Chapter 28
Brax
Several Days Later
Steam curls through the bathroom doorway, drifting across the hardwood floor.
Valentina stands in front of the mirror, head tilted, towel wrapped around the ends of her dark hair as she rubs gently, trying not to tangle it.
The morning light spills across her bare shoulders, softening the sharp edges of her exhaustion and illuminating the bruise of worry under her eyes.
Several days have passed since we discovered what the Omni wanted to do to her. Those images of her on the operating slab still claw at the back of my mind in the quiet moments. I haven't slept more than two hours at a time since that night, but I hide my fear from her.
She drops the towel and reaches for the blow dryer. When she catches my reflection in the mirror, her lips curve gently. She murmurs, "You're watching me again."
I step behind her. My lips brush her neck. "Can't help it. You're the best thing in this fucked-up penthouse."
Her lips twitch. "This is a fucked-up penthouse?"
"You know what I mean, Minx," I offer, feeling like the walls are closing in on me. Ever since Kirill ordered none of us to leave, I've felt like a caged animal. I'm not used to not being able to come and go freely. And all the threats surrounding us aren't helping.
Sean had new computers arrive the day after we got here. After ensuring they weren't bugged, we set up shop in Kirill's office, the two of us spending most of our hours online, but not getting any further than before.
"Hopefully we can go home soon," she says, but neither of us knows how long this is going to last.
I slide my hands around her waist and kiss her cheek. "I'm going to go wait for the O'Connors."
She smiles. "Okay."
I give her another peck, then step back.
She turns on the hair dryer, tugging a wet brush through her long strands.
I give her a final glance before I change my mind and drag her into bed instead. I leave the bedroom, heading toward Kirill's office. The corridor stretches long and silent, every step echoing the tension of the last few days.
Sean is already inside, pacing like a caged wolf. Kirill stands near the windows, arms crossed, jaw tight, staring at the skyline as if mentally mapping out where he wants to watch the Underworld burn from.
"You ready?" I ask.
Kirill doesn't look away from the glass. "Yep."
A knock pounds against the door hard enough to rattle the hinges.
Four large Irishmen fill the threshold, broad-shouldered, thick-armed, unmistakably O'Connor. Brody steps inside first. A scar drags along his cheekbone, disappearing into the scruff of his jaw. His accent hits the air like a fist.
"Well, lads," he announces, sweeping the room with an assessing glare. "Which one of ya wants to tell us why ya dragged us out here? And the reason had better be worth the bloody airfare."
Behind him, Aidan flicks a lighter open, holds the flame too long, then snaps it shut with a smirk.
Devin and Tynan step inside last, both watching everything with expressions that say they're just as curious and annoyed that they don't have any information on why they got summoned halfway across the world.
Kirill closes the door and gestures toward the seats. "Please. Sit."
Aidan flicks the lighter again. "Fecking hell, this better be serious."
"It is," Sean states.
The atmosphere shifts.
Brody's gaze snaps to Sean. "Start talking." He drops into the leather chair closest to the desk like he owns the place. Aidan leans against the wall, still playing with his lighter. Devin and Tynan stand shoulder to shoulder near the table, arms crossed.
Sean looks at me.
Brody fixes us with a stare. "Right. Let's hear it. What mess did ya soft-handed Chicago boys fall into now?"
Sean's jaw clenches. "You want the short version or the full one?"
"The one that gets my blood goin' fastest," Brody says with a grin.
I take a step forward before Sean answers. "We need your help blowing something up."
Brody's grin widens. "Now you're speaking my language."
Aidan flicks the lighter open again. The flame dances under his eyes. "What needs turning into ash?"
Devin's gaze narrows. "Who are we killing?"
Kirill steps forward and commands their attention instantly. "The leaders of the Underworld."
The four brothers straighten. Even Aidan stops clicking the lighter.
Brody's expression darkens. He pins his gaze on Sean and lowers his voice. "This better not be what I think it is."
Kirill interjects. "Sean's father built a system to create peace between rival families.
A place where they could negotiate and avoid bloodshed.
But everything he intended has been corrupted.
