Chapter Twenty-Six

Brynn

Leo and I bolted from the office, our footsteps pounding in sync as we made it to the front door just as Bristol’s SUV screeched to a stop at the bottom of the steps. My heart raced, not from the run but from the sight of her behind the wheel, face streaked with tears.

I moved instinctively to go down the stairs, but Leo’s hand shot out, grabbing mine. “No,” he grunted, his eyes locked on the SUV. “Someone’s in the car with her.”

I froze, focusing on the vehicle. My breath caught as I spotted a shadow in the back seat, the movement behind Bristol. She was crying hysterically, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

Apollo and Creed flanked us, guns drawn, their eyes narrowed on the car.

“We’re not going to shoot her,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the adrenaline roaring in my ears.

Apollo didn’t even look at me. “I’ll do whatever I need to do to keep us safe.”

“Bristol isn’t a threat,” I insisted, my heart aching as I saw her shoulders shake with sobs. I knew they knew that too. Whatever was happening here, it wasn’t Bristol’s fault.

Before I could process the next moment, Bristol opened her door and stumbled out of the car, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry!” she cried, her voice breaking as her feet hit the ground.

Then the rear door swung open, and a woman with bright red hair stepped out, gun in hand. She yanked Bristol toward her, pressing the barrel against her head. “Anyone fucking moves an inch, and the fat bitch gets it,” she warned, her voice cold and full of venom.

Bristol’s sobs grew louder, her body trembling. “Please don’t kill me,” she pleaded, her voice barely recognizable through her tears.

My stomach twisted. I wanted to run to her, to rip her out of that woman’s grasp, but I knew that would only make things worse. I took a shaky breath, my mind racing. This had to be Candace.

Leo, ever calm even in situations like this, stepped forward slightly. “What the hell do you want, Candace?” he called out, his voice steady, though I could feel the tension rolling off him.

Candace’s eyes snapped to Leo, filled with fury. “Your blood,” she spat, her lips curling in a sneer. “All of you. I want you dead and rotting in the ground.”

Well, at least Candace wasn’t one to dance around the point.

“That’s not going to happen,” Leo said, his voice still calm but with a deadly edge. “Let Bristol go, and you can leave. Nothing will happen to you.”

Candace scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her throat. “Like I’d fucking believe a damn word that comes out of your mouth. You killed my brother like he was nothing, and you’re going to pay for it.”

Revenge. I felt a chill creep down my spine, but I forced myself to focus. If we didn’t handle this right, Bristol was going to get hurt—or worse.

I took a step forward, but Leo’s grip on my hand tightened. He shot me a look that told me to stay put, but I couldn’t just stand there. Bristol’s sobs echoed in my ears, tearing at my heart.

“Candace,” I called, forcing my voice to be as steady as possible. “You don’t need to do this. What happened with your brother… it was complicated. It doesn’t have to end like this.”

Candace’s wild eyes shifted to me, her grip on Bristol tightening. “Shut the fuck up, bitch. You think I don’t know who you are? You’re part of this, too. Leo’s bitch he’s been pining over for years! You’re going to die, too. I’m going to take everything from Leo, and then I’m going to kill him.”

For a split second, my heart pounded at the thought that she might know more—that she might realize I wasn’t just Leo’s old flame but the widow of Guy Maranga. But her words were pure rage, not informed by any deep knowledge. She didn’t know the truth. Not yet, at least.

But this was a time bomb. If Candace found out I had taken over the Maranga empire, things would only get worse. Right now, she just thought I was Leo’s girlfriend, some minor complication in her twisted revenge.

I noticed movement behind Candace, subtle but unmistakable. Someone was moving silently from tree to tree, drawing closer to her, staying out of her peripheral vision. It was risky, but they were getting into position. Leo, Apollo, and Creed had noticed too; I could tell by the way their eyes flicked to the side, assessing the situation without giving it away.

Leo took a step forward, his voice calm but firm. “Then just take me, Candace. Leave everyone else alone. I’m the one you really want.”

Candace’s lips curled into a wicked grin. “Oh, I’m going to take you, don’t fucking doubt it. You’re my golden ticket into the Maranga Empire.” She practically spat the words out like she already had it all planned. “And when that happens, I’m going to take every inch of your territory and make it mine.”

