Empire of Lies and Flames (Ruins of Power #1)

Chapter 49

JAVIER

Betrayal cuts deeper than any blade and leaves scars no bullet can compare to. It’s not just pain—it’s a hollowing. A black hole in your chest where trust used to live, sucking everything good into its void. And the worst part? It always comes from the people you’d swear on your life would never hurt you. The ones you’d stand in front of a firing squad for.

That day started like any other. Mundane in its dull simplicity, almost insultingly ordinary, except for one glaring detail: we were hunting Henri. I had my coffee, skimmed my notes, and stared at the phone as it buzzed relentlessly on the edge of the desk. I should’ve ignored it, let it ring, let it fall silent like I had every other damn time over the past few days.

“You should pick that up,” Renée said glancing at the phone on the table in front of us. “It’s been ringing all day.”

She got up, crossing the room towards Hael. “But don’t take too long,” She flashed me a smile.

“I won’t,” I said as Hael shot me a quick glance before turning to his right-hand man and continue barking orders I couldn’t here.

I stared at Jackdaw’s name flashing across the phone screen. There was this gnawing pit in my stomach every time his name flashed on the screen. It wasn’t fear or anything, more like a sixth sense. Like my body already knew that whatever he was about to say would strip another piece of my world away.

I sighed, grabbing the phone and pressing it to my ear.

“For a second there, I thought you’d forgotten about me now that you’re so cozy with the Dynasty. Too busy playing house with the royals to answer a call from an old friend, huh?” His voice crackled through the line.

“Don’t start, Jack,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’ve just been busy.”

“Yeah, I heard. The whole town’s buzzing with the news.” He chuckled. “So, how was the raid? What’s the body count? Tell me, is Vincent still alive? Or did you guys put him in the ground?”

“None of your concern,” I said, voice low. Across the room, Hael glanced at me again.

Jackdaw laughed. “Relax, I’m not here to dig into your extracurriculars. But I got what you’ve been looking for. Took me a while But I managed to the surveillance footage from the archives.”

My jaw tightened. Jackdaw had always been a wildcard. If you stayed on his good side, he was useful—hell, even a friend, in his own twisted way. But the man was a sadist. He lived for this—the moment when he could drop a grenade into your life and watch it explode. And today, judging by the smug edge in his voice, he was enjoying himself more than usual.

“You must be dying to know who your sister was with before everything went to hell. Don’t worry, I sent you an email. It’s all there.”

My throat tightened and I glanced over at Renée was laughing at Hael for who knows what. “Jack—”

“How’s your heart, by the way?” He cut me off. “Strong enough, right? Because if I were you, I’d sit down before opening that email. Trust me on this one.”

“Jackdaw!” I growled, but he only chuckled.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Oh, don’t forget to transfer the cash. You know how much I chasing you down for payment.”

And just like that, the line went dead.

Jackdaw was right—I needed a stronger heart, more control over my actions, and the need for vengeance roaring inside me. Because when I opened the file and saw Leila’s face beside Hael’s, the fragile thread holding me together snapped.

Two strides and my fist was driving into Hael’s jaw with force to rattle my bones. The room blurred, the world reduced to crimson rage, to Leila bleeding out in my arms. And this man—this liar—had been the reason.

He didn’t fight back. Not when I slammed him to the floor, not when my knuckles cracked against his face again and again. Hael took every blow in silence, his arms limp at his sides, his expression blank even as blood smeared across his skin. Renée’s screams barely registered, her voice drowned out by the pounding in my ears and the echo of Leila’s cries that haunted my every waking moment.

I hit him harder, again and again, desperate to erase him, to erase the truth he’d hidden from me. He’d made me believe we were allies—maybe even friends. But he’d been the reason my sister was gone, the reason the only family I had left was buried in the ground. And by the look in his eyes, he knew it. He knew exactly why I was breaking his face, and still, he just lay there, letting me vent my fury. That only enraged me further.

Hands grabbed at me, pulling me back. Renée’s frantic voice pierced through the haze, begging me to stop. Hael’s men wrestled me off him, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing would be enough until he was dead.

