~LAUREN POV~

The silence of the room settled around me again, but it felt less oppressive now. I stood up, my legs steadier than before, and stared at the gun on the table.

Tonight I'd been prepared to use it…to take a life to save my own. The thought sent a chill through me.

I needed to clear my head.

Stripping off my clothes as I walked, I made my way to the bathroom, letting the hot water floodgate away the fear and adrenaline that clung to my skin.

I stayed under the spray until my fingertips wrinkled and my mind quieted.

Wrapped in a towel, I padded back to...