He throws his head back, and I move a split second too late, the impact hitting my cheek and knocking my vision from me momentarily.
It’s enough time for him to turn under me, to reach up and land another blow to my temple.
Lights flash across my otherwise dark vision, my head whipping to the side as the taste of blood fills my mouth, but I’m still on top of him. Still have the upper hand if I can just manage to gain control of him somehow.
I slide my hands down around his throat, trying to restrict his breathing, trying to keep him from getting to his feet.
Visions of my nightmares flash before my eyes, his face morphing into my mother’s, mine becoming my father’s, but I force them away, even as he continues to try to swing at me.
Another gunshot sounds somewhere on the property, this one closer, and Lucky recoils, backing away and scanning the barn, searching for anything that might help me.
I struggle with the man under me, absorbing his blows and trying to maintain my grip as it slips with the blood rolling down my arm.
Until heavy footsteps pound on the ground outside.
Lucky snags something from the ground and whirls toward the noise, and the glint of one of the axes I keep in the workshop catches the corner of my eye just as Connor rounds the corner, shotgun in his hand.
For once, Giz doesn’t growl or bark at him, but runs toward us as if trying to lead him to where he’s needed.
“Liam!” Connor’s voice echoes through the small space and he races over toward us, but I’ve lost the upper hand now, all my strength draining from me quickly, and Lorell manages to get a hand between us and shove hard enough to push me away a few inches then throw me onto my back.
He pins me down and reaches for a knife from his boot, pulling it out and pressing it to my neck.
But before the blade can bite into the skin, the sound of something whooshing through the air fills my ears and his eyes widen as he collapses on top of me, my ax embedded into his upper back.
Connor stands there, his own chest heaving as he stares down at us.
He grabs Lorell and rolls him off of me, then squats and presses his hand over my shoulder.
“Shit, are you all right?”
I try to regain my breath. “Lucky?”
He glances up. “She’s okay.”
I crane my neck, trying to see her, and she drops onto the floor beside me, tears streaming down her face.
Gizmo barks.
“We heard gunshots.”
Connor nods. “I killed three other ones, but I don’t know how many more are out there.”
“Killian?”
He inclines his head. “In the cabin with Willow and Niall.”
I nod.
“Good.” The world starts to go even darker around the corners of my vision. “Good.”
“Liam, stay with me.” Lucky’s hand tilts my face toward her, and I hear the franticness of her words, feel the way she trembles, but I can’t lift my arm anymore to try to hold her or comfort her. “You promised me.”
I did.
So many promises I intended when I said them.
So many I won’t be able to keep.