The Omni and the Royal Council turned it into a breeding ground for torture, manipulation, and power grabs. "
Brody snorts. "No shit. It's not possible to have a world like that. You can't build a throne without everyone wanting the crown. You build a temple, someone turns it into a slaughterhouse. Sean knew this, too."
Tynan points between Sean and me. "You two should've known better than to get involved in anything that isn't clan business."
Sean's stare hardens. "We didn't have a choice."
"Everything is a choice," Tynan asserts.
Sean's expression hardens.
I shift on my feet.
Kirill lifts his chin, reclaiming the room. "They're planning to kill us and our wives. They already drafted the orders. If we don't stop them, they'll harvest Valentina's eggs for a breeding program. They'll control future generations and eliminate anyone not loyal to their wishes."
The O'Connors freeze.
Brody wrinkles his forehead. "What did you just say?"
I bark, "They want to steal my wife's eggs on a monthly basis until she's 40, then kill her off. Her strongest will go to who they choose, and the weakest they'll sell on the black market."
"Bloody hell," Devin mutters.
Aidan's lighter clicks open again, flame flaring brighter. "They're takin' lassies' bodies now? Jesus Christ."
Tynan's stare sharpens. "And you want us to end them?"
I step forward again. "We need you to help us blow the entire thing up."
The room goes still. Not a breath moves.
Brody leans back slowly, a dangerous grin tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Alright, boys. Now this is getting interesting. What exactly are we blowing up?"
"There are thirteen targets across the world. They all need to get blown up simultaneously," Kirill deadpans.
There are a few seconds of silence, then Tynan chuckles.
"What's so funny?" I ask.
"This is a joke, right?"
"Are we laughing?" I demand.
His face falls.
Kirill strides to the large table in the center of the room. He presses a concealed switch. Cabinets slide open along the wall, revealing massive rolls of thick blueprint paper. He pulls them out one by one and drops them across the table.
Brody whistles. "Now that's foreplay."
Kirill ignores him and spreads the first roll across the table. The blueprint unfurls to reveal the complete structure of the arena, exposing every column, tunnel, trap door, ventilation shaft, and hidden chamber.
The O'Connors move around the table.
Kirill states, "Every Omni gathering passes through this arena. It's in an ancient ground in Pompei, and security is tighter than your assholes, just like every target."
Aidan studies the tunnels, continuing to flick his lighter. He comments, "Looks like this place was built by a lunatic."
"Takes one to know one," Sean offers.
Aidan smirks. "Aye."
Kirill unrolls the second blueprint. A sprawling underground facility emerges with corridors spiraling like a spider's web.
"This is the fortress wing beneath the archives and the Royal Council's private refuge.
No other members can access it. It's the most dangerous location on the map and has a blast-resistant chamber. "
Brody taps a square etched in red. "And you want it gone?"
Kirill nods. "Yes. While they're in it."
Devin drags the blueprint closer and leans in. "We'll need charges on the support beams. The tunnels are the weakness. Bring those down, and the rest follows."
"So you'll do it?" Sean asks.
Brody studies him, then me.
I offer, "We'll owe you one."
He snickers. "One? No. You'll owe me thirteen."
My gut flips. I nod. "That's fair."
Tynan traces a long corridor. "This one here has opportunity. The ventilation shaft connects to the central chamber. If we send a blast through the shaft, it'll compress and multiply. Could take out three rooms in one go."
Aidan's eyes gleam. "We'll need shaped charges. They hit exactly where we want to cause maximum structural damage."
Brody crosses his arms. "What else are we hitting?"
Kirill rolls out additional blueprints, revealing the séance chambers, ritual halls, and the original council meeting place with pillars made of imported stone.
Tynan whistles low. "How did you get all these places?"
Kirill answers, "Sean's father obtained all of them."
The O'Connors jerk their heads backward, then glance at each other.
Brody looks at Sean. "So you want to destroy your father's warped legacy?"
"It's not what Sean Sr. wanted," Kirill insists.
Brody doesn't tear his gaze off Sean. "Is that right?"
Sean lifts his head, his green eyes full of conflicting emotions. "It's not. But if it is, then it needs to go."
