Fire burns through my veins, refusing to be doused by any reminder of the cards in my hand. Still, I pry my fingers from him and take a step back, away from him and the desk.I’m winning, I tell myself.Jonathan Whitlock Sr. will die tonight, and I will be the one who kills him.
I fold my hands behind my back to keep from wringing his neck. “It’s a pity what happened to Osman Pharmaceuticals, losing their technology and research.” I whistle and cock my head to the side as he climbs back onto the chair. “That must have cost their investors a pretty penny. I do hope you weren’t helping them out.”
Jonathan’s mouth parts as realization dawns on his paling face. “You?”He scoffs. “You couldn’t have possibly done it.”
“You’re right. I’m too stupid. I couldn’t possibly have made several copies of a certain hard drive, then mailed it out to each major pharmaceutical company and news outlet in the world. No, no.” I shake my head and pout. “I’m too much of a nothing to do anything like that.” I tap my temple. “Like you said, the drugs turned my brain to rot.”
In a move that sends dark ripples through my bones, he gives me a disbelieving huff and raises his chin. “Don’t flatter yourself,Marie. There is no universe where you could have achieved something like that. You lack intelligence.”
My fingers tremble behind my back. He’s fucking right, but I’ve made my peace with it. Still, I hate that my own grandfather doesn’t think I could be capable of anything. “I’m not. But Kohen is. You know Kohen Osman, right?”
“Howdare you, you ungrateful little brat.” He slaps the arm of his chair as he rises to his feet. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me?”
“You’ve donenothingfor me.” I sneer.
“Nothing?” He raises a brow, stormy eyes burning into mine. “What do you think would have happened if I left you with nothing but your mother and waste-of-space father?”
“I’d end up exactly like my mother if I was raised by the likes of you. But nobody fucking raised me, and now you’re in the center of the public eye for your failed investments. And let’s not forget about the tax the IRS found that you forgot to pay.”
I want to see him riled up. I want to see him angry beyond measure. I want him to choke on the rage I’ve been bottling since I was old enough to walk. I want all these things, but mainly, I want him wiped from this earth.
“But I’m not done,” I say, low and unbidden. Our happy little reunion is over. The corner of his eye twitches as they narrow on me. “You’re going to die tonight.”
Five words. That’s all it takes for the bloodlust to rewind its way around my heart and braid into my veins. It pushes aside the blurry-eyed fury and hones my emotion into a single-minded weapon. Forthe first time tonight, actual fear twists his features, and he becomes the prey that he is.
Until he doesn’t. Until it comes crashing down, and all my fears come alive.
We glance at the table simultaneously, and I realize my first mistake. I didn’t keep my emotions in check.
The second…?
My grandfather leaps for the gun faster than I can. The weapon makes it into his hand just as Kohen steps into the room.
The third mistake comes from a bloodcurdlingbangfollowing one word.
One cry as Kohen lunges across the room.
“Blaze!”
Then he drops onto the floor, and his head rolls to the side.
“Kohen,” I whisper, frozen to my spot as I watch his black hoodie soak up the blood pooling on his lower abdomen.
I can’t fucking breathe.
He isn’t moving.
I can’t see his chest—
No.
No.
No, no, no, no.
Fuck.
He—he can’t. He fucking can’t be—
