Page 97 of The Heart of a Villain

They step in the water, and then to my astonishment and internal protest, Dad basically gives him cart blanche to hurt him. “I destroyed all your warehouses. Your entire business. Took away and in this saved your nephews. Snatched Lavender from right under your nose. Kill me, Jade, and end this war of ours by claiming your victory.”

Rush meanwhile comes closer to us, while Jade seems to be astonished by my father in such a position. The blade lowers a bit, and Rush takes a step forward, only to halt when the piece of shit yells, “Don’t play your psychological games on me!” He taps my chest, hives threatening to break out on my skin at his touch. “Her death. This shall be my victory.”

My surprised cry rings in the air when he pushes me toward the cliff, making me fall, and I go over the edge… when a strong hand grabs my wrist, pain shooting through my entire system. I think it fractured my arm as I dangle over the cliff, with Rush’s death grip on me.

“Oh my God!” I whisper, catching his hand with my other one. “Rush!” I see my dad and Jade fighting above as he lunges after him, and they tumble to the water. “Rush!” I say his name again as he slowly pulls me up, and it must cost him a lot of strength.

“Hold on, Aileen. I won’t let you fall,” he promises me, lifting me higher, but then the flow intensifies, making him slip, and I drop back down with a loud yelp.

The wind whooshes over me, swaying me to the side, and Rush grips me harder, scooting backward and pulling me again. My arm hurts so bad I bite my lip to not scream in pain.

Finally, bit by bit, he manages to get me to the top, my arms wrapping around him while he scoots us back, his arms locking around me. “You’re safe,” he whispers, kissing me on the neck and cheek and then pressing his lips to mine. “You’re safe!”

I tighten my hold on him, the adrenaline rush and joy from being rescued overshadowing the throb in my arm. And that’s when Dad stabs Jade in the groin, his scream bringing pleasure to me, and after kissing Rush one more time, I get up.

“Daddy!” I run toward him, and he turns around, enveloping me in a hug so strong the air hitches in my lungs while his familiar scent calms me down for the first time in what seems like forever.

“My princess,” he says, squeezing me even tighter while I can almost feel his smile. “You’re safe.”

I want to laugh, but then I feel something sticky and warm on my chest, and that’s when my father steps away from me, and a horrified gasp slips past my lips.

He has a wound in his stomach, soaking his black sweater in blood. “Dad!”

He places his hand on the wound. “It’s all right, princess. Just a scratch.” Even though he says this, he starts to cough up blood, and his knees shake before he drops to them.

“Dad!”

“Lachlan!”

He falls on his back, and my hands tremble while I assess the wound, rolling up his sweater and pressing on it, wanting to stop the bleeding, but my actions don’t do anything.

I’m in shock.

No, no, no.

Why is there so much blood?

“Aileen.” I ignore him, tears forming in my eyes at the deep wound that just pours and pours blood while his pulse becomes weaker.

“We need to get you to the hospital.”

Rush drops next to me while I hear people running before my uncles join us, shocked expressions on their faces.

“Someone help me! We need to stop the bleeding!” I shout, pressing on it harder, and that’s when Dad tugs on my hair until I meet his eyes.

“Aileen.” His blood-smeared hand touches my cheek while he gently pats my hand. “It’s not your fault.”

“Daddy, please stop talking.”

I don’t want to listen to whatever he wants to say right now. He should save his strength.

“It’s not your fault. Do you understand that?” Then he cups my cheeks and smiles at me, coughing up more blood, while everyone does absolutely nothing.

Why are they just standing there!

“Not your fault, princess,” he says to me, and sadness fills his gaze while he swallows hard, his eyes rolling back, and his head lulls to the side while his hand drops to the ground.

“No!”

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