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‘Alec,’ I said in a strangled voice, whimpering when Harold span me around by the hair and pulled me back against his chest.
‘George, Ally?’ Harold shouted, but all that came from the hallway was silence.
‘All dead,’ Alec said, a trail of blood droplets following him as he stepped toward us.
‘Stop or I’ll break her fucking neck.’ Harold tightened his grip on my hair and pushed his other hand under my jaw, gripping my chin with a vice-like tightness.
Alec ignored him, meeting my eyes beneath my blurry tears. ‘Is it true?’
I could see the hope beneath the fear. He wasn’t upset at the pregnancy.
My voice was barely a squeak beneath Harold’s grip. ’Yes.’
For a moment, delight shone in those icy blue eyes. Then all hell broke loose.
Mac hit Harold at a run, sending both him and me flying. His grip loosened on me and Alec pulled me to him, throwing me behind his back as I inched away. Cam was on his feet, gun pulled, along with Logan and Ewen doing the same. Harold got to his feet and brushed himself off, hatred simmering in his narrowed eyes.
‘Go,’ Alec said to me, pushing em back toward the door.
‘I can’t leave them like this.’
My father stood holding his hands out, his breathing coming in quick puffs. ‘Everyone, calm the fuck down. Esther sit down. We’ll sort the baby situation after the wedding. A few pills and you’ll be clear, you can’t be that far gone.’
He rounded on Alec and pointed toward the door. ‘You can get the fuck out. I’ll deal with you later.’
‘He killed my fucking men.’
‘We don’t know that,’ my dad stammered.
‘I did.’ Alec smiled darkly. ‘They are out there in a puddle of their own fucking bowels, and I’ll do it to anyone else who gets in my way. Esther is mine.’
The possessiveness should have put me off, but he was the only person who’d stood up for me and it brought fresh tears to my eyes. The only person who loved me enough to help me.
Fuck, he loved me.
‘I’m not marrying Harold,’ I said, Alec’s resolve making me stand up for myself.
‘Yes, you are.’ Harold said, moving back to where his son was, reaching out and taking the gun from his fingers. ‘After I blow this upstart’s brains out.’
He didn’t hesitate to shoot. Alec threw me out of the door as he ducked in the other direction, the bullet piercing a hole in the dining room wall. I cried out as another shot rang out. Alec only had his knife. He couldn’t fight against a gun with that. Then I saw them, the bodies steeped in red. Harold’s men. Holding back a wave of vomit, I crawled over to the eviscerated corpses and unclipped a gun from one of their belts. Sticky blood slopped at my knees, soaking up into my dress as I checked the clip, ensuring it was loaded and pushed the safety to off. The room behind had gone dangerously quiet.
Creeping back to the doorway, I saw a stand off, my brother’s pointed their guns at Harold. Katie had hidden beneath the table, while Harold’s gun was trained on Alec, but without a clear shot, my father being between them.
‘Shoot Alec,’ my dad told Logan and Ewen, and I trembled when I saw Logan waver. He never went against my father’s wishes, but they knew Alec, and had accepted him like a brother.
‘Don’t,’ I said, pushing the weapon up in front of me. Harold was too swift, moving behind my dad as I tried to shoot, the gun flinching back and hitting me on the temple. A wave of red obscured one eye as I yelped.
Harold pressed the muzzle of his gun against my father’s temple and my dad’s face darkened to a puce.
‘Get the fuck off of me.’ My father’s fury emanated from him, but Harold held firm.
‘Gun’s down, empty them and toss them or your father’s brains will be your next course.’ Harold dug the gun into Dad’s temple.
‘Don’t be stupid,’ I said as they followed his instructions.
‘You’re the one being an idiot,’ Harold said as my hands shook. ‘I would have given you anything you wanted. All you had to do was follow orders and spread your legs.’
‘Go,’ Alec mouthed at me. ‘Get out.’
