"You kept this from me?" My voice comes out so low it barely registers as human. My knuckles are already going white, bloodseeping out of the scab from the split skin where I punched the heavy bag last night.
Steele’s mouth never moves. "There was no need for you to know, Mr. Ellis. You were never intended to make it personal."
I drag my hand back, wipe the blood on the inside of my jacket. Bam waits, shifting his weight from one leg to another while he watches me. He’s seen what happens when I go off script. Usually he’s the only one who can stop it.
Harrington finally glances over, his face the same mask of careful cruelty I've seen in every one of these cock sucking motherfuckers since I was two feet tall. He doesn't speak. Just watches me, like I’m an interesting new disease he wants to study and sell to the highest bidder.
"You executed her mother. You erased her. And you waited until now to drop it in her lap?"
Harrington leans back in his chair, hands folded across his stomach. "Calm yourself, Colton. Did you think your little fixation was an accident? We’ve been grooming her return since the day her mother ran. I don’t expect you to thank me, but I will accept your obedience."
The words set something loose in my chest, a hot coil unwinding until it’s all I can do not to lunge across the table and tear the old man’s tongue out. I don’t move, at least not right away. But my body is already deciding for me. The space between us narrows with each breath.
Rhett’s the first to speak. His voice is quieter than I expect, almost cold enough to freeze the anger in my gut. "This is over the line, even for the Board."
Steele doesn’t turn his head. "You are guests here. Remember your place."
Julian hasn’t moved since Eve left, but his eyes are darting between the Board members, watching every weakness, every shift in posture, every nervous glance that could be leveraged later. He’s already five moves ahead, but right now he’s letting the violence play out.
I step closer to the table, and for a split second, I see the ghost of my father’s face in the shine beneath me. The urge to stomp out every inch of it is overwhelming.
I don’t hesitate. I launch myself across the table, hands outstretched, fingers splayed for a throat I want nothing more than to crush. But Bam’s faster… always is. He catches me mid-air, arms locking around my chest like a vice, lifting me off my feet and pinning my shoulders together until the only thing I can do is snarl and kick.
"Let me go," I spit, voice raw.
Bam says nothing. His arms tighten, crushing the air from my lungs. The scent of blood and sweat fills the space between us, and for a second, I forget what I’m fighting for.
I whip my head back, catch him in the chin. He grunts, but doesn’t let go. Instead, he shifts his weight, dragging us backwards and into the wall behind, my chest taking the brunt of it. The pain is electric. It’s what I need.
“Stop it, Colt. This is what they want.”
Julian finally stands, smoothing the lapels of his jacket. He addresses the Board with a smile that never reaches his eyes. "You should be more careful with your pets, Steele. They bite when cornered."
Harrington laughs, just a soft exhale. "That’s what makes them valuable. Violence is the only currency that matters here."
Rhett moves to my side, his hand on my shoulder. The touch isn’t gentle, but it’s enough to ground me. "Save it," he says. "We need you more than we need revenge."
I go still, every muscle rigid, but I force myself to breathe. Bam waits until my body stops thrashing before letting me go. I barely notice the handprint he leaves on my arm.
Steele stands, his presence icy. "Your tantrum is noted. But the Hunt will proceed as planned. Miss Allen’s fate was sealed the day she was born. As was yours."
"Fuck you," I say, the words acid in my throat.
Steele shrugs. "Such language. You disappoint your lineage, Mr. Ellis."
I want to leap again, but Bam and Rhett both have hands on me now, anchoring me to the marble and the reality of our situation.
Julian steps forward, bowing slightly to the Board. "If you’re done trying to provoke us, we have preparations to make." He looks at me, then at Bam, then at Rhett. "We know what you’re capable of. Let’s not waste it on the likes of them."
Harrington stands, pushing his chair back with a deliberate scrape. "Remember, Colton. She was always meant for you. Consider it my gift to your father for finding where her mother settled down, keeping the bloodlines pure."
My hands curl into fists so tight I feel something pop in my palm. I want to create a flood of his blood, but I settle for the pain.
Steele waves a dismissive hand. "This meeting is over. Control yourself, or we will."
Bam tugs me toward the door, his arm behind me back, forcing me out. I go, but not willingly. Every step is a war.
At the threshold, I hear Harrington’s final taunt: "We’ll be watching, Colton. Don’t disappoint us."
