Page 26 of Her Redeemed Protector

Dad!

In an instant, the ranch transforms from a haven to a battleground.

“Dad, move away from there!” I shout as I take down the man aiming at my father. Unfortunately, he manages to fire his shot before he drops dead. The trajectory of the bullet shifted when he attempted to dodge me at the last minute, but it still strikes my dad’s leg.

Just as I prepare for my next move, the larger man fires. A searing pain pierces through my torso, and I find myself sprawled on the earth I love.

Yet surrender is not an option. I aim at the man who’s now poised to harm my father once more. Within a second, I deliver a shot, striking the thug.

“Savannah!” Dad yells. Despite his mangled leg, he somehow musters the strength to reach me.

I drag myself up, and a trail of blood paints the grass. “Dad!”

“This land doesn’t deserve your blood,Saltamontes,” he cries, his voice filled with desperation as he pulls me into his arms.

“Don’t you dare give this place away!” I warn him, quivering with anger.

“And those men don’t deserve your blood. Your mom wouldn’t forgive me if I lost you.”

If she were here, she wouldn’t forgive us for surrendering the struggle. This land holds all of our stories and my every heartbeat. If this is my final moment, so be it.

More motorcycles converge around us, their engines a growling chorus of impending doom. I inhale sharply, my eyes fixed on the rifle just beyond my grasp, lying innocuously on a patch of ground now seemingly miles away.

“Let it go, Savannah,” Dad pleads, his voice cracking with desperation. Yet his words only fuel my resolve, pushing me to act.

I drag myself forward, every inch a battle against my own failing body. Pain laces through my side, sharp and unrelenting, but my mind is ablaze with determination. I can’t—I won’t—let it end like this.

But as I strain, my strength dwindles, and my vision begins to blur with encroaching darkness. As my consciousness dims, I make a vow to myself. If I survive today, I will find the mastermind behind this nightmare. I will confront them and drag out their depraved souls, leaving them nowhere to hide. And if my conscience can bear the weight, I might deliver a violent end to them.

I open my eyes,turning to my phone on the bedside table. It’s quiet. Fabian might finally get it when I said I would put a bullet in his brain.

Still alone in my hospital room, the aftermath of the forceful takeover lingers in my mind.

After the shoot-out at the ranch, I found out Fabian’s company was on the brink of ruin, and the clandestine deal to surrender our ranch was his lifeline. And so, with the savage efficiency of a bank’s foreclosure notice, the life we knew was disassembled. My dad and I never got back on our feet again. But that didn’t mean I turned a blind eye to the injustice.

Realizing Fabian was just a pawn in the elaborate game, Iembarked on a quest for the truth, self-sleuthing, trespassing, and even strong-arming the heavyweights to spill their secrets. During that time, I faced repeated arrests, enduring beatings that left me bruised and battered. On one occasion, I was dumped in the middle of nowhere, as if they believed I’d lose my way and fade into oblivion.

My father begged me to leave the ashes behind, and reluctantly, I listened.

Now, the Mitchell Ranch stands desolate. The landscape bears the unfinished legacy of a billionaire who fell from grace. The resort development has halted, leaving the land deeply scarred. Even if it desires to, it cannot undo the damage inflicted.

Adding insult to injury, the villain responsible for its downfall was murdered before I had the chance to confront him or even take matters into my own hands. The thought had been dancing in my mind. Supposedly, his demise was at the hands of a long-standing rival.

Suddenly, the heart monitor beeps, shattering the stillness of the room and cutting through the cacophony of my swirling thoughts. A nurse rushes to my side, her face a mask of concern.

“Are you all right, Miss Mitchell?” she asks while checking my vitals.

“I’m fine, really. It was just a sudden thought,” I reply as she keeps me still on the bed.

“Try to focus on happy thoughts and get some sleep if you can. Otherwise, we might have to keep you for another day,” the nurse advises me, half warning, half motivation.

A text from Hux arrives, letting me know he’s on his way. The nurse notices my smile and quietly leaves. Finally, I can relax—though my stomach rumbles in protest from the meager meals I’ve had all day.

Actually, it’s more than that. It’s my romantic frailty slipping through—falling hard and fast whenever I felt those warm, fuzzy feelings with someone. The feelings with Huxley, though, are something even my steel-spined mother would endorse. I haven’t fallen in love since what happened with Fabian. Trusting a man after what Fab did has been impossible. Yet with Huxley, it’s almost impossible not to trust him despite the very real risk that he might be a different kind of heartbreaker.

11

HUXLEY

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