Page 127 of Scarred Redemption

He was on his feet in seconds, lunging toward me. Everything happened so quickly. I tried desperately to find the weapon, shifting the beam across it and of course the bastard noticed. We both scrambled to try to retrieve it at the same time. I was tossed backward, my head hitting the wall and the flashlight knocked from my hand again.

Dazed, the light spun in circle after circle, washing around the foyer in a macabre series of shadows.

“Maxsim.” I don’t know why I cried his name other than I knew he was the only person who could save me. Tears formed in my eyes and as I tried to move my arm, agony was driven straight into my bones.

“He won’t help you.”

“Fuck you,” I hissed. The weapon was right there. I could see it out of the corner of my eye. Somehow, I managed to pitch myself forward, grabbing it. When I aimed the weapon, Kristoff laughed.

I steadied my hand, took aim and fired directly at his chest.

The gun jammed.

Kristoff stormed toward me, lifting me off the floor by my throat. I punched him hard in the face, rewarded with him backhanding me.

Stars floated in front of my eyes as the coppery taste of blood tickled my tongue.

A wash of sounds blasted in my ears. Kristoff’s grunt as I kicked him in the groin and Shadow’s deep growl even before he bounded down the stairs.

The pup attacked, sinking his canines into the Russian’s arm.

With Shadow taking control, I scrambled backward, racing toward the kitchen and as far away from Hope and Mina as I could get. There was no way of telling if he’d killed all the other soldiers, but I had to find out.

Another shrill yelp stopped me in my tracks.

Shadow.

No. No. No!

I didn’t let the darkness or the terror stop me, rushing toward the drawers in the kitchen. I knew the space well enough by now. I’d felt every inch of the granite and had unloaded the dishwasher several times even when Maxsim had reminded me he’d hired people to do that.

I’d laughed then and for whatever crazy reason, I was laughing now. After finding the drawer, my fingers wrapped around a paring knife in a sleeve. Then a larger carving knife.

Footsteps brought Kristoff closer and I shoved the paring knife into my pocket, yanking the other one into my hand and rushed toward the kitchen door leading to the deck.

A wild flash of lightning lit up both the sky and the doorway, which was open, a huge man standing inside. And in those seconds of being uncertain who’d broken into the house, I sensed more than just being in terrible danger.

I also sensed familiarity.

Skidding backwards, I held up the knife.

Just as another flash of light grabbed my attention, the fluorescent shimmer manmade, the beam directed on the intruder’s face.

Time was suspended, all my senses dulled while I gazed into the man’s eyes.

Peering back at me were mirrored copies of mine, every feature a reflection of my father, who I looked more like than my beautiful mother. A perfect carbon copy of a man who’d died at the hands of the person I loved the most.

I could feel myself moving into shock but refused. This bastard wasn’t going to ruin my life like my father had done with my mother.

“Hello, sister. I’ve been very much looking forward to meeting you.”

I took a step backward, shocked to my core. Brother. “Who are you?”

“Exactly as I said. Your brother Jagger. Well, half-brother. Didn’t our father tell you about my existence?” He took a step closer and I swung the knife in his direction, haunted by his face and eyes. Seeing him dressed in all black, I knew instantly he was the man Mina had sketched. He’d orchestrated the kidnapping.

Memories rushed through the back of my mind, arguments held with my mother and father that I’d tried to block out.

My mama screaming about there being another family.