Page 54 of Deadly Vows

He laughed, a cold, mocking sound. “I don’t care about walking away, Aleksandr. I just need her.” He shoved Talia closer to the car, and she stumbled, her eyes wide, looking at me with something I hadn’t expected - hope. She wasn’t done fighting.

“Say goodbye to her,” Danny sneered. “Last time you’ll see her.”

He turned his back slightly, just enough to open the car door. It was the opening I needed.

Everything happened in an instant. I launched myself forward, my eyes locking on the gun that skidded across the pavement. Danny saw the movement, shoving Talia hard to the side and going for the weapon, but I was closer. My fingers brushed against the cold metal just as Danny reached for it.

I felt his hand slam into mine, trying to rip it away, and the two of us fell to the ground, wrestling for control. His fists came at me fast and wild, landing blows on my ribs and side. Stars danced behind my eyes with each blow to the injury. I had to end this.

We rolled across the pavement, struggling for dominance. His elbow came up and struck me in the jaw. I flipped him ontohis back, straddling him. I landed two solid blows to his face before he reached up, digging his fingers into the bullet wound.

I yelled out as agony tore through me. Danny flipped me onto my side, jumping to his feet. He stood over me, looking around for the gun. A loud crack echoed through the street before he could locate it.

Danny’s body jerked violently, his eyes wide with shock. He slumped forward, his breath rattling in his chest. I watched as crimson blood stained his shirt, spreading into a perfect circle on his chest.

Talia stood behind him, her hands trembling as she held the smoking gun. She’d shot him. She had saved me.

Danny collapsed to the ground, his eyes still open. It was over.

Talia dropped the gun, her body shaking like a leaf. I staggered to my feet, the pain in my side flaring, but I didn’t care. I crossed the distance to her, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her close.

“It’s over,” I whispered, my voice rough and relieved. She buried her face in my chest, her body trembling against mine, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself breathe.

It was finally over.

Chapter 30

Talia

The world felt like it had slowed, everything moving in fragments, pieces that didn’t quite fit together. I could still hear the echo of the gunshot in my ears, the smell of gunpowder heavy in the air. My heart pounded hard against my ribcage, my breath coming out in jagged gasps. Aleksandr’s arms were the only thing keeping me upright, his grip firm, steady. The warmth of his body against mine should have been enough to ground me, but nothing felt real anymore.

I killed Danny.

I looked down at my hands, fingers still trembling as though I could feel the weight of the gun, even though it had longsince fallen to the pavement. My chest felt tight like my lungs couldn’t pull in enough air.

“I’m not sorry,” I whispered, my voice low, as if I was confessing a secret.

Aleksandr’s arms tightened around me, pulling me closer. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. He understood.

I leaned into him, resting my forehead against his chest, trying to let his solidness anchor me. “I had to do it,” I said, the words spilling out in a rush, my voice still shaking. “I had to… for you.”

His hand slid up to the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair, and I felt him press his lips to the top of my head. It was a simple gesture, one that spoke more than words ever could

“Danny-” My voice caught as I said his name. It felt foreign on my lips like it didn’t belong to me anymore…like he didn’t belong to me anymore. Not that he ever really had. “When he found out I didn’t love him, I didn’t want him… He told me he was going to kill me.” I paused, swallowing hard, bile rising in my throat as I remembered the way his eyes had looked when he said those words, cold, empty. “After the baby was born.”

Aleksandr’s hold on me shifted, his body going rigid. He pulled back just enough to look down at me, his gaze dark and unreadable, though I could feel the storm brewing inside him. He didn’t need to ask me anything - he already knew.

“Danny thought the universe owed him something,” I continued, my voice stronger now, though the trembling in my body hadn’t stopped. “All those years… he searched for me. Foster home to foster home until he finally found me.” Ishivered, not from the cold but from the sheer madness of it all. “All because my father is a murderer. My father killed his father.”

The realization of it all was suffocating. Danny had spent his entire life chasing me down, trying to claim me like I was some prize. And when he couldn’t have me the way he wanted…he would have killed me. He would have taken my baby as if it was his due.

“I didn’t owe him anything,” I said, my voice breaking as I finally let the truth spill out. “I never owed him anything. I’m not my father.”

Aleksandr’s hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear I hadn’t even realized had fallen. “You don’t have to explain anything to me, Talia.” His voice was calm and soothing. “You did what you had to do.”

I nodded, tears slipping down my face despite my effort to stop them. Everything - the past, the present - was crashing down on me all at once. Danny was dead. I had killed him. But it wasn’t guilt I felt. It was a relief.

A part of me knew I should be horrified, that I should feel some sense of loss for the boy I once knew. But I didn’t. I didn’t feel any of it. I felt free.

---