Page 137 of Short, Lethal & Claimed

Swallowing hard, Logan slowly exhaled, ready to do whatever it took to stop her from hurting Emma as he said, “Turn.”

“No!” Elizabeth screamed as Shane released a pained groan that quickly morphed into a growl, letting Logan know that he was out of her reach.

For now.

“Put the knife down and I’ll let you walk away,” Logan promised. “I won’t look for you again.”

“You’re lying!” Elizabeth snapped.

“I have everything that I want,” Logan said as he met Emma’s terrified gaze. “Let her go.”

“I need her,” Elizabeth said, shaking her head firmly as she moved the blade to the other side of Emma’s neck and-

“Take me instead,” Jill said, taking him by surprise.

“Angel,” Logan said hoarsely as he was forced to stand there watching as Jill slowly moved past the stairs.

“Take me and let her go,” Jill said, taking a step closer to Elizabeth.

“Angel, don’t,” Logan said, moving to stop her only to go still when a broken sob had him shifting his gaze to Emma to find that fucking knife being held flat against her skin again.

“And why would I do that?” Elizabeth asked as her panicked gaze moved between them.

“Because you want Kale’s blood. Not hers. Let her go and take me and you’ll still have a chance to get what you want, but you know that there’s no way in hell that we’re going to let you leave with her,” Jill said, raising her hands as she took another step.

“Angel…” Logan began only to let his words trail off when Elizabeth reluctantly released her hold on Emma and reached for Jill while he was forced to stand there, grinding his teeth together, knowing that he didn’t have a choice.

Not if they wanted to save their little girl.

He knew the moment Chris realized that it was really her.

“Jill…” Chris whispered hoarsely as he moved to go to her only to go still when Elizabeth placed the blade against her neck. He felt relief surge through his chest when Jill saw Chris standing behind him.

“Come here, min smael,” Logan said softly as he held his hand out to Emma.

With a sniffle, Emma ran up the stairs and reached for his hand. As soon as her small hand wrapped around his, Logan was picking her up and wrapping his arms around her as she buried her face against his neck and-

“Daddy.”

-sighed with relief, knowing that she was finally safe. Kissing the top of her head, Logan watched as Elizabeth forced Jill to move towards the stairs while the sounds of Shane’s growls filled the large basement.

“Remember to check under their beds for monsters every night and put the nightlight on before you read them a bedtime story, otherwise, they won’t go to sleep,” Jill began, her beautiful green eyes turning silver as she started making her way up the stairs, forcing him to move back. “And make sure that you kiss Shane’s forehead every night no matter what he says because he’ll get upset if you don’t.”

“Every night,” Logan promised, swallowing hard when he reached the landing.

“You changed her,” Chris said hollowly as Logan ignored the pain tearing through his back and kept moving.

“He saved me,” Jill said as she met his gaze. “Do you remember the first time we met?” Jill asked as though it was just the two of them back in his room, talking late into the night.

“At the bar,” Logan murmured, unable to take his eyes off her as he held their little girl tightly in his arms.

“No, that’s where you stalked me for the first time,” Jill reminded him in a teasing tone that had him releasing a shaky breath as he stepped back into the hallway.

“The alley,” he said hollowly as he started making his way down the long hallway with Chris at his back.

“Do you remember what happened in the alley?” Jill asked as they moved.

“Yes,” Logan said because he would never forget the moment when his angel took him by surprise with that dagger.

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