Page 79 of Legends Luke

He started to pace as if the fury building inside him forced him to expend the energy. Lyric lay limp in her arms. With Drummond waving the gun at them as he ranted, she was scared the firearm would accidentally discharge. Her movements slow, she lowered Lyric to the ground and positioned her body in front of her sister’s, shielding her as much as she could while keeping her eyes on Drummond.

“I’m no victim! I was chosen. He picked me. He wanted me to finish what he couldn’t. And I did. They answered to me. They did anything I wanted them to because they all wanted to please me. Don’t you see? This isn’t the end. They sacrificed themselves to protect me.”

“Even your sister? Blair? Is she part of this too?”

He spun back to face Melody. “Blair never understood why this was necessary. She thought she was the chosen one, but I showed her I was the one meant to see this through.”

“She joined you in your crusade, didn’t she? I’ve seen videos where it’s a woman in charge, not you.”

“I am always in charge. I’m the one they followed. I’m the one they protect. That’s why they brought me here.” He pointed the gun at Lyric. “They wanted me to have insurance for my escape. I didn’t have to ask them to. They did it to protect me.”

“Not everyone,” she responded gently. “Erin came back. You hurt her, but even though she’s in bad shape, she told us where to find you and where to find my sister.”

He smirked. “I let her go. She never had it in her to be one of us. She wanted to. She gave her body to me hoping I’d accept her into the fold. But then she brought you and your friends to my door. She jeopardized everything, but then I realized her purpose. She wasn’t meant to be one of us. She was meant to betray us. The betrayal was necessary for my plan to come to fruition.”

“How did Fire Creek play into your plan?” The question popped out before she realized she thought of it. Her mind was working faster than her consciousness could fathom. “You had your crew avoid committing crimes here. Why?”

He stepped closer. She stiffened when he pointed the gun straight at her nose.

“Because this was where I was meant to make my stand.”

The gun fired, the noise reverberating among the trees, frightening the birds and other wildlife until only quiet stillness remained.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Luke stepped through the elevator doors before they fully opened. He deftly wove his way down the busy hallway. His stoic expression served him well. People moved out of his way without him having to say a word. He walked with a purpose, his boots barely making a noise against the tile floor.

No one would know what a mess he was on the inside.

The adrenaline had drained from his body some time ago, and he was left with a bundle of emotions he was unfamiliar with. Fatigue mixed with concern and fear and no small amount of panic. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so anxious to get to the hospital, not even when English was here fighting for his life. Back then, he’d let his anger at the people who hurt his mentor rule over his other emotions. Now, helplessness reigned.

He reached the waiting room and forced himself to pause before stepping inside. Melody’s smile was exactly what he needed to see. She rose from a chair, and they met each other halfway. He wrapped her in his embrace, ignoring the few people in the room who openly watched them. Her body molded to him, and his inner turmoil started to calm. He breathed deeply, her scent marred by thesmell of pine and sweat, but he didn’t care. To him, she smelled of home.

“I got here as fast as I could. How is she?”

Melody sighed, and he cradled her head against his chest.

“She regained consciousness in the ambulance. The doctor said she has a concussion, but they’re running some tests to rule out anything more serious. She’s hurting and traumatized, but she’s alive.”

“How are you?”

She tilted her head up to give him a small smile. “I was about to ask you the same question.”

“I’m better now that I’m here with you. Come on. Sit back down.”

As they sat, he kept her hands clasped in his. “Talk to me, baby.”

She settled back, resting her head against the wall, but didn’t withdraw her hands. “You know, I think I like it when you call me baby more than I should.”

His thumb caressed her wrist. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Because I don’t know what to say. I’m not sure how I feel. I can’t even process everything because I’m not completely sure what happened. It’s a blur.”

“It’s the shock. Did the doctor check you out too?”

Melody nodded, holding up her wrist to show him the brace she wore. “He did. Nothing was broken. I’ll be bruised and sore where Blake hit me, but I can recover from it without a problem. Seeing him pointing a gun at me and Lyric will take longer to forget.”

Luke touched her face on an unblemished spot beside thebruised area where she’d been slapped. “I’m sorry he was able to get to you. I wanted to protect you.”

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