Page 58 of His Forever

I caught her just as she reached the top, pulling her into my arms. “You’re okay, Bristol,” I whispered, my voice thick with relief. “You’re safe now. It’s over.”

She sobbed into my shoulder, her whole-body trembling. “I was so scared,” she choked out between tears. “I thought she was going to kill me. I thought—”

“Shh,” I murmured, smoothing my hand over her back in soothing circles. “She’s not going to hurt you. You’re safe. We’ve got you.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sig keeping Candace pinned to the ground. She thrashed, still screaming and cursing, but she was no match for him. Apollo moved in, quicklyretrieving her gun from the ground, making sure there were no other weapons hidden on her.

Leo’s eyes were locked on me and Bristol, but as soon as he saw we were okay, he walked over to Sig, his jaw set in that hard, determined way. It was the look of a man ready to deal with any threat to his family, no matter the cost.

“You’re done, Candace,” Leo said, his voice calm but carrying a weight of finality. “It’s over. You’re not taking anything from me, and you’re not hurting anyone else.”

Candace glared up at him, her face twisted in fury. “You think this is over, Leo?” she hissed. “You think I’m the only one? There’s more coming. You’ll never see it coming.”

Leo crouched down next to her, his face inches from hers. “Who? Your buddy Maranga?” he asked.

“Yes!” Candace roared, her voice wild with fury. “He’s coming for you! He’s the one who sent me to kill you. You can kill me, but he’s going to get you!” she screamed, her face twisted in a snarl.

Leo shook his head, glancing back at me with a calm, almost amused look. “I think I might know something that you don’t, Candace,” he taunted, his voice carrying a dark edge.

I leaned down and whispered to Bristol, “Go with Creed, honey.”

Creed moved to Bristol’s side without a word, guiding her closer to the safety of the house. I made my way down the steps toward Leo, Sig, and Candace. My heart pounded, but my face remained calm and controlled. I was ready to put an end to this.

Candace’s crazed eyes locked onto me as I approached, her lips curling into a sneer. “What the fuck do you want, bitch?” she spat. “Like I care about Leo’s pussy!”

My god, this woman was something else. Unhinged. But I wasn’t here to trade insults with her.

I glanced at Sig, giving him a nod. He understood immediately, pressing his knee harder into Candace’s back, pinning her to the ground. With his free hand, he handed me his phone.

I started swiping through the phone, my fingers moving quickly as I searched for the file I needed. The chaos of the moment buzzed around me, but I was focused and determined. When I found it, I stopped and turned the screen toward Candace, my thumb hovering over the play button.

“Recognize this?” I asked, my voice calm but lethal.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, darting between me and the phone. “What the hell is this?” she demanded.

I hit play, and Guy’s voice rang out clearly from the phone speaker. “Hello? Can you hear me?” His voice was unmistakable, deep, and authoritative.

Candace’s face twisted in shock. She looked around wildly, panic creeping into her features. “How the hell did you get that?” she demanded, her voice shaking. “You recorded him when Maranga called me? How?”

I smiled and shook my head slowly. “No, sweetheart. I was there when he,” I made air quotes with my fingers, “called you.”

Her eyes were wide now, panic flooding her expression as she struggled to understand. But I wasn’t done yet.

I opened the chatbox app on Sig’s phone, my fingers flying across the keyboard as I typed out a quick message. Then I hit play again, and Guy’s voice echoed once more.

“You’re a crazy bitch, Candace.”

Her eyes widened even further, darting around the yard, searching for answers. “What... what is this? What’s going on?”

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I typed another message into the phone and hit play. Guy’s voice rang out again, cool and steady. “I died two years ago and left everything to my wife.”

Candace’s mouth fell open, her eyes locking onto mine as realization started to creep in. Slowly, I pointed at myself, letting the truth sink in.

“Nineteen years ago, I married Guy Maranga,” I began with my voice steady as I watched her unravel. “I lived through fucking hell with that man. He beat me, yelled at me, and tried to break my spirit. The shit you were doing to Leo is nothing compared to what he did to me.” I tipped my head to the side, feeling the weight of my past but keeping my composure. “And then he got sick, realizing he had no one more loyal to him than me in this world. Granted, I was loyal out of fear, but I was loyal. He taught me and trained me how to be him. How to continue the Maranga Empire without him here.”

I held up two fingers and watched Candace struggle with the weight of my words. “Two years ago, he died, and no one ever knew. No one knows I run that empire. It’s mine.”

Candace’s face went pale. Her lips parted, but no words came out at first. “But... but...” she sputtered, her mind racing, trying to piece everything together.

---