Page 63 of The Fighter who Needed Me
He looked over at her, “Who was that?”
She looked up at him, “He was the man I thought was my father.”
Bran’s eyebrow raised, “Well, he certainly seems to love you.”
He gestured to the two bullet holes in the small box and Grant helped Lily sit up.
“Is he gone?” Grant barked and Bran nodded, “I grazed him, and it made him drop his weapon, and he disappeared into the crowd. We have to get them out of here.”
Persephone sat up slowly and looked at the bullet holes, which made her stomach try to rebel.
The door to the small box flew open and Brooks rushed inside, his eyes wild until they landed on her and saw she was safe.
A breath rushed from his lungs and he lunged for her, crushing her to him and she put her arms around him and just held him close.
Brooks was breathing so hard, and his body shook with the stress of everything.
She let him hold her for long moments, and when he pulled back, Burk had come in the room and had gently picked up Lily from the floor.
She was cradling the swell of her stomach and Grant stood back, and Burk thanked him.
Persephone let out a gasp, “Carter! Is he all right?”
Brooks nodded, “He was hit just under his right shoulder. But yes, he is fine.”
The chaos in the room had lessened as the last few people had left and Brooks was almost snarling in his anger.
Carter walked into the room after a few minutes, holding his bloody shoulder with a handkerchief pressed to it, but rivers of blood still ran down his arm, soaking the white shirt he was wearing.
She pushed out of Brooks’ arms and hurried to Carter’s side.
He was swaying on his feet and she guided him to a chair and sat him down on it.
Lily came over to check on him as well, and Carter looked up at them, “I tried to find the bastard. But he was lost in the crowd. Did anyone see who did it?”
Persephone blanched and nodded, “It was Bruce. He found me somehow and came here to kill me or Brooks. It was only by sheer luck he did not kill you. Bruce is an excellent marksman, and he is ruthless, and I can only be grateful he didn’t hurt you more.”
Carter’s eyebrows rose, and he looked at Brooks, then back at her, “He tried to kill Brooks, and then you? I thought he wished to marry you off to that other man. That he needed the money from your sale.”
She gave a small nod, “He did. And I think still does. He was here to send me a message. To let me know he could find me no matter what. That he will always come after me. Until he gets what he wants.”
Brooks’ face went fierce, “He will NOT have you. This entire incident just makes me want to keep you safe more. I will keep you safe. If it is the last thing I do.”
She gasped, “No, I don’t want to see you hurt. I do not want any one’s blood on my hands. It is why I did not leave sooner. Why I had to go along with their wishes in the first place. I could never live with myself if I caused anyone to be killed or in pain. I already got my governess killed. All because she gave me ideas. Made me hope and dream for the first time in my life. And knowing that she was murdered because of that? It haunts me. Breaks me. And she was someone I barely knew. Not someone I love and consider my family. I cannot abide it.”
She turned away and choked down a sob, then she turned back. “Look at what happened today. To someone completely innocent of all of this. Carter did nothing and yet was caught in the middle of this. Someone else could have been hurt because I tried to get away from them. Dared to be happy. Do you think I like it? Knowing who they are? That I want to go back to that hell? It would be the worst thing I could ever imagine.”
She turned away again and took a step away from them all, and a hand on her arm stopped her.
She knew who it was without looking at him and shut her eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears that threatened to come.
He put his arms around her from behind and pulled her into his hard chest.
Then he turned her around to see the people that she did not want to see.
She kept her head down and he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Look. Look at the people who love you. Who want nothing more than for you to finally have your happiness and will give all for it. Because that is what you do in a family. We make sacrifices for those we love. Do not take that away from us. I guarantee that Burk can keep Lily safe. And that Carter would have rather taken that bullet than have me take it. Please love. Look at them. See them.”
She opened her eyes and the tears fell freely. Carter was nodding and so was Burk.
