Page 43 of Legacy

“I’ll help you find her.” He reached for her hand, but the girl jerked back.

“I don’t like you,” she whimpered, trying to run, but the asshole grabbed her again. “I want Mama.”

“You will like me once I help you find your mama.”

For fuck’s sake.

Had he lured her there? Whatever it was, it was apparent he was going to kidnap her.

Rage boiled up. The fucker had just signed his execution order.

I adjusted my stance, ready to sprint into action, except Avra dropped my hand and darted toward the girl and growled in a tone full of fury, “I will kill him before he takes that baby.”

“Shit.” I chased after her as Avra rushed the man, shoulder-checked him, causing him to stumble, and then swooped down to pick up the girl.

“Give her back,” the man shouted as he righted himself and lunged at Avra. “She’s mine.”

“The hell she is.” Avra turned her attention to the child who clung to her tightly. “Do you know this man?”

She shook her head. Tears poured down her plump cheeks as her lips trembled.

“That’s— No. I know the girl’s mother.” The man stood to his full height, towering over Avra and making him larger than I originally thought.

If he laid one hand on my woman, he would beg for death by the time I finished with him.

He tried to intimidate Avra with his large body and reached for the little girl. “She’s lying. Give her to me.”

“If that were true, she wouldn’t fear you,” Avra sneered, shifting the child away from him. “You don’t know this girl or her mother any more than I do. Leave before it gets you killed.”

“The fuck I will.” He reared back his fist to strike her.

In that second, my vision blurred into a haze of red. A roaring erupted in my ears, and the only thought pumping through my mind involved destroying that motherfucker.

Avra was mine to cherish, protect, and kill for.

She ducked in time to dodge the blow he tried to land. She lost her balance while avoiding a second swing, and he attempted to snatch the girl from her arms.

With him distracted, I shoved him hard enough to insert myself between the fucker and Avra.

“Take the kid and back up,” I ordered, and I had nodoubt that in this situation, she wouldn’t argue but would follow my command.

I glared at the bastard who thought to take a child and hurt a woman—my woman. He was a bulky fucker, tall and ripped, easily twice my size. It’s good that I trained with some of my men who were just his stature. Working with them had taught me how to deal with jackasses like this one.

“I take it that bitch is yours. I’ll teach you the lesson she needs to learn.” The shithead charged at me.

With a quick sidestep, I punched him in the stomach.

Fucking hell, he was built like a damn tank.

My knuckles cracked with the impact on his hard torso, but the pain was worth it, hearing the howl he released.

He circled back, his anger now higher than ever and eyes glazed with murderous intent.

Whatever he felt was nothing compared to the volcanic ire I planned to unleash on him in my workroom.

He pivoted, nearly landing a blow to my face. Ducking to avoid his next attempt, I grabbed the fucker’s hair, wrenched his head to the side, and punched him in the temple. I repeated the brutal, precise strikes until I forced him down.

The echo of footsteps rang out around me as my men surrounded us. They remained in their positions, knowing to step in only if I signaled.

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