My eyes flash to Grace, who stays quiet by Jonathan’s side.How is she so fucking calm? Is she in shock?But then I see what’s in her hand, under Jonathan’s head in her lap, her phone, seconds clocking up, and my heart starts racing.
Jack doesn’t miss it. His eyes track mine to Grace, but before he can take a step toward her?—
Thud.
The door groans open with a tortured squeal, and something heavy hits the floor with a sickening thud. Blood spreads across the bald head and drips on the carpet.
Mason steps over the body, shoulders squared, carrying a bloodstained bat like a loaded gun. His amber eyes lock onto mine, and my heart sinks back into my chest. My body reacts before my mind can catch up, as it always does for him, and I sprint toward him.
But Jack’s faster. His hand shoots out, catching me mid-step, gripping my hair and yanking me back.
“Let. Her. Go.” Mason’s voice rips through the air like a thunderclap as he storms toward us.
“Stay the fuck back, Grant, or I’ll put a hole in your girl.”
My breath catches when the cold metal is shoved into mywindpipe. I purse my lips to bite back the cry. Mason looks like he could tear flesh from bone with nothing but his bare hands. A hint of pain on my part will take his shackles off. And if he comes for Jack now, at least one of us is ending up dead. Me, him, my friends or….
I gasp when Dan walks in, followed by Kane. Jack’s grip on my head tightens, drawing blood from my roots.
“Big fucking mistake, goon,” Mason growls, his fingers twitching at his side, demanding violence. “You are going to lose that arm for touching her. If you want to walk away with the rest of you in one piece, let her the fuck go.”
Daniel steps in front of Mason, in a blue shirt. He places a hand on Mason’s chest, then stalks toward us, slowly.Are they working together now?Grace fidgets on the floor; Jonathan still unconscious; Caden frozen on my right, where I left him.
“Hi, Bean,” Dan tilts his head to scan my face, as if I were a child.
“Hi, Dan,” I murmur, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Heard you were having a rough day. Karma is a bitch, right?” He forces a smile. My eyes fly to Kane and see the bandage on his arm. He looks well. I’m not sure I’ll survive a hole in my face.
“Fuck you,” I mouth to Dan. His lips curl up in a condescending smile.
Satisfied I’m not having a mental breakdown, he finally turns to Jack. “I’m really confused here, Jack. I approved your application for leave this morning. What are you still doing here?”
“Change of plans,” Jack says coldly, pulling me back as Dan takes a deliberate step forward. Mason takes one in sync. “Careful now,sir,” Jack warns. “You don’t want to lose what’s left of your family, do you?”
“If you were going to hurt her, you’d have done it already, Jack.” Dan barks a laugh, taking another step toward us.Is hetrying to get me killed?“How hard is it to kill someone under your twenty-four seven protection? You tried to find all possible workarounds. Convincing me Fort was responsible for the accident, then carefully managing Eva’s admission to Kingsden so you could keep a close eye. You even tried to eliminate him.”
Dan motions toward Mason, and my heart falls.
“Usingmy nameno less, not that I’m complaining,” Dan shrugs, “but Eva’s the only one who saw you. Getting rid of her should have been the easiest decision for a serial criminal. There wasjust one problem, wasn’t there?” Dan’s mouth lifts in a dark smirk. “She looks too much like my mother.”
Jack’s grip shakes in my roots as Dan’s words get under his skin and choke my throat.
“It’s why you couldn’t kidnap her even when she was a child, right?” Dan’s eyes flare. “Robert Berkeley didn’t pick up a blond girl instead of a brunette based on a name tag on a child’s school bag. You gave him the wrong photo. You knew Mum would pay for Grace, too. But my grandfather wouldn’t waste his resources digging the earth to find you for Grace’s sake.Clever, I must admit.”
Jack drags me farther back, my feet sliding on the cold floor.
“And youalmostgot away with it. Only my father wouldn’t let it go.” Dan edges closer.
“Richard deserved what he got,” Jack spits, shaking with anger. “He was supposed to come alone. It was supposed to be just him. It’s his fault Lizzie is dead. He earned that bullet for taking her from me.Again.Like the swine your father was, he fucked everything up.”
Each word he utters feels like a sharp piece of glass driven into my flesh, tearing me open and leaving me raw. The pistol drops from my neck as Jack waves his gun toward Kane, who stands close to Mason like a fly on the wall, attentive but unaffected.
“No offense, mate,” Jack deadpans. “Robert was one of ourbest, but you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perfect cover, though.”
“None taken,” Kane mutters. “It’s not like it worked.”
“It would have.” Jack aims his gun at Dan. My pulse spikes, fingers helplessly twitching to do something,anything. “If only the rich boy had the insight to follow the breadcrumbs I laid out for him in a straight fucking line. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Now, get the fuck out of my way.” Jack pulls my head into his chest, starting toward the back door. “Your father took Lizzie from me. I’m takingheras consolation.”
