Page 72 of Unmasked Legacy

I won’t.

Clicking his fingers, Caleb silently orders the guard to come and get me. He does, with a muttered curse as he hauls me up. He threatens in my ear that one day he will make me wish I was never born. I could spit on him, but I don’t want to risk any further injury. Not if this is my last chance for escape.

The moment we reach the top of the stairs, the stark light in the house burns my eyes, and I’m forced to clench them shut. That means I can’t see where I’m being led, not for a few minutes at least. It’s only when I hear the front door open, and the sound of birds chirping, that I know they have taken me outside.

The sunlight is blinding, and I have to rub frantically at my eyes to get them to adjust. The air is thick with tension, and my heart pounds in my chest. As my vision clears, the scene before me comes into focus, and my breath catches in my throat. My head spins and my knees wobble as I process what is in front of me.

Nia is on her knees, her hands bound tightly behind her back, her face pale and streaked with dirt. Her eyes, which were so incredibly defiant when she left, are now filled with a haunting mix of fear and resignation. The sight of her like this, so vulnerable and exposed, sends a jolt of raw emotion through me.

“Nia,” I cry out, my voice hoarse as pain rushes through me.

I can see the tremble in her shoulders, the way her body tenses with every breath, and it breaks something inside me. Rage simmers beneath the surface, a fiery desperation that is unstoppable. I want to scream, to lash out, to do anything to stop what’s about to happen, but I’m frozen, seemingly trapped in my own body, unable to act.

Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to act, to move, to dosomething. I can feel the tears burning in my eyes, and Igrit my teeth, refusing to let them fall. I won’t go down without a fight, and I won’t let this be her last moment. I don’t care what it takes, I don’t care if it costs me my life. I will not give up.

As I stand there, watching Nia, I feel something shift deep within me. I am no longer just the daughter of a monster, a shadow of my father. I am my own person, and that person is strong, brave, and determined. Everyone, for my entire life, has labeled me in a certain way, and right now, I’m here to show them that I’m nothing like the labels they’ve given me.

I’mso muchmore.

Inhaling deeply, I let out a long, sharp shriek that is so ear-piercing the guard holding me actually releases me to press his hands over his ears. I move quickly, turning and kicking him in the chest with a force I didn’t even know I had in me. It sends him flying back through the brittle walls of the house and causes dust and debris to pollute the air.

Caleb, who was at the bottom of the stairs, spins quickly to face me, his eyes wide. I don’t hesitate, I leap off the balcony and crash into him, sending us both onto the ground. I use everything I have in me to fight him. Fists, legs, teeth, whatever it takes. We roll around in the dirt for long, long moments, as he tries to regain control. I’m unleashing all the hell I have had trapped in my life, and I’m not going to stop until I’m forced to.

Unfortunately, that moment comes sooner than I would have hoped.

A gunshot into the air has my head whipping up just in time to see the remaining guard pointing a gun at me.

The air gets trapped in my lungs as I stare up at him. Caleb's voice is cold and final as he orders, "Shoot her."

No.

This can’t be it.

It can’t be.

The guard takes a step forward, and Caleb moves, taking hold of me and hauling me to my knees, his fingers curled into my hair as he forces me to face the guard. My breath hitches and a tear rolls down my cheek as I realize there might be no way out from this. I did everything I could.Everything.

My eyes move to Nia, who is on her feet now, but the guard I kicked has come down the stairs and is holding her by his side, a gun pressed to her temple. She has tears rolling down her cheeks, but she gives me a smile, one that tells me she has accepted her fate. I offer her one in return, mouthing thatI’m sorry.

Then, I close my eyes.

The world seems to slow, and I brace for the end.

The gunshot rings out, echoing through the air, but I feel nothing. No pain, no impact.

Confused, I open my eyes to see the guard collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Caleb is still behind me, but his grip releases me, and when I turn, I see him staring into the tree line.

There, standing in all his masculine glory, gun still raised, expression fierce and determined, is Wolfe.

I yelp in relief, the kind of relief that is bone-deep, soul-crushing, and beautiful. Tears burst forth and roll down my cheeks, but my relief is short-lived when Caleb roars, “Make one more move, and he’ll blow her head off.”

I realize they’re talking about Nia, and I slowly turn to see her still standing, that gun pressed against her temple. Her eyes meet mine, filled with fear and a silent plea for help. Wolfe stands firm, his gun still raised, but I can see the conflict in his eyes. He wants to save us, but he clearly knows the kind of man Caleb is, and I can see in his expression that he knows he’ll go through with it.

“This is between you and me,” Wolfe growls, not moving forward, but keeping his gun in its unwavering position.

“You’re right, it is between you and I, but know this, I won’t go down without bringing her down, too. He needs to pay for what he did to me, and so do you. She is the only thing you both clearly love.”

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