To the left, I caught sight of another figure. Whoever had been moving behind the trees wasn’t alone. This second person was less cautious, moving too quickly for Candace to miss. My heart stopped when I recognized Clyde stepping out from the side of the house, his gun drawn but too obvious. He wasn’t even trying to hide, his eyes fixed on Candace, no doubt thinking he could help.

Shit. Candace saw him.

Her gun immediately swung toward Clyde, her grip on Bristol loosening as she turned her full attention to this new target.

“Clyde, no!” I shouted instinctively, panic flooding my chest as I watched the barrel of Candace’s gun lock onto him. My mind raced, thinking of what I could do, how to stop this—when suddenly, everything happened at once.

The figure moving behind Candace struck. With the element of surprise on his side, Sig tackled her from behind, his arms wrapping around her in one swift motion. They hit the ground hard, her gun flying out of her hand and skittering across the gravel. Candace screamed in rage, thrashing beneath Sig, but he was stronger, pinning her down with practiced ease.

The second Candace’s grip on Bristol broke, Bristol crumpled to the ground in shock. For a split moment, she just lay there, her hands pressed against the earth like she was trying to ground herself. Then, as if coming back to her senses, she scrambled to her feet and ran up the steps, her breath coming out in gasps.

I caught her just as she reached the top, pulling her into my arms. “You’re okay, Bristol,” I whispered, my voice thick with relief. “You’re safe now. It’s over.”

She sobbed into my shoulder, her whole-body trembling. “I was so scared,” she choked out between tears. “I thought she was going to kill me. I thought—”

“Shh,” I murmured, smoothing my hand over her back in soothing circles. “She’s not going to hurt you. You’re safe. We’ve got you.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sig keeping Candace pinned to the ground. She thrashed, still screaming and cursing, but she was no match for him. Apollo moved in, quickly retrieving her gun from the ground, making sure there were no other weapons hidden on her.

Leo’s eyes were locked on me and Bristol, but as soon as he saw we were okay, he walked over to Sig, his jaw set in that hard, determined way. It was the look of a man ready to deal with any threat to his family, no matter the cost.

“You’re done, Candace,” Leo said, his voice calm but carrying a weight of finality. “It’s over. You’re not taking anything from me, and you’re not hurting anyone else.”

Candace glared up at him, her face twisted in fury. “You think this is over, Leo?” she hissed. “You think I’m the only one? There’s more coming. You’ll never see it coming.”

Leo crouched down next to her, his face inches from hers. “Who? Your buddy Maranga?” he asked.

“Yes!” Candace roared, her voice wild with fury. “He’s coming for you! He’s the one who sent me to kill you. You can kill me, but he’s going to get you!” she screamed, her face twisted in a snarl.

Leo shook his head, glancing back at me with a calm, almost amused look. “I think I might know something that you don’t, Candace,” he taunted, his voice carrying a dark edge.

I leaned down and whispered to Bristol, “Go with Creed, honey.”

Creed moved to Bristol’s side without a word, guiding her closer to the safety of the house. I made my way down the steps toward Leo, Sig, and Candace. My heart pounded, but my face remained calm and controlled. I was ready to put an end to this.

Candace’s crazed eyes locked onto me as I approached, her lips curling into a sneer. “What the fuck do you want, bitch?” she spat. “Like I care about Leo’s pussy!”

My god, this woman was something else. Unhinged. But I wasn’t here to trade insults with her.

I glanced at Sig, giving him a nod. He understood immediately, pressing his knee harder into Candace’s back, pinning her to the ground. With his free hand, he handed me his phone.

I started swiping through the phone, my fingers moving quickly as I searched for the file I needed. The chaos of the moment buzzed around me, but I was focused and determined. When I found it, I stopped and turned the screen toward Candace, my thumb hovering over the play button.

“Recognize this?” I asked, my voice calm but lethal.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, darting between me and the phone. “What the hell is this?” she demanded.

I hit play, and Guy’s voice rang out clearly from the phone speaker. “Hello? Can you hear me?” His voice was unmistakable, deep, and authoritative.

