Page 203 of Heir

I had figured it was his hand because there had been the silver cross ring he wore on his middle finger attached to that hand.

And someone from the coroner’s office had confirmed it by matching it to Jude’s record in foster care.

But look at this. He still had both his hands.

Someone in the fucking coroner’s office lied.

I pulled my foot back and stomped on the hand, breaking all the bones.

“Kai!” he screamed.

I pulled him to his feet and pushed him toward the machete.

For the first time, I saw something in his eyes that wasn’t malicious glee or fucking indifference.

Fear.

And I fucking reveled in his fear.

I grabbed the machete, holding him up with my other hand.

“Any last words?” I asked.

“I—”

I sliced the machete through his neck, cutting off his head. It flew across the ship, and blood splattered across the wooden floor before his body dropped onto the deck by my feet. I watched as blood poured out of it.

I turned and found Roman standing nearby. “The fucker manning the ship?”

“He’ll be contained.”

“Can you coordinate with Blue and have him come by boat? Make sure there is enough room for nineteen women, us, and Gemma. And have him bring dynamite. We’re going to scuttle the ship.”

Roman nodded, placing his hand on my shoulder. “You okay, kid?”

“Yeah,” I said. It was Roman who’d found Jude and me in that alleyway. I would have been dead had he not found me. He’d saved my life that night and had always been there, even when he went to prison. “I’m okay. Thanks.”

He grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him, resting his forehead against mine. “You’re okay.”

And with that, he walked up to the control panel.

Dad and Micah came out, and I took them in. They didn’t seem hurt, though it was hard to tell. But they were standing, and that was all that mattered.

Fuck, it was over.

It was finally fucking over.

Micah pointed to the bastard Roman had tackled. “I’ll make him talk. We’ll find out where the rest of the Bratva are hiding and destroy them.”

“Yeah,” I said.

I was numb.

And I needed my girl.

Dad came down to the lower level with me, helping me free the women.

Gemma cried when she saw me.

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