“I’ll kill you!” I roared, struggling against the arms holding me back. “I’ll fucking kill you!”

Fueled by rage, I twisted free, grabbing the gun from one of the men holding me. Every ounce of pain, every shard of rage I’d buried since Leila’s death led up to this moment. A gun in my hand, the promise I made to her forgotten. Hael sat up slowly, his face bloodied, calm, and resigned.

Good. Let him look me in the eyes as I ended him.

I raised the gun, finger on the trigger, ready to put him in the ground where he belonged. But the shot rang out differently than I expected.

Renée.

She stepped into my line of fire, her eyes wide as the bullet hit her arm. Time slowed.

The gun slipped from my grip.

My entire fucking world collapsed as Renée fell to the floor, clutching her arm, blood spilling between her fingers.

The next hour was a blur. Doctor rushing in, orders shouted over the pounding in my skull. Renée and Hael were wheeled into the infirmary, and I just stood there like an idiom—useless. My chest felt hollow.

I sank onto a bench outside the infirmary, my head in my hands. My palms still stung, knuckles raw from pounding Hael’s face, but I couldn’t feel them. I did notice the sticky warmth spreading across my side. The stitches from my wound—ripped open, bleeding through the shirt. But it didn’t matter. I didn’t feel it. Not the pain, not the throbbing. Nothing. All I could feel was the sick twist in my gut, the replay of Renée stepping into the line of fire. The way her body jerked when the bullet hit.

What had I done?

All she got after I stepped into her beautiful life was pain, betrayal, wounds, and bullets.

That thought clawed at me, over and over, digging deeper with each repetition. I fired the shot. I hurt the only person who looked at me like I wasn’t some goddamn monster. Now because of me—because of my need for vengeance, my inability to think—I’d hurt her.

I’m no better than I was before. No better than the man I’ve been running from my entire life.

And if she doesn’t forgive me for this, I won’t blame her.

What the hell was I supposed to do now?

Hael. His name felt like a venom in my veins. I needed answers now that I knew he was responsible for Leila’s death. He was with her that night. Either he himself had killed her or was involved in the murder. How could I ignore that? How could I sit by and let him walk free while my sister was six feet under? If I did nothing, what kind of brother would that make me? A coward. A traitor to her memory.

But then there was Renée.

Renée, who had stood in front of a bullet meant for Hael. Renée, who trusted me with parts of herself she’d never shown anyone else. She loved Hael. He wasn’t just some name on my list to her; he was her brother, her family. And if I did what every part of me demanded—if I took Hael’s life—what would that do to her?

It would break her. I’d break her.

My jaw clenched so hard it hurt. How the fuck was I supposed to choose between justice for my sister and the woman who had become my entire world? How could I hold a gun to Hael’s head, knowing it would destroy her?

And then there was the question clawing at the back of my mind, the one that made my stomach twist every time I thought about it. Did Renée know? Did she know about Leila? About Hael’s involvement? Was that why she stepped in front of the bullet—because she knew what I’d found out and was trying to protect him?

My head dropped back against the wall, and I let out a shaky breath. My hands wouldn’t stop trembling, covered in Hael’s blood. My shirt was sticky with my own, but none of it mattered.

What the hell was I going to do? If I went after Hael, I’d lose Renée. But if I let him walk, I’d lose myself.

The room felt too small, too suffocating as I stood at the edge of Renée’s bed. My chest tightened with every shallow breath. She looked up at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at her.

“You’re just going to stand there?” She asked.

I looked up and she sighed. “I know why you’re angry, Javier. And you have every right to be.” She said with a soft smile. “But before you make a decision about Hael, you need to talk to him. You need to hear his side.”

My fists clenched at my sides, “What side? He is responsible for her death! He was there! He ran away while she bled out, Renée!”

Renée flinched. “You think he didn’t suffer? You think he doesn’t carry that every single day?” Her voice cracked. “Hael loved her, Javier. He still does.”

I wanted to scoff, to dismiss her words, but the conviction in her tone held me in place.

