It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell Xaden I wasn’t the one who took the three people he loved most from him, but I don’t think he can handle that truth right now.
“It appears you now know the truth, my dear,” Lorenzo says, breaking the silence. I don’t look over at him, I keep my focus on the table. “It doesn’t change the deal that was made. You now belong to Kellan and will leave here with him.” I wait for Xaden to say something, but this time he doesn’t utter a word or even move.
“Well, now that we have settled that and you have both named yourselves as the continuing bosses and agreed not to allow the girl to lead, I see no reason why we can’t finalize the rest of the details another night,” Franks says, then stands. I close my eyes and pray for mercy. I don’t want to go with them, but no one here is going to save me. The only person who could have is so far out of his own head right now he doesn’t even knowwhere he is. “It’s a shame a partnership had to be formed on the loss of lives but nevertheless, what is done is done.”
“Let’s go, Toren,” Kellan snaps. I push back from the table and stand. I meet Kellan’s gaze and feel nothing but a deep hatred for the boy I once loved.
“The Devlin Cosa Nostra ismine,” Xaden states matter of factly. I look down at him to see he is still staring at the pendant I thought his sister had given me.
“You aren’t fit to lead,” Lorenzo hisses.
“Step down, Lorenzo.” Xaden’s tone is filled with a hard edge as he finally lifts his head and locks eyes with his father.
The latter looks furious and is turning a crimson shade of red. “I built this empire. It’s mine, boy.”
“It was meant to be hers!” Xaden roars, then slams his fist down on the table, making me jump.
“And now it will never pass down to you because your spiteful ass couldn’t die like you were supposed to!” Lorenzo looks stunned he let that slip, but conceals it quickly.
“Masen, let’s go,” Dad snaps and quickly gets to his feet, dragging my brother with him. Kellan shoots me an annoyed look that promises this isn’t over as he’s dragged out by his own father, leaving me alone with Cas, Xaden and his father,
“What the fuck did you do?” Xaden roars as he shoves back from the table and sends his chair clattering to the ground. Lorenzo matches his move. Xaden takes a step toward his father but is forced to a stop when Lorenzo pulls a gun and points it at his chest.
“No!” I scream. Cas wraps an arm around me and holds me back.
“You should have died that night, not her,” his father spits.
“I wish it was me.”
“So the fuck do I, then I wouldn’t have had to make a new deal with that cocksucker Kellar.”
“What fucking deal did you make, Lorenzo?” My eyes widen when I see Xaden’s hand slowly reach behind him. He subtly lifts his shirt and I see the hilt of a knife in his waistband.
“If you and that bastard son of his just died that night, then everything would have been fine,” he yells, making me slam back into Cas in fright.
“You and Kellar planned to kill off your sons that night, didn’t you?” Xaden’s question robs me of air.
“A show of faith. We needed to prove that we could trust each other. What better way to do that than wipe out the next generation that carries our name.” Pain lances my chest. How could a parent sacrifice their own child for power?
“Those fucks in Hollow Hills have something on you both, don’t they?” For the first time since they started arguing, Lorenzo looks affected. It sickens me that out of everything that has been revealed, that’s what gets him to react. My own father was a part of this. That’s why he called Masen and texted me to stay at the party. They both planned for their sons to die that night. I hear the sound of police sirens in the distance.
“You won’t be around long enough to find out.” I watch in slow motion as Lorenzo moves his index finger to the trigger. A scream rips free of me, but Xaden moves faster. Before Lorenzo can squeeze the trigger, Xaden has his knife out and glides it across his father’s throat. My scream of panic turns to a fear-filled one. Blood sprays across Xaden’s front, soaking him in his own father’s blood.
“I won’t stop until I take down every single motherfucker that had a hand in taking my sister from me. I am the head of this family now,” he declares as his father drops to his knees, gripping his throat. The door bursts open behind us. Shouts ring out, then Cas is pushing me to the ground and using his own body to shield me as gun shots ring out around us. The sound ofthe sirens is closer now. So much is happening and I can’t focus or even think through the fear coursing through me.
“When I count to three, you’re going to run to that door and don’t look back,” Cas says in my ear.
“I can’t,” I choke out in terror.
“We stay here, we die,” he says sternly. “One… Two… Three!” He rolls off me. I push to my feet and run. I hear bullets whizzing past me, but I don’t look back. I shove the door open and run. I hear Cas behind me. He grabs my arm, then begins tugging me behind him as we run through the house, avoiding fucking being shot. He opens a door and it leads to the outside. He tugs me after him and I lose my footing but catch myself at the last second.
“Caspian,” I call out as he pulls me into the woods behind the house. I can’t see anything in here, it’s too dark.
“Run. If we stop, we’re dead.” I push myself to keep up with him. Through my fear I can’t help but think of Xaden. In the middle of the woods I see an old shack. Cas releases my hand and runs toward it, then yanks the door open. He pulls a tarp off a car that’s hidden inside, then turns to me. “Get in, don’t stop for anyone.”
I reel back. “What?”
He runs toward me, grabs my arm then drags me over to the car. “I have to go back for him, Toren.”
