Page 46 of Claiming Liberty

“I don’t want to go back,” she tells me, her voice so quiet I barely hear it over the crickets screeching.

I frown, unsure if I should make her any promises. All I want to do is hold this girl, protect her, and preferably, get her the fuck away from here and never see her again. It makes me sick every time I look at her.

“You can stay the night,” I say, settling on that promise. “We’ll figure out everything else later.”

She hesitates a few seconds, but then nods. She turns and starts walking while I follow behind, the beam of light directing us down the path. More rustling sounds, louder this time, and I perk up, turning the flashlight toward the noise. That was more than a tiny animal.

Prudence gasps, and I spin just in time to see the butt of a gun speeding toward my temple.

11

LIBERTY

“Stop!” I scream at Peter as I leap from the trees. But I’m too late. Angel falls to the ground in a heap, and I run to him.

I drop down beside him, taking in the dark spot on his hairline. It’s hard to make out the red in the moonlight alone, but I know it must be blood. His eyes are closed, and his lips are slightly parted.

“Why the fuck did you do that?” I sneer at Peter, whipping my glare his way. It falls, along with my stomach, when he cocks the gun and aims it at Angel. I throw myself over Angel’s body to shield him.

“Move,” Peter commands.

“I’m not going to let you kill him, you asshole!” I scream at him, angry tears pricking my eyes.

We were not here for this. We came this way because I knew where Angel kept his gun, and Peter thought it’d be best to unarm him while we had the chance.

We were just getting to the house–the back patio door he normally keeps unlocked our destination–when we saw the beam of light on the path to the manor.

We hid in the trees, and I thought all we were doing was waiting for the person to pass. The sight of Angel walking by with another woman hit hard, but all jealousy has washed away by the absolute terror I currently feel.

He can’t die. I don’t care what he’s done or what he could do to harm our plan, I would never let Peter, or anyone else, kill him.

Angel’s protected me so many times. Now it’s my turn to protect him.

“Peter, what are you doing?” Layan asks, her voice non-threatening as if to ease the tension. Or at least trying not to add to it.

“Go find that girl,” Peter snarls to Layan and Kingsley, gesturing to the trees the woman bolted toward during Peter’s ambush. “Make sure she doesn’t go back to the manor.”

“What are you gonna do?” Kingsley asks, nervously scratching at his arm. Layan’s sandals crunch on leaves and brush as she walks off the path, but she doesn’t go far, peering into the trees halfheartedly.

Despite the darkness, I can see the seriousness in Peter’s eyes when he stares me down. I stare back.

He growls, and a piece of the boulder on my chest lifts when he lowers the weapon. “Liberty,listen to me.” He stabs a finger at Angel. “This isnota good man. With all the chaos from tonight and with us bumping into him… We’re not going to get a better opportunity to take him out. He is Sawyer’sgreatestally, and I promise, he will cause a multitude of problems for us. He was always going to die. So…” I stare down the barrel of the gun as Peter points it at my face. “Move. I’m not going to sacrifice our mission to save you, so if you have to die with him, that’s your call.”

“No,” Kingsley says, striding over to us. “You’re not killing anybody.”

Peter scoffs. “This is Angel Ramos. Don’t tell me you’re too stupid to see what an opportunity this is too.”

Kingsley meets my eyes and frowns apologetically. “Okay, fine, but you’re not killing Liberty.”

“I will if I have no choice.”

I catch Layan out of the corner of my eye, walking up with her hands behind her back. We briefly lock eyes before she moves her gaze to Peter. He doesn’t seem to notice her. I see no signs of panic on her face or in her steps. No sign of worry.

“Youdon’thave a choice,” Kingsley says. “I’m not giving you one.”

Layan’s close now. She makes eye contact again and nods toward Peter. It takes me a moment to realize she’s motioning to the gun.

She wants me to go for it.