Page 1 of Cannon (King Family Saga #3)

Queen

The room was too quiet. I could hear every beat of my heart, every ragged breath that scraped my throat raw. The walls seemed to lean in around us, pressing the air thin until all I could feel was the weight of my daughter’s eyes staring back at me.

My hands shook as I raised the gun, the metal heavy and cold, biting into my palms. The barrel lined up with the soft curve of her body. She was trembling, whispering my name like a prayer she did not know if God would answer.

For a moment I could not breathe. All I saw was her face, pale with fear, eyes wide and shining with tears. My baby. My only child. And here I was with a weapon aiming toward her.

The silence swelled, choking the space between us. My finger hovered against the trigger. One twitch, one mistake, and everything would end.

I told myself I had no choice, but the truth clawed at me from the inside. Maybe I had always been a danger to her. The darkness that haunted me was finally catching up, forcing my hand.

I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering in my ears. Pulling the trigger meant saving her. But only if my aim was good.