Page 71 of Protective Phlox

“Stay with me, Savannah. The ambulance is on its way,” he said, looking down at me before he turned to yell at the guards. It was all ringing in my ears as light-headedness began to set in. I squeezed his arm as hard as my fingers would let me and was thankful that I could still move and feel my hands and feet.

As soon as Goran looked back, I knew what I wanted to say but couldn’t find the right words.

“Tell them I love them.” It was all I could come up with as his face blurred.

“Don’t you dare pass out, Savannah. You’re going to tell Nathan yourself and think of Cutter. He needs you to fight. Fucking fight.”

I clung to his words. The thought of my son and how his face lit up when I walked into the room gave me purpose. The memories of Nathan’s lips on mine and his finger on my cheek, as he told me how beautiful I was, gave me courage. I clung to that and more, even as darkness crept over my vision.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

NATHANIEL

The guards standing outside my father’s office doors hesitated when they looked at my hand and saw my gun.

“If you want to live, get the fuck out of my way,” I snarled. They looked at one another before stepping to the side. He was dead. Those three words were on repeat in my mind. Instead of opening the double doors, I hauled off and kicked them so hard that the latch gave and broke away from the wood as they slammed against the wall. The bang was like a shotgun going off.

My father, Ronan, Titus, and the guards standing inside all jumped. Titus’s dogs stood at attention and stared at me, along with everyone else.

“What the hell is the meaning of this,” my father said, and all I saw was red. Lifting my gun, I shot at the massive bust that sat on a pedestal behind my father. It exploded, sending little bits of debris flying in all directions. Everyone took cover then. My father ducked down behind his desk while Ronan and Titus slid off their chairs and used them as shields. The next thing destroyed was the grandfather clock that sat in the corner. It had been in my father’s family for generations. He loved that thing more than he loved his barely legal women and alcohol. Three shots to the face and the gears came to a halt.

The room became deadly quiet as everyone peered at me from their hiding spots. My father’s loyal guards recovered the fastest and had their guns out but seemed unsure if they should point them at me.

Titus slowly stood from where he’d ducked down and stared at me with his hands up.

“Easy, brother,” he said like he was trying to calm one of his dogs.

Only the winds of a hurricane could’ve caused as much of a reaction from them all so quickly. My chest heaved with every breath. The adrenaline and firey rage flowed freely through my body. I could taste my father’s death on my tongue as it burned up my throat.

“Nathaniel, have you lost your fucking mind?” Ronan barked at me.

“That’s a funny question, considering our father not only sold me out but would kill any of us if it suited him,” I growled.

My father stood, his face red, eyes wary, but he still wore the same mask of self-importance that I’d always known.

“What the hell are you talking about,” Father asked. I made a show of putting the safety on my gun so his guards didn’t shoot me as I marched for his desk. Ronan placed his hand on my shoulder when I got close enough, and even though he didn’t say anything, he must have sensed that there was a good chance I would leap across the desk. I wanted to. To feel his gasp as the life faded from his eyes was all I wanted right now.

“Are you denying it?”

“I think you’ll find any excuse to turn on me. You have an uncontrollable temper, Nathaniel, and it is always aimed in my direction.”

I smiled, and it turned into a laugh that held no true joy or humor. “Such a good actor. At one time, I would’ve believed you. I might even have agreed with you. But now I know it’s not in my head.”

I hit play on the message and watched his face carefully. He didn’t react much, but he paled and sat down. It was his way of conceding that it was indeed him, but I knew he would find a way to justify what he’d done just like he always did.

The message came to an end, and the room remained silent. Ronan and Titus wore the same shocked expression while my father organized paperwork on his desk.

“Jesus fuck. Is that how you really feel,” Titus asked as he glared at our father. Even Ronan, who had been steadfastly loyal, looked taken aback by what he heard. “We’re all just expendable? You were willing to let Nathan’s son die if it suited you? Your grandson?”

“Obviously, I played it up to Romeo. It was a power move the family needed.” I lunged for the desk, and Ronan grabbed me and held me back.

“Are you still on his side? What if it was your family he leveraged? Would you be so fucking loyal then,” I snarled like an animal at my brother.

“No, of course, I think it’s wrong, but I want to hear what he has to say,” Ronan said. I stepped back but yanked out of his hold and shook my head at him.

“All you want is to hear something that you can use to justify his actions. Then you can go back to being the favorite son, and he can pat you on the head every time you jump when he orders.”