"Luca." My brother looks up, and I see the guilt immediately. He's part of this. Whatever Silas has planned, Luca's involved. My father has to be rolling over in his grave.
"Blake." His voice is rough, uncertain. "I tried to warn you. Tried to get you to leave before.”
"Before what?" I ask, though I'm starting to understand.
"Before I eliminate the obstacles preventing our family from controlling this town completely." Silas closes the door behind us and locks it. "The Kingsley board. Edmund's children. Everyone who might oppose our consolidation of power."
“Silas, we do back-door deals with half of the people in that ballroom. Your big plan is to commit a mass murder on Christmas Eve and kill them all? ”
"I'm planning a strategic elimination during an unfortunate accident." Silas moves to the windows, looks down at the party continuing below. "A fire, specifically. Your favorite tactic.”
“Jesus, Silas.”
“It’ll start in this wing, spreading rapidly through accelerant-soaked materials. Then, in the chaos of evacuation, certain high-value targets will be... delayed. Trapped. They’ll be tragic casualties of a terrible accident."
My stomach drops. "You're going to burn them alive."
"I'm going to burn this building. What happens to the people inside depends on how quickly they evacuate." Silas turns back to me. "But you, nephew, you're here for a different reason. I held a family meeting that you purposely avoided, and now you’ve forced my hand. I need to know if you're with the family or against us.”
"You already know the answer."
"Do I?”
“I’ve got the same last name as you.”
“I’m the one who brought you home after you tried to annihilate one of my businesses, but now you’re keeping the Quinn girl from me. Disobeying orders. It doesn’t feel like family loyalty.” Silas's voice hardens. “Remember, your father made the same mistake going rogue, and it got him killed."
“No, you killed him," I say quietly. "Because he was going to expose your trafficking operations. You knew that he was the only person who could convince Nonno of your treachery.”
Luca's head snaps up. "What?"
"Didn't know that part, did you?" I look at my brother. "Our father, the man you idolized, was murdered by our uncle because he didn’t want to be in the business of buying and selling people."
"That's a lie," Luca says, but his voice wavers.
"It's the truth. Ask Silas since he's feeling so honest tonight."
“Silas?” Luca simply says.
"Your father was sentimental and weak.” Silas shrugs. “If the streets hadn’t gotten to him first, he would have destroyed everything we built trying to save people who were already lost. Capitalism doesn’t work without a hierarchy.”
I stare at my little brother as if to say, ‘See.’
“So you didn’t do it?” Luca asks, hoping for a definitive denial from the snake in the grass.
Silas ignores Lucas’s question and pulls out his phone, checking something. "We have ten minutes until the fire starts. Timers are set. Accelerant is placed. The exits from the east wing will be locked remotely, and anyone who doesn't evacuate fast enough will meet an untimely end.”
"You'll kill innocent people."
"There are no innocent people in Wintervale, especially at this fucking party. Only players and pawns. Your girl understood that when she claimed her inheritance downstairs. Quite the performance, by the way. Very dramatic."
Of course, he knows. Silas has eyes everywhere. The reason I know is because Talia texted me the moment Peyton took the mic. I wish I could have seen her stand in her new power and tell the world who she is and why they should all be very fucking afraid. Instead, I’m stuck on this side of the house, trying to devise a way to talk down a raging maniac.
"Let me guess," I say. "You're going to offer me a choice. Follow your lead or burn with them."
"I'm offering you a chance to prove your loyalty. Help me ensure certain targets don't make it out. Use your knowledge of the building, your combat training, to make sure the right people die. Do that, and you remain part of this family. Refuse, and you're just another obstacle to be removed."
"You want me to help you commit murder? You think I’d actually agree to that?”
