Chapter 13 - The Lighthouse
Wind slammed into Cullen as he rounded the stone wall.
"Mireya!"
"Daddy!"
She was inside the lighthouse keeper's room, visible through a cracked window.
Tove stood behind her with one arm around her shoulders.
Bryce lay on the floor near the doorway, bleeding through his shirt.
Cullen stopped ten feet away.
"Let her go."
Tove laughed softly.
"You always arrive after the damage is done."
"This ends now."
"It ended eighteen months ago. You just refused to understand it."
Mireya was crying, but she was standing.
Cullen focused on her.
"Sweetheart, look at me."
Tove tightened her grip.
"Don't talk to her."
Cullen's eyes moved to Mireya's right hand.
She was holding her inhaler.
Good.
"You killed Marisol," Cullen said.
Tove's face hardened.
"Rourke killed Marisol."
"You helped him."
"I wanted her frightened. I wanted her to sign. Rourke lost control."
Bryce groaned from the floor.
"Liar."
Tove kicked him.
Mireya screamed.
Cullen stepped forward.
Tove pulled a handgun from her coat.
He stopped.
"One more step."
Cullen raised his hands.
"Okay."
Tove looked at Mireya.
"Tell your father what your mother did that night. Tell him she abandoned you."
Mireya shook her head.
"She saved me."
"She left you behind a wall."
"Because you were chasing us."
Tove's mouth twisted.
"You remember too much."
Mireya's breathing quickened.
Cullen saw it.
So did Tove.
Tove reached for the inhaler.
Mireya jerked away.
"No!"
Cullen moved.
Tove fired.
The bullet struck stone beside his head.
Bryce lunged from the floor and grabbed Tove's ankle.
She fell.
Mireya ran.
Cullen caught his daughter against his chest.
May you like
Behind them, Tove screamed.
Then a second gunshot echoed through the lighthouse.