“I’ve known for a long time,” She continued, her voice softer now. “I saw her pictures in his room since I was much younger. I put it together eventually and Hael confided in me. And when I saw her picture with you in your study…” She paused, her gaze flickering to my face, “I finally understood why Hael was so against you being in my life.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and my throat tightened.

“But I never said anything,” she admitted, looking down at the pendant resting against her chest. Her fingers brushed over it. “Because I didn’t know how to. And because—”

Her voice faltered and she hesitated, her grip on the pendant tightening. “Because I was afraid of what you might do.”

She looked up at me again. “Hael was convinced you were after him, or you’d come after him if you ever found out. And he thought you were using me to get to him, that this was all about revenge. He wanted me to stay away from you. But I didn’t believe him. And you proved him wrong, Javier.”

Her words softened something inside me, though the painful knot in my chest was still there.

“You didn’t use me. You didn’t hurt me. You loved me. And you held onto this.” Her fingers curled around the pendant. “Even after I had forgotten about this, forgotten your face—” A soft laugh escaped her. “I didn’t even know your name. But all these years, you kept it safe. And you gave it back to me.”

She smiled extending her hand for me. I took it and sank beside her on the edge of the bed.

“You were my knight in shining armor fourteen years ago when you jumped into that lake.” Her thumb brushed across the back of my hand. “And you are my savior now, fourteen years later, when you saved me from Vincent.”

Her hand rose to my face, cradling it gently, forcing me to meet her gaze. “And I jumped in front of Hael because I couldn’t let you make a mistake you’d never forgive yourself for.”

Her voice dropped, to a barely audible whisper. “I get it, Javier. You’re hurt. You’re angry. But Hael isn’t your enemy. He loved Leila, he loved her so much. Talk to him. Let him tell you his side of the story.”

Her hand tightened against mine. “Whatever you decide I’ll stand by you.”

“I love you, Javier.” She smiled. “But I can’t let you destroy yourself with this.”

The door opened before I could convince myself to turn around. Hael stood there, looking worse than I expected. His bruises were still dark, his split lip raw. The dark circles under his eyes made him look like he hadn’t slept in days. I almost smirked. He looked like hell, and I guess I wasn’t much better.

“Didn’t expect you to show up,” he said flatly. He didn’t invite me in with words, just stepped aside, letting me in.

The place looked too clean, too perfect.

He grabbed a bottle from the counter, poured two glasses, and slid one across the table towards me. He dropped into the chair opposite me.

We sat in silence. But I could feel his anger; hell, I was drowning in my own.

“You look like shit.” I finally said, taking a sip of the whiskey.

Hael snorted. “Didn’t think you had it in you to throw a punch like that.”

“Yeah, well, you had it coming.” I shot back.

His jaw clenched, and for a moment we just stared at each other.

“I get your anger. You have every reason to be.” He finally said.

“Anger? I want to fucking wipe you off the face of this earth!” I set my glass down. “You were there. You were with her. And when it mattered, you ran. Don’t you dare deny you deserve every damn hit you got.”

Hael’s jaw clenched. For a second, I thought he might throw the glass at me. Instead, he downed the rest of his drink and slammed it on the table. “You think I don’t live with that every single day? That I don’t wake up and see her face every goddamn time I close my eyes?” His voice cracked, just a little.

“Good,” I snapped. “You should. You should remember every second of that night.”

“You think I just left her?” His voice dropped; his glass hit the table with a sharp crack. “I didn’t run because I wanted to. She was the one who told me to run, Javier. She—” He broke off, pacing a few steps before slamming his fist against the chair. “She had jumped in front of me. The bullet wasn’t meant for her—it was meant for me.”

I froze.

“She saved my life.” Hael continued, his voice trembling now. “And I couldn’t do anything. My guards had dragged me out. And by the time I broke free, it was too late, and you—” He looked at me, his eyes dark, haunted, almost as if he was reliving that exact moment. “You were there. You saw what was left.

His words hit harder than I wanted to admit. I stood; my fists clenched at my sides. “You don’t get to use her as an excuse. You don’t get to stand here and pretend like you’re the victim. You let her die.”

