Falling for A Lie (The Lords And Ladies Of Ash #1)

38. Miles

The alarm sounded throughout the house and quickly drew my attention.

Time seems to stand still as I desperately try to gather my scattered thoughts, my mind foggy and weary from a restless night that offered no relief from the different scenes involving Soren and the guys playing through my mind, not allowing me for a moment's peace.

Frustration bubbled within me, certain that Soren had forgotten something yet again, and she was probably the one to trip the alarm when she arrived home.

As I awaited her I desperately searched for excuses to justify our delayed response.

I roll over, grab my phone from the nightstand, and unplug it from the charger to silence the alarms and check the cameras.

My finger slowly swept over the bright screen right before a piercing scream had me nearly tripping over myself to get out of bed and to my gun.

Finn stumbles from the connected bathroom wet hair sticking to his face and in a state of being half-dressed “ What the fuck was that? How long has the alarm been going off?”

he looks around like the answers to his question will just magically appear before him.

The sound of a loud crash is heard, and then a gunshot goes off, causing my heart to race.

I swiftly open the door, fully alert. The acrid scent of gunpowder sears my nostrils, its sharp bitterness intertwining with the metallic taste of dread in my mouth.

As I step into the hallway, the scene unfolds before me.

With a frustrated expression, Finn mutters and curses softly as he hurriedly pulls up his shorts, which barely hide his bare ass.

His knuckles, gripping the gun handle tightly, turn pale, showing how strong his hold is.

The hallway is in disarray, Carla’s door hangs precariously on a single hinge, obstructing the passage to the other side.

The distinct growling of Sirius reaches my ears, adding a layer of tension to the already chaotic atmosphere.

Amidst the chaos, an unknown man’s voice cuts through the air, his words hanging with an eerie uncertainty. “Shoot the dog, grab the other sister,”

the chilling command echoed, making my skin crawl as I rushed forward blindly .

Finn is right behind me, following closely. Our guns are at the ready as I kick the door down, surprising the man on the other side just enough to fire a shot directly into the bastard brave enough to invade my home and harm my family.

The man grunts in pain as the bullet strikes his knee, causing him to double over. His partner glances at us before turning to Carla, raising a knife to her neck and drawing blood that trickles down, leaving a trail. Carla sobs softly, her small body trembling in the man’s grip. “One more move and I will cut my fucking losses and slice her open! We have one sister. That will be enough for them,”

he hisses through his dirty, chipped teeth, his thick Southern accent making his words harsh.

His partner rolls on the carpet, clutching his shattered kneecap and cursing us and this job he never wanted. “If you make one more mark on her, I will shove the blade so far down your throat—”

“Let her go!”

Finn snaps, aiming his gun at the man holding Carla. Finn’s Irish accent and menacing glare would make any man shrink in fear but this man doesn't even seem to care.

As Finn kept the man focused on him, I asked the other pressing question: “What do you mean you have one sister already? Where is she?”

Fear tightens its grip on my heart as bile rises in my throat, anxious about Lena’s safety and whereabouts.

The burly, bald man before me barks out a laugh, loosening his hold on Carla and lowering his guard to answer me, momentarily forgetting the immediate threat to his life and that of his partner.

Carla seizes the moment to throw her head back, slamming it into the man's nose. A distinct crack of breaking bones echoes around us as the man stumbles backward, blood dripping from his face and lips onto the ground.

Sirius stands between Carla and the man growling as Carla slowly backs up until she is back to my chest, she trembles against me as I wrap my arms around her pulling her into me. “Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

I say reassuringly, Finn steps up and extends his hand out wiping away a stray tear from her cheek. “It’ll be okay little one.”

He pats her head softly before he turns his attention back to the men behind us.

Broke Nose points his gun at Carla with a sinister bloody smile plastered across his bloody face, his eyes already turning an ugly shade of black, before I have a chance to react, Finn is jumping in front of catching the bullet aimed for us.

Everything slows as I watch Finley fall to the ground clutching his chest. “NO!!”

I push Carla behind me as I scramble forward to my fallen brother.

Before I can reach him, something slams into my head and I’m crumpling forward. A blood-curdling scream follows me into the abyss and the unknown claims me.

I failed them.

I failed her.