Page 47

S eeing my woman at the mercy of that motherfucker was enough to send me into a downward spiral I didn’t think I would ever recover from if this went bad.

But it wouldn’t go bad.

I would not allow it to.

I held up my hands with both weapons, pointing to the sky.

“Let her go, Lorne,” I growled.

“Fuck you, you goddamn traitor!”

He wrapped his hand around her long hair, pulling her in front of him. She was bleeding from her lip, and a bruise was already forming on her face. Her eyes were wild, and her breath was spilling from her lips in white clouds.

She looked beautiful.

“You motherfucker! You hurt her and I'm gonna gut you, cook you, and fucking eat you. Then I'm gonna shit you out and shove it down what's left of your fucking rotted corpse, you piece of shit!”

“Yeah, well, not without her blood on your hands, boyo,” he spat, sounding so much like my father I could’ve killed him with my bare hands.

“What do you want?” I asked my uncle.

“What do I want? I want what should have been mine! Everything! He was my brother! The family belongs to me,” he shouted.

“You can have it,” I said quickly, knowing it didn’t matter.

“Oh, it’s not that easy, nephew. You betrayed us for this cunt! Now, you’re gonna pay,” he grumbled.

I watched in horror as this man, my uncle by blood, lifted his gun. I shifted my arms down as fast as I could, fury and fear warring inside me as I pointed their nozzles at him at the same time.

Clementine’s eyes narrowed. Her terror seemed to evaporate, and anger took its place.

I was a second too slow, drawing my guns, aiming for the side of Lorne that was as far from her as I could. But thank fuck for my sluggishness, because my sassy little firefly didn’t stand there like some damsel.

Not her. My gorgeous little Darlin’ was just full of surprises.

So, in a move that would have made that chick from the Terminator proud, Clementine tossed her head back, catching that asshole right in the nose. Then she swung her elbow back, breaking the hold he had on her.

Lorne howled in pain. But I waited for her to be safe, watching as she ducked out of his grip and sprinted to the van.

That gave me all the space I needed to point, aim, and fill that motherfucker full of lead.

“Sonovabitch!” I roared, emptying both guns.

Lorne’s arms flailed even as the impact from the speeding bullets kept him upright.

Watching Clementine get herself safe was such a shock, I wasn’t even aware that the douchebag had gotten off a few more rounds.

Shock and panic froze on his face while I emptied both of my weapons into his body.

I'd been taught better than to leave a mess like that, but I also said I would bleed this fucker out for what he did.

My chest heaved, mind racing with all the what ifs.

What if I’d been too late?

What if she was gone?

How would I survive?

Or better yet, would anyone survive the monster I would turn into without Clementine?

No. The answer was no.

A trickle of vengeance remained, pulsing through my blood as I stood over Lorne and watched every last drop of his life’s force drain from his useless body, staining the snow beneath him.

The color was bright. And I wondered if Clementine would like the stone I’d chosen for her engagement ring.

A blood red ruby embedded in a circle of twenty-four carat gold. When the jeweler showed it to me and the light hit it right, it looked like fire.

Just like my Darlin’.

I knew it was the one. I only hoped she would say yes. That she found me worthy of calling her wife.

And as I watched his familiar eyes go blank as the Devil welcomed his soul to Hell, I felt an inner peace that this chapter of my life was over.

The sound of Clementine whispering to her sister as she freed both their wrists, making sure she was okay, made me grin. But that lasted only a split second before I noticed something was very wrong with me.

I tried to walk to where she was, but my legs weren’t cooperating, and when I looked down, I saw why. I’d been hit again.

Twice more, in fact.

“Connor? Connor!” Clementine screamed and ran towards me.

I wanted to answer her.

To tell her I was sorry for everything.

To tell her I loved her.

But all that came out was a gurgle before I dropped to the red-stained, snow-covered ground, face first right at her feet.