Page 150 of Ruthless Reign

I dropped to the ground as Séamas swung a blade of his own in my direction, but his movements were weak, stilted, and his feet carried him two steps too far to the right before his legs gave out and he went to his knees.

He sucked in air like he was breathing through a clogged pipe, each breath a hard, loud rasp that made his eyes grow ever wider as he struggled to get oxygen to a suffocating brain.

I stalked over to Aodhán and snatched the gun from his hands, aiming it at his father and firing. The gun kicked into my palm but spit out no bullet.

“Empty, mo mhuirnín,” Aodhán said behind me. “I’d have shot him again as soon as you drove in my Ma’s blade if I could’ve.”

Séamas’ knife hand fell into his lap as his body heaved, fighting for every short inhale.

Distantly, I registered that the fighting had mostly stopped. The rattle of constant gunfire ebbed to an infrequent pop and hiss.

I turned to Aodhán, finding his green eyes fixed on the monster before us with a mixture of emotions on his face I couldn’t name. His fists clenched at his sides. “I should finish him.”

I shook my head. “You don’t have to.”

Neither of us did.

I took Aodhán’s hand, clasping his fingers with mine as Séamas’ breaths became further apart. More choked. And then stopped completely, his head falling forward onto his chest.

We needed to be sure.

I released Aodhán’s hand, but he clutched my fingers, pulling me back. “I’ll do it.”

And I knew he needed to be the one.

He took three long strides forward and kicked the still half upright form of his father onto his side. Séamas didn’t respond.

He bent over him, pulling the knife from his back, and he didn’t respond.

He pressed two trembling fingers to his father’s throat, just for a second, and withdrew them as if burned by the contact.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “He’s dead.”

Running steps sounded behind us, and I spun, searching for a weapon I didn’t have until I saw who it was.

Kaleb and Hardin.

Rook, Grey, Corvus, and Ava Jade.

Behind them, Sloane, Damien, and Zade.

My eyes burned. They were okay.

They were all okay.

I swallowed past the ball in my throat and stepped closer to Aodhán before they could reach us. I squeezed his arm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m glad it was her blade.”

His eyes welled as he looked at it in his hands, as if he could summon the woman who once wielded it. He pushed it closed, and I threw my arms around him, hugging him tight against me.

“It’s over,” I cried into his shoulder and felt his hands come around me, holding me tight. Holding me together.

“It’s over, love.”

“Becks!”

Aodhán released me just in time for Ava Jade to steal me away from him, wrapping me up in a fierce hug that made me want to cry all over again.

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