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I feel a gentle hand move over my leg before the sharp sting of fingernails dig into my ankle. “Honey, this would’ve been so much easier if you would’ve just cooperated,” she whispers. “This is for the best. You’ll see. I’m not going to let you throw your life away.”

Then she pulls my leg free from the railing.

The world seems to tilt beneath me as the reality of my situation finally sinks in, and terror grips me as I realize there’s no way out. I feel my heart splintering in my chest.

This was a setup, and I walked right into it. All this time, everyone has been working against me. I’m nothing more than a puppet to them… A means to an end.

My eyelids flutter shut, and I feel my body go limp. As much as I want to fight, I’m outnumbered. There are probably five other people on that plane, waiting to jump in if they need to.

Besides, it would only make it harder on the hair and makeup team tomorrow.

I’m pulled back to my awareness when I hear something in the distance. Was that a bark?

It can’t be… I left her with Greer. Unless…

“Help!” I scream so loud my throat burns. “Tilly! Tilly over here—” Augustus’s hand clamps over my mouth, his fingers covering my nostrils, cutting off my air supply.

“I told you to shut up,” he growls, straining as he tries to pull me the rest of the way up the stairs.

But I’m not going without a fight. I have to stall him.

I wait for a moment until he drops his guard, then bite his hand as hard as I can. He lets out a yowl of pain and pulls his hand away, and I gasp for air.

“Fucking cunt!” He knees me in the ribs, knocking me off balance. I pitch backward, his fist still tangled in my hair, and pull him down with me. We tumble down the steps in a heap, my back slamming against the concrete. Pain explodes through me and the metallic taste of blood floods my mouth.

His or mine, I can’t be sure.

He winces, slinging his hand, like he’s trying to shake the pain away, when I hear another bark. This time it’s much closer.

“What the⁠—”

Matilda jumps up out of nowhere, her powerful jaws clamping onto his arm, pulling him off me.

Augustus lets out a wail of terror and pain as she pulls him off of me, dragging him away as she snarls and growls.

Pain shoots through me as I start to sit up, and then Roman’s there, eyes wild, and his breathing strained.

“Kira, baby, are you okay?” His voice is full of panic as he gives me a thorough inspection.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” I say with a grunt as he lifts me in his arms.

Roman’s worried eyes rake over me. “Are you sure?” he asks, over the sound of snarls and Augustus’s cries of agony.

I glance over his shoulder where I see Augustus struggling against Tilly’s death-grip on his arm. “Yeah, it’s nothing major.”

He carefully sets me down, keeping one arm extended protectively as he steps in front of me. “Tilly, release.”

She obeys, immediately letting go of Augustus but holds her ground, eyes locked on him as though she’s ready to attack again.

Augustus cradles his wounded arm, blood dripping from his fingers as he shuffles to his feet. Unlike the valiant hero he plays in the movies, he looks downright pathetic now—pale, shaken, and visibly terrified.

“I don’t know what the fuck went down before I got here, but I’m only going to say this once. So you better listen carefully,” Roman’s threatening voice booms. “You and Kira are done. Do you understand? You don’t speak to her. You don’t talk about her. And you sure as fuck don’t come near her or I’ll make what just happened look like child’s play.” He tips his head toward the plane. “Now, I suggest you get the fuck out of here and get that arm cleaned up before you bleed out on the tarmac.”

A moment later my mother slinks out of nowhere. She doesn’t even spare me a glance as she quietly helps Augustus to his feet. The two of them stumble off together, leaving a trail of blood behind them.

Roman and Tilly stand guard, their gaze locked and muscles rigid as they watch him disappear inside.

It’s only when the plane takes off that Roman lets out a sigh and his muscles relax. His arm wraps around me as he squeezes me to his chest.