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Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Laurent struggling with Hugo, his big meaty hands squeezing Hugo’s throat, my brother-in-law’s cane fallen out of the car and onto the ground.

“Let him go or I’ll kill her!” I screamed.

It was a shot in the dark. What did I know about them? Or any of my family? But Laurent paused, and strode forward, a big cudgel in his hand.

“Don’t do it!” he growled.

The moment he dropped Hugo, I grabbed at the rest of that crumbling rock and yanked at it, sending a mound of rubble onto my cousin with a sickening, violent thud.

My stomach gave a nauseated heave. I killed Margot.

The blood rushed red-hot in my ears and I barely had a chance to run before Laurent grabbed me and dragged me out of the woods.

Gripping me painfully by the hair, his knife flicked out to run down my cheek.

“Fuck you, Léonie. Bitch. But I guess it’s gotta be blood for blood now.”

“No!” Hugo barked, ripping at Laurent’s other arm. “Take me! Let her go. Think of the baby!”

My heart gave a painful anguished clench at the look on Hugo’s face.

“She’s who we were sent to kill!” Laurent snarled. “I don’t give a fuck about the baby. One less loose end to take care of.”

My belly hung heavy and swollen as panic clogged my throat.

No no no

“We can pay you!” I cried desperately. “Come back to the lodge and we can pay you off.”

“Nah. I’d rather get the reward from Réjean. And besides, you just made it personal.”

He dragged the knife along my cheek again, and this time I felt it break the skin.

Hugo tore at Laurent’s arm, trying to pull the knife away from my face.

But with one massive foot, my cousin kicked Hugo in the mouth.

I heard his nose break, but Hugo only rolled over, dug his elbows into the ground, and began to crawl back toward me.

But it was going to be too late.

Laurent raised his arm to plunge the knife into my heart, and I had my hands splayed out protectively over my belly, my last instincts, as always, to protect my son. . .

I spat out in my cousin’s face as his muscles tensed to strike the killing blow.

“Fuck you and your bloodline!” I screamed as loudly as I could.

So something in the hills could hear me. So the trees and earth could witness my unjust murder. So any ancestors would know we were coming, my baby and me.

“Fuck your bloodline, curse your family, curse your cowardice!”

Laurent only snorted.

And just as his arm swung forward, I heard the sharp crack of a gunshot.

Laurent’s arm faltered, and he had the strangest look of utter shock on his face as blood dribbled out of his nose.

I screamed, tearing my hair out of his fist. But I didn’t back away. With the palm of my hand, I hit him in the face. Once. Then again.