Page 115 of Reins

“I’ll take us both out and you’ll never see Sal again.” He leers from the ground.

Rosalyn.

“Where is she?” I growl, my fist poised in the air.

“Safe from you. Let me go or she dies.” His gritted words make me freeze.

I know he’s lying. Yet I can’t risk her life.

I’ll always choose her.

He scrambles up, glancing behind me. “Or we can stay here and I take your family with me.” His grin is eerily calm as he nods towards the bleachers.

With a fast look over my shoulder, I can just see Sophia and her new husband moving closer through the shadows.

By the time I turn back to Eli, he’s gone.

I want to scream out in rage.

My body tries to revolt as I push myself up from the dirt and stumble towards my niece.

“Sophia!” I cry out, reaching for her. She needs to get away.

“Hey, don’t.” She jerks her elbow away.

“What the fuck?” Oliver jumps past her to get between us, his mouth dropping open as he stares into my face.

“Cade!” she exhales, backing away.

But her long train wraps around her legs, tripping her.

“Sophia, get in the truck!” he yells, raising his fists.

They can’t. “Don’t you dare—” I try to reach for her again.

“Like hell.” Oliver’s fist connects with my jaw and another blaze of pain has me backing away.

Fuck. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

Sophia scrambles up, her limp slowing her as she tries to rush.

I can’t let her get near the truck. Making a fast side-step, I manage to just catch the edge of her dress. I hate that she falls but I can barely see past my swelling cheek. “Stay away from the—”

“Motherfucker.” He hits me again, sending me backwards.

Damn it.

As I hit the gravel, I see her. The red shirt I made her wear, running in slow motion in my direction.

My Rosalyn.

No!

It takes every ounce of strength I have to push myself up.

Dragging my leg, I limp in a disjointed gallop towards her.

Wrapping her in my arms, I tackle her to the ground behind a concrete divider, just as the shock wave of heat and deafening sound erupts around us.