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I should feel something—anger, sadness, maybe even a lingering twinge of protectiveness? But all I can muster is an eerie detachment, as if I’m watching this all unfold from the outside, disconnected from the gravity of it all.
Damian murmurs soothing words, trying to pull me back, but I can’t seem to focus on anything beyond the hollow sensation coursing through me. I’ve taken a life, and now I’m witnessing the aftermath, yet I feel nothing.
Am I truly becoming like my father? Cold, calculating, unmoved by the suffering of others? The thought should terrify me, but it only serves to deepen the emptiness I feel.
Emma’s screams fade as she’s escorted out of the ballroom. I find I don’t care what happens to her.
My father—Bobby—appears with a bound, gagged, and battered Vincente. He glares at us through bruised eyes with a mix of rage and fear. His gaze is especially pointed toward Damian.
Bobby yanks Vincente closer. “Found the rat trying to escape,” he says grimly before turning to his men. “Take him and that screaming girl to the basement.”
I shrink back as Bobby tries to approach me, pushing myself further into Damian’s arms. The numbness I felt moments ago has given way to a deep sense of unease. This is all becoming too much to bear.
“Katie,” I murmur. “Where’s Katie?”
“Who’s Katie?” Damian asks, smoothing my hair.
“The little girl—the one who was going to be sold” —I choke on the word— “like me. I promised her I would get her home. Damian, please, you have to help me get her home.”
I can’t bear the thought of Katie being caught up in this twisted web of criminal dealings. She deserves to be safe, away from this nightmare.
I promised her. I promised her I would get her back to her mom and dad. I’m not going to break that promise—not like all the other adults in my life did to me.
“We’ll find her,” Damian promises, stroking my cheek. “We’ll get her home.”
The Don of Invicta watches me impassively, his gaze unwavering. His hazel eyes—my eyes—bore into mine, seemingly searching for something.
I turn my head away, unable to look at him any longer.
All I’m focused on is finding Katie, even if it means risking everything. Katie’s wellbeing is the only thing that matters. I will move heaven and earth to protect her, to make good on the promise I made to reunite her with her family.
Damian and I quickly begin our search for Katie, our eyes scanning the chaotic ballroom as we step over the bodies of fallen Brotherhood members.
“Katie!” I call out, my voice tinged with desperation. “Katie, honey, where are you? Please come out!”
The longer we search and can’t find her, the more my panic builds. How can I ever be a good mother to my baby if I can’t even keep this young girl safe? The guilt and self-doubt threaten to consume me.
Suddenly, Damian shouts from across the room. “Alexis! I found her!”
I rush over to where he’s crouched, and there, huddled in a tiny space beneath the stage, is Katie. Her eyes are wide with terror, her small frame shaking uncontrollably.
“Katie,” I breathe, my heart aching at the sight of her obvious distress.
Without hesitation, I reach down and scoop her into my arms, holding her close. Tears stream down her cheeks as she clings to me, her tiny fingers grasping at my clothes.
“It’s okay, Katie,” I murmur, my own tears falling as I rock her gently. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
The relief I feel is palpable, but it’s tinged with a deep sorrow for the trauma this child has endured. She shouldn’t have to be this afraid, this broken. It’s a harsh reminder of the horrors she’s faced—the horrors she almost just faced.
Damian places a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get her out of here,” he says softly. “She shouldn’t see the carnage.”
I nod, tightening my embrace around Katie as we make our way out of the ballroom. The young girl’s trembling subsides slightly, but the haunted look in her eyes is a reminder of the scars she’ll have to carry.
As we step into the main hallway, Katie lets out a shuddering breath and looks up at me. “You found me,” she whispers, her voice laced with disbelief and relief.
I press a gentle kiss to her forehead, unable to help myself as my own tears flow freely. “I promised I would, didn’t I?” I murmur.
As Damian moves closer, Katie suddenly clings tighter to me, her terror returning. I can see the alarm in Damian’s eyes, but he quickly recovers, holding up his hands in a calming gesture.
