He doesn’t need to know that.
He cowers and screams as Princess slithers over to him. “Stand back,” I pretend to command the snake. “Don’t strike yet.”
My wrists swing free as Cosette enters the room.
I’m going to kill Montague, then I’m going to kill my fucking brother.
She stares at me, and I hold her gaze. My heart swells at the sight of how beautiful and courageous she is, but goddamn, I don’t want her here.
“You!” Montague holds up a fist, but when Princess gets closer, he whimpers and stands back. “Do something!” he yells at his useless bodyguards. They flounder helplessly, unwilling to get any closer to a ball python.
“I’d say it’s nice to meet you,” Cosette says calmly. “But I don’t like to lie.”
“You,” Montague rages. “You’re as despicable as your mother.”
“Me?” Cosette says, her eyes the picture of innocence. “I’ve done nothing to hurt you. I’m not quite sure why you hate me so.”
He pulls himself to his full height and points an irate finger at her. “You should never have happened. I have no daughter!”
“Oh,” she says with a nod, “but youdo.Just because I don’t fit in with your plan doesn’t mean I don’t exist. But I don’t need your acceptance. I don’t need your money. I have become who I amwithout your aid, and I’m proud of that.” She shakes her head sadly. “Parents should never reject their children. I spent many years mourning what could have been.” She smiles proudly and lifts her chin. “But no more. You left me, and that was your loss, not mine.”
My own chest swells with pride. Montague, however, shakes with fury.
“Get them!”hespits out to one of his guards, but he’s shit out of luck, because his guard takes one look at Princess and whimpers.
I look at Princess and issue a loud command.“Kill.”
Montague’s bodyguard screams and runs from the snake who’s as harmless as a kitten.
Cosette looks across the room to me. “Lyam!”
In a flash, she whips her hand and throws me a gun. I catch it mid-air.
I point the gun. “My family deserves this retribution. Hell,Ido.” I draw in a breath. Cosette is innocent. She deserves to know that she means more to me than anything.
After everything he’s put us through, I want him to suffer. I want him to feel the physical torture I have and the emotional torture she has, but sometimes, justice takes another form.
“Promise us you’ll never come after us again. You’ll make a public statement that my family has done no harm to the citizens of Paris, withdraw your candidacy, and tender your resignation from your current role. Then we will never, ever see you again.”
Thayer shakes his head. “Lyam, are you out of your mind? Think of what this man has done to you. You’re just going to let him go like that, scot-free? Jesus, brother…”
Acid stings the back of my throat, raw nerves and adrenaline fueling me. I shake my head. “He’s her father.” I swallow. “And I love her.”
Her eyes meet mine, and in that gaze is forgiveness and understanding. We’ll bury a world of hurt and build a new life together.
Montague fumes, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head and instead of responding to my offer, he pounces. He grabs Cosette by the arm.
Motherfucker.
I would have let him go. Against every fiber of mybeing,I was going to let the motherfucker go.
But he just put his fucking hands on her.
“Let her fucking go,” I say, my gun pointed at him.
He brandishes her like a shield. I can’t get a good shot in.
He won’t hurt her. I won’t let him.