Candace’s face twisted in shock. She looked around wildly, panic creeping into her features. “How the hell did you get that?” she demanded, her voice shaking. “You recorded him when Maranga called me? How?”

I smiled and shook my head slowly. “No, sweetheart. I was there when he,” I made air quotes with my fingers, “called you.”

Her eyes were wide now, panic flooding her expression as she struggled to understand. But I wasn’t done yet.

I opened the chatbox app on Sig’s phone, my fingers flying across the keyboard as I typed out a quick message. Then I hit play again, and Guy’s voice echoed once more.

“You’re a crazy bitch, Candace.”

Her eyes widened even further, darting around the yard, searching for answers. “What... what is this? What’s going on?”

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I typed another message into the phone and hit play. Guy’s voice rang out again, cool and steady. “I died two years ago and left everything to my wife.”

Candace’s mouth fell open, her eyes locking onto mine as realization started to creep in. Slowly, I pointed at myself, letting the truth sink in.

“Nineteen years ago, I married Guy Maranga,” I began with my voice steady as I watched her unravel. “I lived through fucking hell with that man. He beat me, yelled at me, and tried to break my spirit. The shit you were doing to Leo is nothing compared to what he did to me.” I tipped my head to the side, feeling the weight of my past but keeping my composure. “And then he got sick, realizing he had no one more loyal to him than me in this world. Granted, I was loyal out of fear, but I was loyal. He taught me and trained me how to be him. How to continue the Maranga Empire without him here.”

I held up two fingers and watched Candace struggle with the weight of my words. “Two years ago, he died, and no one ever knew. No one knows I run that empire. It’s mine.”

Candace’s face went pale. Her lips parted, but no words came out at first. “But... but...” she sputtered, her mind racing, trying to piece everything together.

“Everything you think you know,” I said, my voice cold and final, “is wrong. You’re not stepping into the Maranga Empire, Candace. You’ve been chasing ghosts. You’ve been running errands for a man who no longer exists. And you sure as hell aren’t taking anything from Leo.”

She shook her head, still trying to deny it and still trying to fight. “That... that can’t be true. Guy... Guy was—”

“Dead,” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “Two years ago. And he left everything to me. When you came to him years ago with intel on the Banachis, he didn’t want it. He knew you were fucking nothing. This was a trap. This is it for you. Done.”

Her body sagged against the ground and Sig’s knee still held her down, but her fight was gone. The realization that everything she thought she knew had been a lie and that her grand plan to take over Leo’s world was nothing more than a fantasy had finally sunk in. She was beaten.

I stepped back and glanced at Leo. He met my gaze and a silent understanding passing between us. It was over.

Candace was still reeling and sputtered once more. “But... but why? Why didn’t anyone know?”

I didn’t answer that. She didn’t deserve to know the full truth. Not anymore. “Maybe you can ask him when you get to hell.”

Leo stepped forward; his face impassive as he looked down at Candace. “You’re done, Candace,” he said quietly. “This is over.”

Candace looked up at him, and her face was a mix of rage and despair. But she didn’t say another word. She knew there was nothing left to say.

Leo didn’t hesitate. He pointed his gun at Candace’s head and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot was deafening, sharp, and final and echoed through the stillness. The bullet hit her square between the eyes, and she was gone instantly—no more screaming, no more threats.

For a brief moment, there was only silence and the weight of everything settled.

“Hey!” Bristol called from behind us as her voice breaking through the quiet. “Can you shoot her one more time for calling me fat? Who the hell says something like that? Pissed me the hell off. First, you kidnap me, and then you call me fat?” Bristol rambled, clearly still agitated.

Leo glanced at me; an eyebrow raised. I shrugged and trying to suppress a laugh.

“I mean,” I said, “she has a point. It was unnecessarily rude.”

Before Leo could respond, another gunshot rang out. This time, it was Sig who had fired his gun pointed at Candace’s lifeless body.

“She was right,” Sig muttered and holstered his weapon. “You can’t be crazy and a bitch.”

“Thank you!” Bristol shouted, clearly pleased. “I’ll make sure you get your own personal cheesecake.”

Leo chuckled and shook his head, stepping away from Candace’s body. It was finally over. The chaos, the threats, the fear—it had all come to an end.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Finally, peace.