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I grit my teeth.
“Funny choice of last words,” I growl.
“Very well,” Castle says smoothly, seeing that negotiations have come to an end. He turns to the mercenaries behind him. “Go. Get my daughter. Kill them if you must.”
I aim my rifle right at Roger Castle’s head. “I’ve got nothing against the rest of you soldiers. The only people I want to hurt are the assholes who hired you. But if you come after us, I will shoot to kill.”
Memphis’s hands tighten on the shaft of his crossbow. Beside me, I see Camden step up, his ax ready to strike.
We’d fight the whole world for our omega.
“Papa, please,” Brooklyn pleads behind us. “Call it off. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I’m not worth it.”
“No, princess,” I murmur, not taking my eyes off Roger Castle. “That’s not true. You’re worth everything to us. If anyone’s hurt, it’s not your fault. Their blood is on your father’s hands.”
“But—”
I shake my head slightly. “Close your eyes,” I whisper.
My finger twitches next to the trigger. I’m ready for battle.
Then, the leading mercenary lowers his weapon. One by one, they each put their guns down. I can’t decide who looks more shocked, the Castles or my pack.
“What are you doing?” Roger Castle demands. “I gave you an order!”
An auburn-haired soldier turns to him. “You hired us to escort an Omega home. Not to fight.”
I can’t help my grin. If there’s one thing that pisses off a mercenary, it’s being lied to about the job, and these guys have been lied to a lot. Hell, they probably thought we’d just hand Brooklyn back and apologize.
Brooklyn sighs in relief when I lower my gun. I glance back to see her smile at me.
Which means I almost miss it when Grayson grabs one of the hired men’s guns. I just see the barrel pointed right at my face.
Before I can react, he cries out in pain. Memphis has fired an arrow right at his hand. It mangles his fingers before glancing off, but it has the intended effect of making him drop the gun. He clutches his injured hand to his chest, face white and eyes wide as he stumbles back. But the idiot was standing too close to the edge of the ravine. Just a few steps, and he’s wheeling back over the cliffside.
It’s only pure luck that he’s able to grab a rock just in time.
Roger Castle screams, terror showing on his face for the first time all day. He rushes to his son, grabbing Grayson’s forearms and trying to yank him back onto solid ground.
“Help me!” he roars to the mercenaries.
Nobody so much as lifts a finger.
Still, Castle’s strong enough that he manages to get Grayson’s torso back up. For a minute, it looks like he’s actually going to be able to save his son.
Then the rocks beneath them give way. Two figures fall over the horizon, plummeting down to the ground below.
Brooklyn cries out in horror, and Memphis pulls her into his chest to comfort her. Camden and I move to the edge of the ravine to confirm the truth.
Damn. Karma really is a bitch.
The rain has stopped, and the water below wasn’t deep enough to cushion the fall. The Castles’ broken bodies lie on the rocks below. I can feel Camden’s mixed emotions, mirroring mine. We don’t regret Roger and Grayson’s deaths, but this isn’t how anybody wanted it to go. There’s no justice, no final conversation, no peace.
Just the universe finally taking its due from two men who escaped consequences for far too long.
I don’t spend too long looking down at death. The person who matters most to me is alive, and she needs me.
Brooklyn’s fingers grip tightly at Memphis’s shirt, and her teary face is pressed against his chest.
