Page 129 of Short, Lethal & Claimed

-grabbed hold of Caleb’s cage and shoved him into the pool.

“Mommy!” Caleb screamed as he reached through the bars for her.

“Caleb!” Shane screamed as they watched in horror as Caleb’s cage sank to the bottom of the pool while Jill knelt there, watching helplessly as Caleb disappeared beneath the water and-

Desecrated.

They’d desecrated the holy water when they threw Caleb in the water, Jill told herself as she looked up and met Logan’s silver gaze across the room.

“I love you,” Jill said, slowly exhaling as she tightened her hold around the edge of the pool and-

“Angel!”

CHAPTER 63

“Angel!” Logan shouted as he released his hold on the bitch and ran towards the pool, praying that he was able to get to them in time as he shoved humans and shifters trying to stop him out of his way.

He watched Jill dive into the water headfirst and-

“Dad!”

-dove in after her.

When his body didn’t disintegrate on contact, Logan kept moving, swimming towards his angel as she made her way to the metal cage at the bottom. As soon as she reached the cage, Jill grabbed hold of it and tried to pick it up only to give up when it wouldn’t budge and tried prying the door open instead while Caleb struggled to hold his breath as his baby blue eyes pleaded with them to save him.

Gently pushing her hands away, Logan grabbed hold of the bars and pulled. When it didn’t budge, he tightened his hold around the bar and strained, pulling on the bar as he watched the terror in his little boy’s eyes as he struggled to open the fucking door. Jill signed to Caleb that everything would be okay before she reached through the bars and cupped his small face in her hands.

Caleb closed his eyes as he moved closer to the bars so that Jill could kiss his forehead while every muscle in Logan’s body strained as he pulled on the door. When he felt the lock break, Logan tore the door open, reached inside and grabbed Caleb. In seconds, Caleb was wrapping his arms and legs around him as he reached over and grabbed Jill’s hand and swam towards the surface.

As soon as they broke the surface, he heard Caleb crying.

It was the most beautiful sound that he’d ever heard, Logan thought as he leaned down and-

“Kissy,” Caleb muttered between sobs as Logan used his hold on Jill’s hand to pull her closer.

Kissing Caleb’s forehead, Logan took in the two humans standing at the edge of the pool waiting for them with their guns aimed at the back of Caleb’s head before his gaze flickered to his right to find two shifters doing the same behind them. Releasing Jill’s hand, Logan said, “Be good for Mommy,” kissing his son’s forehead one last time before passing him to Jill.

Reaching back, Logan took Jill’s hand in his again and pulled her closer until he felt Caleb pressed against his back. Without a word, Logan made his way through the water, staying between the men watching their every move and his mate and child.

“Shane’s gone,” Jill whispered as he felt panic tear through his chest.

“Where’s my son?” Logan asked while he kept moving, leading Jill and Caleb towards the shallow end as his gaze flickered to Shane’s empty cage. He spotted the bodies of the shifters that had been guarding Shane’s cage on the floor before taking in the body of the shifter that shoved Caleb into the pool and noted that Gray was also gone, leaving him to wonder what the shifter was up to even as he struggled not to panic.

“Gone,” one of the shifters said, making sure to keep his gun locked on Caleb as they slowly followed him to the shallow end.

Nodding slowly, Logan risked a glance over his shoulder before focusing back on the men following him. “And the bitch?”

“Right here,” came the answer that sent a chill down his spine as he glanced to his left to find Elizabeth standing behind Emma with a knife pressed against her throat.

“How do you see this playing out?” Logan asked as he kept moving, shifting his gaze between the heavily armed men following their every move as they made their way towards the stairs.

“Besides getting what I want?” Elizabeth asked, taking her time wrapping her hand around Emma’s long hair before closing her fist around it and yanking his little girl’s head back so that he had a better view of the knife pressed against her throat.

“Besides that,” Logan said, struggling not to lose his fucking mind when his baby girl released a terrified whimper.

“I’m willing to entertain the possibility of letting your children live,” Elizabeth said, the words “For now” hung heavily in the air as they reached the stairs.

“For backup in case Kale’s blood doesn’t work?” Logan asked, needing to keep her talking.

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