Chapter 5 - The Silver Shield
Willa burst through the hidden door into the grand living room just as Brendan pulled back the hammer of his revolver.
"BRENDAN!" Willa roared at the top of her lungs.
Brendan froze, his head snapping toward the sound of her voice. A sick, twisted smile spread across his face as he saw her standing by the hallway. "Willa... my sweet girl. I knew you were hiding in this palace."
"Leave him alone!" Willa demanded, her voice echoing with a fierce authority she had never possessed before. "Your fight is with me!"
"Willa... get back..." Jared choked out from the floor, blood soaking his left arm, trying desperately to raise his weapon, but his shoulder was fractured from the bullet impact.
"Shut up, Kensington!" Brendan snarled, redirecting his revolver away from Jared and pointing it straight at Willa’s chest. "She’s coming home with me! She belonged to me first!"
"I never belonged to you!" Willa spat, taking a step forward, completely unfazed by the gun pointed at her. "You are a coward who hides behind your uncle’s power! I am not afraid of you anymore!"
Brendan’s eyes flamed with psychotic rage. "If I can't have you, nobody will!"
His finger tightened on the trigger.
ROAR!
Before Brendan could squeeze the metal, a hundred and fifty pounds of silver muscle and fury launched through the air!
Titan, the dog who had been unable to lift his head three weeks ago, flew across the marble floor like a panther! He slammed his massive chest into Brendan’s side, throwing the gunman violently onto the hard floor!
The revolver flew from Brendan’s hand, skidding across the marble and stopping right at Willa’s feet.
Brendan screamed in absolute terror as Titan pinned him to the floor, his massive jaws snapping inches from Brendan’s throat, a deep, booming growl shaking the entire room!
Willa didn't hesitate. She kicked the revolver away, dropped to her knees beside Jared, and wrapped her arms around his waist, helping him lean against the pillar.
"I've got you," Willa sobbed, tears finally streaming down her face as she pressed her jacket against his bleeding shoulder to stop the hemorrhage. "I've got you, Jared."
Jared looked down at her, his vision blurring from pain, but his silver eyes held a profound, overwhelming love. He reached up his good hand, cupping the back of her head, pulling her face down to press his forehead against hers.
"You came out for me..." Jared whispered, his voice rough and breathless.
"I told you," Willa cried, smiling through her tears. "I care about what happens to this house."
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Moments later, Miles and a squad of twenty elite Vance security operatives swarmed the penthouse. Brendan Vance and Marco Rossi were disarmed, zip-tied, and dragged away into the darkness—handed directly over to federal authorities along with the ironclad evidence of their extortion and treason.
The shadow that had haunted Willa’s life for two years was finally, completely destroyed.