Hael’s face twisted in anger, his fists clenched at his sides. “I didn’t let her die!” he shouted, stepping closer. “You think I haven’t paid for it? You think I haven’t tried to—” He stopped himself.

He didn’t finish his sentence, I didn’t care. I didn’t care which bullet was meant for who because my sister was the one who took it. My sister was the one six feet under and I couldn’t find it in myself to care for the man who put her in that situation.

I didn’t care what he tried to end; I didn’t care about his guilt or his pain, no matter how much he wallowed in it. All I could see when I looked at him was her—gone because of him.

And I didn’t care how miserable he looked or how defeated seemed.

I just wanted to hurt him.

“You are a fucking coward,” I said, my voice cold. “That’s all you’ve ever been. Hiding behind your guilt, letting other people bleed for your failures. Always the coward. Letting someone else take the fall while you sit there, pretending you’re the victim. And my sister—” I leaned in closer. “You didn’t just let her pay for your mistakes—you practically handed her over to your enemies.”

And then he moved.

The punch came fast, splitting my lip and snapping my head to the side. Pain flared but it didn’t stop me. Didn’t even slow me down.

I swung back, landing a blow to his jaw. The impact was satisfying but not enough.

“You don’t get to act righteous,” I snarled, shoving him back into the wall. Something cracked—maybe the drywall, maybe his pride. I didn’t care. “You killed her as much as that bullet did. Own it, you spineless bastard!”

“Shut your goddamn mouth!” he roared, shoving me hard enough that I stumbled back, slamming into the edge of the table.

It toppled over, sending a glass crashing to the floor. I barely registered it before Hael was on me again, landing another punch to my ribs.

I drove my elbow into his side, wrenching a sharp grunt from him before I tackled him to the ground. The two of us rolled, fists flying, breaking anything in our path. A lamp shattered, a chair splintered, but neither of us cared.

We fought like animals, raw and reckless until our bodies gave out and we collapsed on the floor, panting and bruised.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence, save for our ragged breaths.

“I needed that,” I muttered, exhausted and in pain.

Hael huffed out a bitter laugh, wiping the blood from his lip. “You deserved it.”

He didn’t argue. Neither did I.

We lay there on the floor in silence, until my phone buzzed. I fished it out of my pocket, the screen spiderwebbed with cracks but somehow was still working.

Hael glanced at me as I answered, his brow arched.

“Hi, love,” I said, keeping my as steady as possible as Renée’s voice came through. “No, no, I’m fine,” I lied, sighing. “Yeah, I’ll make it. Don’t worry, I’ll let Hael know.”

I ended the call, shoving the battered phone back into my pocket. Hael didn’t say anything, just stared like he was trying to decide if punching me again would be worth the energy.

“Renée invited us for dinner,” I said flatly and he nodded. “She also said she couldn’t reach you,” I informed and he pulled out his phone, the screen was shattered, and the phone was completely dead.

Hael grunted, then pushed himself to his feet, extending a hand to pull me up. “Let’s hit the infirmary.”

“And grab new phones before dinner.” I chuckled.

We barely managed to stumble toward the door, half-limping, half-dragging each other.

When we walked into the restaurant, we might as well have announced we’d just crawled out of a fight club. Hael and I looked like we’d been dragged backward through hell—bandages, bruises, split lips, the works. Renée turned to us the second we stepped inside, and I swear, for a moment, her brain just... short-circuited.

She didn’t say a word, just stood there, blinking at us like we’d ruined her day by simply existing. And honestly, we probably had. Between her bandaged arm and the two of us looking like we’d barely survived a bar brawl, we weren’t exactly the picture of normalcy.

But the real kicker came when the hostess, after taking one long, pitying look at the three of us, offered us an army veteran discount. That was it. Hael and I completely lost it, laughing so hard I thought I’d crack a rib. Renée, on the other hand, looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. She shot us a glare that should’ve set us on fire, muttering something I couldn’t hear over the sound of Hael wheezing next to me.

And honestly? It was worth every awkward stare we got in that place. For the first time in what felt like ages, we laughed—really laughed. It wasn’t perfect, and Renée looked like she might actually kill us later, but in that moment, it felt... okay.