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I nod, wiping blood from my knuckles. “Yeah, we did. But it’s not over yet.

We need to check on Doris and Miranda. Plus, some of these men are still alive.

I’d like to keep it that way if possible.

” There is always a possibility another group of them came through the back, but I hadn’t heard any gunshots coming from the lodge.

We rush back to the house, our boots crunching through the snow. We burst through the door to find Doris and Miranda unharmed. Doris grips her rolling pin like a club, while Miranda still holds the long gun, her eyes wide but determined.

“It’s over,” I say, my voice rough with exhaustion. “We got them.”

Doris lets out a shaky breath, lowering her makeshift weapon. “Thank God.”

Miranda sets the gun down carefully. “What about Mr. Oliver?”

“He’s not here,” Finn says, wiping blood from his knuckles. “But we’ll deal with him. Right now, we need to make sure the property is secure.”

As we gather in the living room, the fire crackling in the hearth, a sense of relief washes over me. We made it through the night, but the fight isn’t over. Mr. Oliver will come for us again, and we need to be ready.

“We’ll protect Wildwood,” I say, looking around at my friends, my family. “No matter what.”

Finn claps a hand on my shoulder. “Damn right we will.”

And as the first light of dawn breaks over the horizon, we know that we are ready for whatever comes next. Wildwood is our home, and we will defend it with everything we’ve got.

Suddenly, the door bursts open with a crash. A fifth man, larger and more menacing than the others, storms into the room. His eyes blaze with fury, and he carries a menacing, heavy looking tire iron. “You thought you could take us down that easily?” he snarls, advancing towards us.

“Doris, Miranda, get back!” I shout, stepping in front of them. Finn moves to my side, “That’s the man from Oliver’s office. The one who followed me.”

The man raises and swings his club with a force that makes the air whoosh around us. I barely dodge it, feeling the wind of its passage brush my face. Finn tackles him from the side, and the two of them crash to the floor, making it impossible to tell who was landing which punch.

I jump in, trying to pull the man off Finn.

My arm is no longer hurting from the flesh wound after my adrenaline kicks back in.

But, I stumble a step and he lands a wild punch that catches me in the jaw, sending me sprawling completely backwards.

Pain explodes in my head on contact with the floor, but I shake it off, scrambling to my feet.

The goon has Finn pinned, his club raised for a devastating blow.

“Finn!” I shout, launching myself at the goon. I grab his arm, twisting it with all my strength. He roars in pain, the club falling from his grasp. Finn takes the opportunity to throw a punch, catching the man in the ribs. He staggers, but he’s not down yet.

Doris and Miranda watch from the corner, their faces pale and tears in their eyes. “We need to help them,” Doris says, grabbing a heavy skillet from the stove.

“No,” Miranda says firmly, pulling her back. “We can’t risk getting hurt.”

“Grab your gun,” she hisses at Miranda.

She shakes her head. “If I miss, I might hit Finn or Wyatt.”

“Wyatt!” Finn shouts, kicking the goon in the side and drawing my attention back to the fray. The man grunts, momentarily distracted. I take the chance to land a solid punch to his jaw, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone under my knuckles.

The man roars, swinging wildly. He catches Finn in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Finn doubles over, gasping for breath. I see red, anger surging through me. I can’t let this bastard hurt the man I love.

With a burst of adrenaline, I tackle him, driving him into the ground. As if I’d become possessed or granted superhuman strength, I reach for his head and slam it into the hardwood floor. Over and over again, until he closes his eyes.

Doris and Miranda rush forward, their faces a mix of relief and concern. “Are you two alright?” Miranda asks, her voice trembling.

“Yeah,” I say, wincing as I touch my jaw. “We’re okay.” I push myself up from the floor, kicking the unconscious man one last time as I step away from him.

Finn nods, rubbing his sore knuckles. “Just a bit battered. But we’ll live.”

The Wildwood is our home, and we will defend it with everything we’ve got. The battle is over, but the war is far from won. We’ve got to make sure no matter what happens, we are prepared, and will take care of each other.

“What should we do?” Doris asks, wringing her hands.

I turn and look at Miranda for a moment and she nods. “Let’s tie this mother fucker up and call the police. Also, take a rifle and Doris and round up the injured men. Tie them up and do your best to keep them alive.”

“Really?” Doris asks.

I nod. “If we show we are simply protecting our property and ourselves, we won’t get charged with assault or murder…

if one happens to die.” We can’t fully trust the sheriff, but there’s four dead men on the property and one very unconscious man in the living room.

“In the meantime, Finn and I will prepare for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Finn asks.

“We are going to pay Oliver a visit.”

Finn shifts his weight from side to side and then looks up into my eyes. “There’s something important I need to share with you.”

“First, I have a question.” I say, not sure what else Finn could share that would make any of this better. “I need to know something.”