Page 51 of Unmasked Prophecy

Cyrus reaches down, hauling me up without hesitation. “Move.”

“Talon,” I scream. “They are taking me out back. Help.”

My voice is loud as I throw it out through the night, and I hear commotion on the other side of the fence as gunshots ring out. They’re shooting now, and they’re not holding back. My father orders Cyrus to move, but I fight. I fight with everything I have. I kick, claw, scratch, and bite, not letting him move me easily.

A hard object comes down over my head, knocking me to the ground.

My entire world spins as I fight to stay awake, my screams turning into nothing more than a choked sob as pain explodes inside me. I won’t give up though, not now, not yet. I push my body up so I’m on my hands and knees and I crawl, but Cyrus is in front of me, his form towering over me as he stares down.

He is about to reach for me when a gunshot rings out, and as if in slow motion, I watch blood splatter from the side of his head as his body falls. He lands beside me and I gasp as I look into his eyes, which are wide open, but there is no life left in them. He’s dead.

Before I know it, I’m being hauled up and a set of strong arms are around me as I’m frantically pulled backwards.

“Let me go,” I scream.

“It’s me.”

Talon’s rough voice, laced with rage and desperation.

I nearly collapse with relief.

They’re here.

They saved me.

TALON’S ARMS ARE TIGHTaround me as he hauls me through the chaos, my world still spinning and my body limp. He moves with a fierce determination, each step taking us closer to freedom, to safety. My heart races, wild and unsteady, and the only thing on my mind is Lily.

How will I save her now?

“Nia!” My father’s voice cuts through the night, sharp and commanding, and we turn to see him standing with a group of men, their faces hard and unyielding. They stand behind him, on guard, ready to fight. There are at least twenty of them, and even though they don’t have weapons, the picture is equally as chilling.

Talon whirls, pulling me behind him, his gun raised, eyes locked on my father.

“Fuckin’ back down, or I’ll blow your head off,” he warns in a tone so terrifying, it sends chills down my spine.

My body immediately stiffens, because I know exactly what my father is doing, and I’m not going to let him have the upper hand right now.

“No!” I cry out, my voice desperate. “Don’t shoot. I know for certain that he has ordered those men to kill Lily if he dies. Please, Talon. He wants you to shoot him.”

My father smiles, a cold, calculated smile. “Clever girl, you know me better than I thought.”

Talon’s voice is a low, deadly growl. “Stay the fuck back.”

He starts to move again, pulling me with him, but my father’s voice follows, taunting, mocking. “Why don’t you ask her why she was really here, biker. Ask her for the truth, if she’s honest enough to give it. I didn’t kidnap her, she was here willingly.”

I flinch.

Talon’s grip tightens, and I feel the tension in every muscle, every word he doesn’t say.

“Ask her what she was willing to do for that child,” my father continues, his voice echoing. “She’s not who you think she is. She will burn your world to the ground to save herself. Careful, biker, you think you’re leaving the enemy behind but you’re actually taking her with you.”

My heart sinks, and I see the doubt flicker in Talon’s eyes, but he doesn’t stop. He doesn’t let go.

He pulls me to the gate, his breath hot against my skin. “Get on the fuckin’ bike.”

I don’t hesitate. I scramble on, my limbs heavy and my head still pounding. My face is soaked in blood, I can feel it with every movement, but I do nothing to wipe it away. My eyes blur with tears as he gets on in front of me, the engine roaring to life. Then, he spins the bike around and takes off.

I cling to him, my arms tight around his waist, my father’s words ringing in my ears. The compound fades behind us, and I feel the wind on my face, the roar of the bike cutting through the night. The club surrounds us, a wall of protection, a promise of safety. I want to believe it’s enough, but the doubt in Talon’s eyes plays over and over in my mind.

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