Page 258 of Redeemed

It’s not the firmness in his voice that snaps me out of my stupor, or the hint of fear laced into that single word. No, it’s the care. The desperate need to get me as far from this man as possible. To protect me, not out of duty, but out of love.

Grabbing onto the counter, I slowly pull myself up. Mark lunges past Colton toward me, and I scramble back as Colton grabs him and hauls him away. It sends another rush of adrenaline through me, banishing the fuzziness that was still clogging up my thoughts.

“Haven,now.”Colton places himself between me and Mark. “Hide. I’ll find you once I’ve dealt with him.”

But I don’t move. All I’ve ever done is run. But over the past few months, I’ve discovered something that’s given me a reason to stay. A reason to fight back for once, instead of bowing to the will of another cruel man. I can’t do it again. I can’t leave Colton, even if I have no idea how to help him.

“I can’t,” I mange to get out.

“You can, and you will.” Colton’s shin makes contact with his dad’s ribcage, but Mark remains mostly unfazed. “Please, angel.”

I don’t respond, instead watching as Colton goes on the offensive. He lands three blows to his father’s face, and Mark stumbles back until he hits the wall.

“You think you’re different than I am.Better,”Mark spits out as he regains his balance. “But you and I are cut from the same cloth, boy. One day, you’ll see. One day, you’ll be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to rise to greatness.” As he says the last part, his gaze cuts to me, making sure his point is clear.

“Like hell I will,” Colton growls.

Mark inhales deeply and rolls back his shoulders. “You’ll understand when you’re older. But for now, I’ll do what needs to be done. I’ll do it for you. She dies today.”

“Over my dead fucking body.”

Mark laughs. “Don’t fool yourself. You have too much to live for to die for a girl who betrayed you at the first chance she got.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Colton grinds out, and the defensiveness in his tone heals one of the fractures in my heart.

Mark is rolling up his sleeves while eyeing me menacingly. “She’s not worth it.”

“Yes, she is.” Colton opens and closes his fists. “And I mean it, Dad. If you want to kill her, then you’ll have to kill me first.”

Shaking his head, Mark pulls something from underneath his suit jacket. “One day, you’ll thank me for this.”

Before the gun is even fully aimed at me, Colton is lunging for his father and tackling him to the ground. He focuses on restraining Mark instead of trying to knock him out or hurt him more.

I’ve seen Colton train with Lucas and Xander. I know what he’s capable of. So why is he holding back? Unless… unless there’s some reason he can’t hurt Mark too badly. Not yet, at least.

That’s it.It has to be. Colton needs a way to detain Mark without severely injuring him. It’s what Mark originally planned for me, I think. He was going to slip a sedative into my tea instead of attacking me.

As Colton dodges another punch, everything clicks into place. My gaze locks onto the black case near the spot where Mark strangled me on the floor.

And just like that, I know exactly what I need to do.

Colton

Iwanttokillmy father.

As I grapple with him for the gun, that’s the sole thought circulating in my mind. I can’t kill Mark, though. Not until I take over the Glass Rooks. Otherwise, it’ll look like I’m just as power-hungry as he is, and I can’t have that. My relationship with the Rooks needs to be based on trust and respect, otherwise they’ll see me as a dictator.

“You don’t understand what you’re doing,” Mark seethes.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I grab his wrist and pin it to the floor. “I’ve been preparing for this for six years.”

I have both his hands restrained now. It achieves the most important goal: making sure he doesn’t hurt Haven. But I’m stuck. His hands aren’t free, but neither are mine.

If I didn’t have to hold myself back—and if the asshole hadn’t pulled a gun on Haven—I could finish this easily. As things sit currently, I can’t move. Not until Haven leaves, at least. I can’t risk Mark shooting her.

“Angel, you need to go,” I pant.

“No. I have—”

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