𝙷𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 [𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝]

Chapter 21

Leslie's POV

"What?" I exclaim.

"No. No. No," Cat says. "We are all going to get out."

"I let my feelings for you blind me," dad tells Catherine. "Of the truth about Muirfield. I was just trying to protect you. You and my child both. I thought that Vincent was a threat. I called Muirfield."

"You didn't know," Cat assures him. "You couldn't... you couldn't know."

"Muirfield need to be stopped," he says. "I see that now. If I can help you and him... and my little girl get out of here alive, I will be really protecting you. It'll be the best thing that I've ever done in my life. The point of it really. Years ago, I believed I had found the point of my life, but that all changed..." His eyes turn to me. "It all changed that night on my fire escape. That was the night my life became relevant. That was the night I found the purpose of my life."

His gently pulls Catherine to him and kisses her cheek. He then turns to me.

"I love you," he says with tears in his eyes. "More than anything in the world. You make my life worth living every day. You are my whole world. I told you I would protect you by any means necessary, and I meant that. I'm going to fulfill my promise to you."

"Daddy, please," I beg him. "Please don't. Don't do this. I need you. I can't do this alone. Please, daddy, please. I love you."

"You won't be alone," he says as his eyes travel to Vincent. "I love you so much."

With that, he looks at me for a moment. His hand rest on my tear stained cheek. He place a rogue strand of auburn hair gently behind my ear. He smiles at me and kisses me in the center of my forehead. He brings my hand to his face and holds it against his cheek. He closes his eyes for a moment, and then releases my hand which falls slowly back to my side. He then walks away as I sink to my knees. He gives one last loving look back to me.

"I love you," he says. "With all of my heart."

"I love you too," I choke out through my tears. "More than anything."

The Muirfield agents approach him and raise their weapons. I watch as bullets rain upon him. I watch them strike him. His lifeless body falls to the ground. The arms that held me lay still. The smile that gave me hope is now expressionless. The eyes that were so bright... so loving... so full of life... are now blank and cold. He lays motionless. My father, who I loved more than anything in this world... is dead. A piece of my own soul has dies with him. My heart stops with his. He feel the air sucked from my lungs. Tears stream from my face. I scream and cry out to him. I nearly run to him, but Catherine reaches around my waist to restrain me. I fight, and I fight. I feel my eyes turn yellow and my claws extend. My teeth turn to sharp, flesh-ripping fangs. I imagine myself tearing Agent Kyle apart only to be unable to do so for Vincent has opened the door and has contained me. I cry and scream and reach out for dad. Catherine begins to pull me in that direction.

"NO!" I scream. "I won't leave him! NO!"

Soon, it is Vincent who is pulling me away. I scream and fight with everything I have, but he is much stronger than me. It is no use. He takes Catherine and I out the door. The door closes as we hear bullets bounce off of it. I sob completely uncontrollably. My legs can no longer hold my weight, and I fall to my knees. I scream at the top of my lungs. Vincent kneels in front of me and pulls me to his chest. He soon picks me up and carries me to a car. Tess and JT are waiting for us.

"Are you ok?" JT exclaims.

Tess looks at me. I am still sobbing into Vince.

"What happened?" Tess asks. "Where's..."

Cat shakes her head. Tess doesn't ask anymore questions.