Betrayed By Blood: The True Heir's Revenge

's basement after eight years was the end

d saw not a daughter, but a living reminder of his loss. He was convinced I was a sh

. I was made to scrub floors while his st

me eating from the garbage and his

cured lawn, leaving deep, painful wounds in my leg, he jus

t wound and the hospital was out of

lood to save him, hoping

did

ed me out of the house, handing me over t

ar drove away that the medical

ark of shame. The D

idnapper's chi

ing for forgiveness years l

em an evict

pte

McCa

a suppressed rifle pressed against my forehead, and she didn'

asement in Appalachia, a cage that sme

hat blew the steel door o

t of the single bulb swaying above us. Men in black

eren't

shout w

the synchronized ef

en have time to reach for his shotgun. One of the soldiers moved with b

ill. I di

inder blocks, clutching the silver pendant I had stolen fr

pered, reachin

apped

ic reaction. It

er feet, her eyes fixed on the

e atmosphere instantly shifted,

k Mc

ippings Burt had taunted us with. The Underbos

fat

were trapped in, tailored to fit broad shoulde

ood on the floor. He did

looked

e was deep, a rumble that vib

er

at him. She didn't loo

e only solid thing in the universe. He wrapped his arms around her, his expr

neck, inhaling her scent

e years old, malnourished, wearing a sta

step forw

in the air, fr

all lifte

locked

expected relief. I

, I saw

hard. He looked at me with the same expression

e, unadulter

r against him, shielding

away," he

but it carried the weig

bed my arm. Hi

pendant digging into

f, his voice laced with ice. He looked down

eant

evidence of his wife's trauma,

s eyes. I wanted to scream that

dragged me tow

back one

, her back turned to me. She had chosen

collateral dama

k armored SUV. The leather seats were

ahead of us. I sat alone, flanked by two

he car, combined with the shock and

se in m

, but it was useless. I vomite

stopped

or fle

ed back from the lead car. He

on my wife," he said, his voice low

t have to. The hatred in h

ntact with me. "And see that she doesn't make another me

mmed t

he McCall Estat

home. It was

at looked like it had been carved out of money and

there, held back by

nora. She looked fragile, beaut

e stoic p

as fl

, steered toward a side entrance a

, dressed in a pristine whi

li

. The stepdaughter

lushed with health. She held a le

g dragged toward th

confused. She lo

sm

the smile of a predator who realize

Call. The Matriarch. She wore diamonds that

e, then at the

ouse," she said. Her voice was dry,

we put h

away, checking

e basement. Get her cleaned u

ntrance where Derek was kissing E

" Dionne said. "We can't have the

k door slamm

as

never been