couldn't do it," she sneered, her lips curling up into a smile.

Pulling out my phone, I dial Spencer. The police should have been on their way here a while ago.

Natalie frowns. The line continues to ring, and then I look up, glaring at her. "What the hell did you do to Spencer?"

Her smile returns. "I told Matt to kill him."

Damn it!

"What the hell do you want from me!?"

"I want you to watch as I kill the love of your life." She aims her gun at Laurel and I step forward, my hand outstretched. Her arm whips back to me. "Don't you dare move, Levi."

"Why are you doing this?" Laurel's sobbing, my heart shattering as her fearful cries penetrate my soul.

"I'm not going to sit and watch while this bitch lives my life with my family."

"You're the one who left!" I shouted in anger.

"You're right, I did. But I want it back. And if I have to kill this bitch to get it, then I will."

Laurel sobs harder, the gun aimed at her once more. I grit my teeth, my hands balled into a fist. "If you hurt her- I won't hesitate a second time. I will kill you." My voice is calm and threatening, despite the pure panic I'm experiencing on the inside.

Her smile widens. As soon as her finger goes anywhere near the trigger, I leap forward, knocking her off her feet.

The gun goes off, the cacophonous sound producing a ringing noise in my ears. Pinning Natalie to the ground, I knock the gun out of her hand, the weapon sliding across the floor.

The fall knocked her unconscious. Standing to my feet, I rush over to see if Laurel is okay. Ripping the tape off her mouth, she inhales sharply.

"Are you hurt? Baby talk to me." I reach up to touch her arm, something warm coating my fingers. I pull my hand back and stare down at the red liquid staining my hand. Blood.

Laurel had been shot.

Picking up my shirt, I move quickly to tie it tightly around her arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Levi..." She says weakly.

"It's okay, baby. I'm going to get you some help."

She's losing blood fast. Her vision keeps going in and out, the color draining from her cheeks.

"Levi," she says again. She's feels cold to the touch, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"What is it, baby?" I'm trying to keep her awake. And I'm trying not to completely lose my mind. I have to be strong for her.

I just have to be.

"D-Declan," she stammered out with a shiver.

I twist my body to look over at the stairs. My hand shoots out in fear when I spot Declan standing at the end of the stairs with my gun in his hands. It's aimed at Natalie, who's slowly beginning to regain consciousness.

She stumbles to her feet, clutching her head and groaning. She doesn't realize what's happening.

"Put the gun down buddy," I demand softly.

He shakes his head, his tiny hands on the trigger. "Declan, don't!" Before I can reach him, the trigger is pulled.

Bang!

Natalie's body drops to the floor, her hand clasped over the bleeding wound on the right side of her abdomen. She gasps and coughs, bleeding out on the floor.

And before I can process the fact that my four year old son just shot his mother, Natalie is gone.