Page 203 of Brutal Savage

She drops Jerry on the floor and presses her foot over his chest, digging her high-heeled boot into his sternum.

“You know…” she tells Gran. “I admire a woman boss. Running her own shit. It’s too bad we’re gonna have to kill you. You know, for fucking us over.” She shrugs a shoulder. “No hard feelings, right?”

Gran’s eyes narrow. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Oh?” Iseult grabs a chair and settles into it, folding her arms across her chest. “Do tell.”

When Jerry groans, she digs her heel in deeper. “Shut up down there. Women are talking.” She slices a hand through the air. “Please, do go on. Can’t wait to hear all about how we shouldn’t kill you.”

The thought of them killing Gran makes me physically ill. Yet when I think of what she did to Mom, I want her to suffer. Does that make me a monster?

Gran sighs. “Who told you I was involved?”

“There’s always someone who squeals. You should know that from your line of work.”

“You have to understand,” Gran says. “I only gave them the information about the deal because I knew there was no way they could win. I wanted you guys to kill them and get rid of the problem. You all certainly stood a better chance than I did.”

Iseult chuckles, throwing one long leg over the other. “So you were doing us a favor? Is that it?”

“In a way, yes. I wanted to ensure Elara’s safety and mine. Your family’s too. The Eights, they’re unstable and rash. They don’t think logically. So I knew if I presented them with a chance to get the weapons from you, they’d jump at the chance.”

“Wow!” Iseult slow claps. “You have some balls. But I’ll be honest, you’re still gonna die.”

My stomach drops.

“Elara?” Tynan calls. “Elara, baby, where are you?”

He comes barreling in, breathing heavy, hair a mess.

My mess.

Tears fill my eyes as soon as I see him, and I’m running toward him with all the strength I can muster.

“Tynan!” I cry, throwing my arms over his shoulders as he lifts me up in the air, my legs twining around his hips, his palm clasping the back of my head.

Everyone else disappears. All I focus on is him.

“Fuck,” he whispers into the crook of my neck, emotions wafting through his voice. “I thought I’d lost you.”

He pitches back, brows drawn in pure anguish.

“I’m okay.” I hold his face with both hands. “I’m okay now.”

With a rough breath, he clasps my cheek to his chest, and we stay that way for a minute, ignoring everything around us.

My arms grasp tighter around him—this man who feels like my home. The only place I belong. The only place I want to be.

He wrenches back, searching my gaze before he captures my mouth with his, hands in my hair, clinging like he never wants to let me go.

I melt into him, my heart beating right out of my chest.

“Fuck, Elara. I’m so sorry,” he breathes, lips skimming mine.

“No.” I shake my head. “This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. You didn’t do anything.”

His jaw clenches, his glare sliding behind me, and I know he’s looking at Gran. He kisses me one more time before he’s putting me down, clasping his hand with mine.

Fionn and Cillian walk in, dragging Rogue, his wrists zip-tied in front of him, face bloody.

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