Shattered Dynasty by Ava Harrison
50
Trent
I wasteno time getting to Erin’s house.
As soon as Jax gave me the address, I was in my car on the phone with the police.
They weren’t as eager to help me, seeing as I had no way to tell them whether she was in the house or not.
That’s when I called Lorenzo.
I don’t know what I’m walking into, so I need to be prepared, and having an army of men is the best way to do that.
The drive feels like it takes forever. But Jax fires off directions through the car speakers as I race to get there.
Throwing the car in park, I hang up and head toward the house.
I’m supposed to wait for my backup.
But if Payton is in there, she might not have enough time.
Then I hear her, and I know I don’t have the time to wait.
I bust open the door and charge.
I allow the full weight of my body to collide with Brad’s, knocking us both over. The sound of the gun falling to the floor echoes around us. His shock wears off as soon as it clatters to the hardwood.
We start to struggle for it.
I throw the first punch.
He throws the second.
Blood sprays all around us.
Payton moves across the room, her hand stretching out to grab the gun.
Brad’s hands loop around her ankle. He pulls her back out of range of the gun.
She hits the floor with a thud, and I want to make sure she is okay, but I don’t have enough time.
Brad is back on me, heavy, tall, and built like a tank.
He moves to grab my head, an attempt to kill me, I’m sure.
But I’m too fast.
I head-butt him, knock him off me, and charge for the gun.
I can feel the metal in my hand. Brad shakes his head, bringing himself back to the present, and charges me.
I only have a second to move.
A second to think . . .
And I don’t.
I just lift my hand, and the gun goes off.
Brad’s body slumps to the floor. Payton is lying on the rug, not moving. I drop beside her in a second, leaning over her and pressing my fingers to her neck, searching desperately for a pulse.
“Please wake up, princess,” I beg.
I plead.
I cry.
“I can’t do this without you, Payton.” I chant her name against her temple. “I don’t want to be without you. Please. I love you.”
“You do?” she whispers.
“Oh, thank fuck.” I lean down and kiss her mouth, pulling her body to rest on mine. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I think.”
I move her up and place my hands on her jaw, forcing her to look me dead in the eyes. “You swear you’re okay?”
She nods, but she groans as she does.
“Don’t move,” I order, holding her still so she doesn’t hurt herself. “Don’t move until I know you’re okay.”
Her wrists are raw, bruised, and cut in places. Red-hot anger fills me. Death was too quick for Brad.
But Payton, my Payton, is too fixed on me to think about him.
“You love me?” she asks again.
I press my forehead to hers. “I do.”
“I love you, too.”
“I know.”
She chuckles at that, and I’m sure if she were feeling better, she would fire back a witty retort. Instead, she leans into my body and lets out a sigh.
As she does, Lorenzo strolls into the house.
He takes inventory of the dead body beside us, followed by the pool of blood slinking our way. “I see you couldn’t wait . . .”
I lift a brow. “Nope.”
He takes stock of the rest of the room, fixing on an open door with a bloodstain in the shape of Payton’s tiny hand on it. “And now I have to clean up your shit.”
“Yep.”
“Ass . . .”
“My sister, Erin, is in the basement.” Payton looks sheepish. “I think I kind of knocked her out.”
Lorenzo looks at Payton and nods at her with appreciation.
“I like her. She can stay,” he says to me, and I narrow my eyes before he laughs loudly and moves to find Erin.
“What will he do?” she asks after he disappears down to the basement.
“We’re better off not knowing.”
She nods.
I’m not sure how this will end yet, but I know Payton will be by my side.
And I know I wouldn’t have gotten here without that letter.
I forgive you, Dad.