Five years ago, my dad helped crack a home–invasion homicide.
During the chase, the killers seized two teenage girls. I was one of them.
Dad kept his gun trained and tried to talk them down.
The two men were adamant: the department would deliver $1 million in cash and get them safely onto a plane, or the hostages would die.
My mom–she was the negotiator–came to the scene and offered a swap.
“The one on the right is my daughter. You release the girl on the left, and take the two of us
instead. Your odds are better with us.”
My mouth was taped; I shook my head hard, begging her not to.
She smiled at me, tender and steady. “Don’t be scared. Your dad’s waiting right outside.”
I looked toward Dad; he gave me a small hand signal.
I slowly calmed down.
But in the exchange, the other girl suddenly lost control. One of them snapped and lunged with a
knife.
I shoved the girl out of the way. As the blade came for me, my mother stepped in and took the
strike.
When Dad led the team in, he was still a beat too late. Both suspects slipped out.
He didn’t even stop for us–he bolted after them.
After a brutal struggle, Dad shot and killed one of the murderers,
The other, hidden in the dark, put a bullet in Dad’s head. He died on the spot.
Mom didn’t make it to the hospital.
From that day on, my brother and I were orphans.
He couldn’t bear it–losing both parents in a single day.
Chapter 7
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He decided they died because they were saving me. He blamed me. He threw me out.
“Get out. You’re a jinx. You had to go to that mall. Mom had to save you, and Dad got killed. I don’t have a sister.”
Nothing I said could reach him.
Later, he rescued Luna Reed and made her his sister, and made me his
The man Dad killed was Victor Wells–Luna’s father.
Only now did I finally understand.
Luna had gotten close to us on purpose, to avenge her father.
enemy.
Owen Wells tortured me for two days. To desecrate my parents‘ memory, he hacked off my arms and had someone rape me.
When I was barely hanging on, my brother called.
His voice held nothing but irritation. “Luna’s award ceremony is next week. You need to show up and make it clear she didn’t steal your design. If people keep misunderstanding her, don’t blame me for what I do.”
I couldn’t force a single sound out, so I took the abuse in silence.
“You hear me? Playing dead again?”
“I’m telling you, if you’re gonna die, then fucking die already. Who are you trying to impress with that corpse act?”
When he hung up, Owen laughed.
“Perfect. Your idiot brother’s dancing to my sister’s tune. He wants you dead? How could I not oblige?”
His blade rose and fell.
Everything went black.
Chapter 7
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.