“Tawny is mine,” I growl, letting everyone know it’s time I take what’s owed to me. “If someone other than me ends her life, you will receive her punishment in her place.”
I’ve had years to come up with all kinds of creative ways to make her pay for being a bitter cunt. Once Donovan was initiated I was going to focus on finding Tawny and ending the war she started with me the moment I was born. I won’t complain about her bringing that fight to me.
“How darling,” Tawny coos excitedly, looking around the room before focusing on me with mock pride before the act fades away, morphing into rage.
Liam steps into me, shielding me slightly, and my hand glides along the back of his waistline to rest on the extra pistol he keeps there. He’s not going to deny me my revenge and I only have my dagger strapped to my thigh under my double-slitted maxi skirt. He always carries two guns now and I think this is exactly why: in case I need something quicker than my dagger.
Tawny draws the weapon we all knew she had concealed, pointing it directly at me. I’ve never seen my mother with a gun like this, the steadiness and sureness of her hand is interesting, but not unexpected. She was married to an arms dealer for over twenty years, after all.
Liam pulls his pistol and I keep my hand resting on the other. Tawny growls as her frustration builds.
“This doesn’t end well for you, Tawny,” my dad says. “Put down the fucking gun.”
She guffaws and the sound echoes in the hall.
“Your little brat does not deserve any of this, Nathaniel,” she seethes. “She has donenothingbut curse our lives together.”
I cackle and the malevolence behind it makes even me shudder.
“No, bitch,” I say with a taunting smirk. “I’m just a reminder that you’re a bitter fucking cunt who can’t handle being second best in every possible way.”
Tawny sneers at me, then returns her focus to my dad, but I can see my words struck a chord, as her eye twitches.
“You will suffer the rest of your miserable life with your new little pet, as your precious baby girl dies while I drag her to hell with me,” she says with a cruel smile.
I yank the gun free from Liam’s waistline, but before I can take the shot I’m shoved to the ground as gunshots ring out in the room. My heart lurches as Liam’s body falls onto mine working as a shield. A shrill scream fills the air with such thickness I choke on it.
“Li,” I say breathily, panic rising as I see blood pooling on the ground.
Liam jerks upright and everything in my body sags in relief as he scrambles to help me to my feet. I scan the room, first settling on Tawny as she holds a wound on her arm while a few men rush in to whisk her away. With all the guns in the room, they rendered her defenseless and kept her alive, hauling it off to serve to me on a silver platter.
“Come on baby, wake up,” I hear Hazel’s voice beg, and the air whooshes from my lungs.
I spin on my heel, desperately hoping her pleas aren’t what I think they are. My soul drains from my body as my brother’s lifeless eyes stare back at me, and I choke on a sob.
“No,” I whisper to no one in particular and sink to my knees as my brother’s blood, the blood I’d thought was Liam’s, continues to spread.
Another sob wracks my body while I crawl to him.
“Donnie Boy,” I croak, shoving at him even though I know the damage is done.
Hazel presses against the bullet hole in Donovan’s chest, begging for him to come back. A hand wraps around my bicep and yanks me against a hard chest, pulling me away from my brother.
Donovan pushed me out of the way. He has a child on the way, and he claimed death for himself instead of letting me take it.
“You selfish motherfucker!” I scream at him, though it’s no use.
“Mal!” Liam shakes me from behind and I growl, rounding on him and shoving him away from me.
“Malia,” he growls in warning.
Cutting through the chaos of the room, more sobs bounce off the walls and I search for the source of the pain that’s not coming from me or Hazel. Chantelle holds my unconscious father across her lap, crying, begging, and pleading for him to wake up.
No.
No, no, no.
“Daddy,” I breathe, breaking into a run to get to him. “Someone get Delaney here now before I start taking fucking heads!”