Page 119 of Thorns of Deceit

He looked disheveled, but he strode in with confidence. Like he wasn’t the prisoner here. His eyes traveled to my mom’s body, and for the briefest fraction of a second, sorrow flashed in them, but he quickly masked it.

“Mo cuishle, are you well?” he greeted me, his jaw clenched. His eyes roamed over me as if to ensure I was okay before our eyes met.

“Yes,” I rasped. “You?”

He nodded.

“Ah, my son-in-law.” Duncan’s smile was frosty. “It turns out that I was against you for the past five years for naught. My apologies.”

“Funny that you’d be remorseful while keeping me bound,” Aiden retorted dryly. “I’m afraid your apology isn’t accepted.”

“In that case—” Duncan raised his gun.

“No!” I shouted and bolted, finding myself standing between the man I hated and the man I loved.

“Ah, dumb like your mother after all,” Duncan grumbled. “No matter, I’ll kill your husband and you’ll marry one of my associates until your brother grows old enough to replace you as my heir.”

My stomach roiled. This man was sick. Revolting! There was no other word for it. A weaselly, evil bastard. But then his words sank in.

“A brother,” I rasped.

Duncan chuckled. “The only thing your mother did right. She’s finally giving me a boy. We had to end the last five pregnancies. All worthless girls.”

I watched his eyes, so full of malevolence and cruelty.

“You are insane,” I whispered in horror.

I couldn’t let this lunatic destroy another person I loved. As long as Duncan lived, my mother, Aiden, and my unborn baby would be in danger.

The bitterness and anger swelled inside me and eroded my soul, demanding I make him pay. My eyes scanned over Duncan and his chair, noting his gun was back on his lap.

“Kill that Irishman,” he barked at his men.

Acting on instinct, I reached out and swiped the gun from his lap, then pointed it at Duncan’s head.

“Don’t you fucking dare move,” I hissed, pointing the gun at him. “Or I’ll blow his brains out.”

He lifted his hand, a silent command intended for his men.

“Have you ever killed a person, Raven?” he drawled in an arrogant tone, but he couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes.

I fired, hitting Duncan’s thigh by sheer accident, and I sent a silent prayer of gratitude.

“You fucking bitch,” he snarled.

I smiled coolly. “Oops, my bad, I missed your dick.”

I tilted my chin toward Aiden, my heart racing. “Tell your men to untie my husband, or the next bullet will be in your groin. And the one after that, in your skull.”

“You don’t know what you’re doing, daughter.”

“It’s not that hard, Duncan. All I have to do is aim and shoot, and guess what? You’re in the line of fire.”

Duncan threw his head back and laughed. “You’re my daughter, alright.”

I tightened my grip on the trigger.

“Untie my husband and I’ll let you live,” I gritted, lying through my teeth. “Last warning.”