“Are you hurt?” he asked, keeping his eyes trained on Colter.
“No.” I choked out.
“But she will be if you keep moving.” The gun under my chin gouged into my skin and my teeth felt like they might break against each other. “Stay right where you are or she dies.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
JASON
I’d spentthe entire rescue wondering what I’d find down here. The scenarios running through my head weren’t pretty. But there she was, alive, alert, and fighting against Colter.
Aside from looking disheveled, Cora appeared to be unhurt. That was good, but inconsequential to the dead man holding her. Colter had seen his last sunrise. He was going to die.
By my hand.
But if something happened to me, there were several of Kane’s guys upstairs hoping for the chance to take a few of Colter’s teeth as souvenirs before finishing the job.
I held my weapon on him. “I am going to kill you. How quickly—” I stopped short. “I was going to say, ‘depends on you.’ But it doesn’t.”
Movement caught my eye. Kane’s head lifted slightly, and for a split second, our eyes met. He was alive. Barely, but conscious.
I kept my weapon trained on Colter. “You took my woman and my son. Iamgoing to kill you. And when I get my hands on Daisy, I’ll bury her next to you.”
Colter kept the gun pressed under Cora’s chin. “You don’t have it in you to kill a woman.”
Kane shifted his weight, testing the chains. The mounting bolts creaked.
“He’s my son. I’m his father,” Colter said, keeping Cora positioned in front of him.
“No, you’re not. A father doesn’t sell his kid to the highest bidder.”
That’s when Kane made his move. He planted his feet, roared, and yanked hard. The chain mounts ripped from the concrete wall with a grinding crack.
It was more than enough to catch Colter off guard.
Cora bit down hard on Colter’s arm and dropped to her knees.
Colter’s grip loosened for a fraction of a second. I didn’t hesitate. The shot echoed through the basement.
Colter jerked backward, the gun falling from his hand as he hit the concrete floor. Dead before he stopped moving.
Kane staggered forward, chains still hanging from his wrists, and looked down at Colter’s body. It was obvious the man had endured hours of abuse. How he was still able to stay upright was beyond my ability to comprehend.
Kane quietly knelt next to him. I wasn’t sure what the guy was thinking—saying goodbye or making sure he was really dead.
As far as I was concerned, the man had lived long past his expiration date.
Holstering my weapon, I rushed to Cora and gathered her in my arms.
“Hey, I’m here.”
I took her face in my hands and lifted her head. “Cora.”
Her eyes blinked open. “Is it over?”
She went to look in Colter’s direction and I bear hugged her. “Don't” I wouldn’t let anymore evil touch her.
“Where’s Elias?”
