Cut turned around, dropping his touch to land on my lower back. He didn’t hold me in place, but I wasn’t idiotic to think I wasn’t trapped and unable to move.
“I’m doing what needs to be done.”
Jasmine wheeled herself right up to Cut’s knees. Her beautiful face pinched with disbelief. “No! That isn’t your task. It’s Jet—I mean, Daniel’s.”
Cut narrowed his eyes, looking between the two of us. “Fuck.” He ducked down, grabbing his daughter roughly by the chin. “You knew, too. You knew all the fuck along Jethro and Kestrel were alive.” He shook her. “What sort of daughter are you? What sort of loyalty do you have toward your own flesh and blood?”
Jasmine chopped her hands on Cut’s wrists, breaking his hold on her cheeks. “My loyalty is to the right thing. And this is not right! Stop it. Right now.”
Cut chuckled. “There is so much you don’t know, Jaz, and so much you’ll never learn. You’re a failure and no longer a fucking Hawk. The moment I’ve dealt with Nila, I’ll deal with you. What’s good about family if it’s the same family that does everything possible to destroy itself?”
Snapping his fingers, he growled at the brother who’d just arrived.
The man skidded through the doors, breathing hard as if he’d been at war rather than on whatever errands the club did.
My eyes met his. Dark floppy hair and kindness hid beneath ruthless.
Flaw.
My heart leapt, hope unspooling.
I had many enemies in this room but two people I cared about and trusted might be all I needed against Cut and his blade.
“Flaw, take my daughter to the back of the room. She’s to watch from a safe distance and not to leave, understood?”
Flaw glanced at me. Secrets collided in his gaze before looking resolutely away. Nothing in his posture apologised or promised he would try to prevent the future. He merely nodded and clasped his hands around the handles of Jasmine’s wheelchair. “Yes, sir.”
Flaw...?
What had I done to warrant his sudden coolness?
Backing away, he dragged Jasmine with him.
She screeched and jammed on her brakes, leaving large grooves and tyre marks on the elegant floor. “No!”
“Don’t argue, Ms. Hawk.” Flaw dragged her faster toward the border of the room.
I couldn’t believe he’d abandoned me. Wouldn’t he at least try to argue for my life?
Jasmine made eye contact with me, fighting Flaw’s yanking, shaking her head in despair. “Nila...where is he? Why isn’t he stopping this?”
Jethro.
She means Jethro.
I wanted to tell her everything, but there was too much to that question and I had no strength to answer it. She didn’t need to know what happened in Africa. She had her own issues to face once I’d departed this world at the hands of her father.
I shook my head, a sad smile on my lips. “I’m sorry, Jaz. I tried. We bothdid.”
Tears welled, catching on her eyelashes. “No. This can’t be happening. I won’t let it.” She reached behind her, trying to slap Flaw and scratch his hands from dragging her farther. “Let me go!”
With jerky movements, he bent angrily and hissed something unintelligible in her ear.
She froze.
Flaw used her sudden motionlessness to yank her the rest of the way.
What had he said?
