Chapter 10 - The Vow
Damian did not wait for the countdown.
He threw his body directly between the shotgun and my back.
The blast was deafening.
Damian jerked violently as the shotgun pellets tore into his shoulder.
But he didn't fall.
Using his uninjured arm, Damian drew a hidden knife from his boot and drove it directly into David's chest.
David's eyes went wide with shock.
He dropped the shotgun and collapsed onto the concrete, dead before he hit the ground.
Damian fell to his knees, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
I didn't hesitate for a single second.
I wrenched the heavy steel door open.
A massive wall of water rushed out, knocking me off my feet.
I scrambled through the flood and grabbed Mia's limp body.
I pulled her onto the dry concrete, desperately pressing on her small chest.
"Come on, baby," I sobbed.
"Please."
Mia coughed violently, vomiting a lungful of water.
She took a huge, ragged breath and opened her eyes.
"Mommy," she croaked, wrapping her arms around my neck.
I held her so tightly I thought I might break her, crying tears of pure relief.
Damian crawled over to us, his face pale from blood loss, but he smiled.
"You're safe," he whispered, resting his hand gently on my back.
Three months later, the nightmare felt like a distant memory.
Julian was in federal prison, and David's entire network had been dismantled.
Damian and I stood on the balcony of his newly fortified estate, watching Mia and Lily play safely in the garden.
His arm was wrapped securely around my waist.
"I love you, Chloe," Damian said softly, pressing a kiss into my hair.
"I love you too," I smiled, leaning into his solid chest.
We had built a beautiful, unbreakable family out of the chaos.
Later that afternoon, a courier delivered a small, unmarked wooden box to the front gate.
I brought it inside and opened the silver latch, expecting a gift from one of Damian's associates.
Inside lay a pristine, silver locket containing a photograph of Mia playing in the park.
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Tucked firmly behind the photograph was a handwritten note scrawled in dark red ink.
"You took my brother's life, so now I will take your daughter's."