"It's not what he wanted," Kirill repeats.
Devin asks, "So you want to kill everyone?"
I interject. "No. Just the Royal Council and Omni."
"And then what? You take over whatever this fucked-up group is?" Devin pushes.
Kirill shakes his head. "No. We allow the innocent to survive and take out any threats as they arise."
Brody points between Sean and me. "We warned you to stay out of whatever this fucked-up shit was that Sean created."
"There wasn't a choice. People would have died," I insist.
Brody's eyes turn to slits.
Anger fills me. "Are you going to help us, or do we need to find someone else?"
Tynan breaks the tension. "How much time do ya want from detonation to collapse?"
"As fast as possible. We can't risk anyone escaping," Kirill replies.
"And ya want all of this to happen at once?" Brody asks, looking across all the open plans.
"Yes."
"That's going to take several large teams on our part."
"Yes. I realize we're asking a lot," Kirill affirms.
"And they really want to steal your wife's eggs?" Aidan asks.
I nod, feeling ill.
Aidan mutters, "Feck me."
Brody studies me for a long moment, eyes narrowing like he's measuring how far my fury stretches. Then he nods once. "We're in."
Tynan cracks his knuckles. "Aye."
Devin smirks. "About damn time someone asked us to do something fun."
Aidan snaps his lighter closed with a soft click. "When can we get access?"
Kirill pulls a small device from his pocket.
It's a tablet with encrypted files. "This has all the building schematics, like structural weak points and tunnel depths.
Security rotations, cameras, and login details, along with the alternate exits they don't think anyone knows about, are all on here. "
Brody grins like a wolf. "Now you're speaking my language."
"Sean and I can override the security—"
"No. If we do this, we're the only ones involved," Brody cuts me off.
"We won't fuck it up," Sean assures.
"No. It's our job, and we do it all, or we don't do it," Brody demands.
Another round of tension passes.
"Your call," Kirill answers.
Brody nods. "Run us through the security setups."
We spend the next hour dissecting every inch of structure, arguing over pressure waves and blast echoes, gesturing wildly as they map out the order of detonation.
The office fills with their thick Irish voices, their violent enthusiasm, their absolute comfort discussing destruction like it's an art form.
Watching them work is the first time in days I've felt even a trace of relief. These men don't hesitate, flinch, or moralize. They level threats like skyscrapers with no apologies before or after.
It's exactly what we need.
By the time the O'Connors gather their notes and start toward the door, the plan screams terrifying and brilliant.
Brody points at me as he leaves. "Be ready. Once we start, there's no stopping it."
"That's what we want," I assure him.
They leave, and Kirill folds the last blueprint, his expression carved from stone. "This is happening."
"Yes," I say.
Sean drags a hand through his hair. "No turning back."
"There never was," I reply.
They leave the office, and I stay behind for a moment, staring at the rolled blueprints, and the evidence of a future we're about to rewrite in fire. My chest tightens, part fury, part determination, part something heavier and more human.
Valentina.
I leave the office and walk down the hallway, past the photographs Fiona hung to make the penthouse feel like a home, not a fortress. The closer I get to the family room, the more something in me settles.
Valentina is on the floor with the twins, Willow babbling in her lap while River kicks his feet against a cushion. Her hair falls over her shoulder in soft waves, her cheeks flushed, her eyes searching the babies' faces with a tenderness that shouldn't exist in a world like ours.
When she notices me, her gaze lifts, and immediate worry shadows her expression. "Well?"
I lower myself to the floor beside her, then pick up Willow and hold her in front of my face. She squeals and reaches for my jaw, her tiny fingers latching onto my stubble. I coo, "We're going to take them down, aren't we, Willow?"
She giggles, oblivious to everything. It's innocent and pure, the only kind of future worth protecting.
Valentina watches me with a question trembling in her eyes.
And everything in my body confirms it. This is the beginning of the end. Not just for the Omni or Royal Council. It's the obliteration of every sadistic tradition, masked ruler, and ritual soaked in blood.
The Underworld thinks it's going to steal my wife and her babies.
They have another thing coming.
I lean over and kiss my wife, retreat, and order, "Stop worrying. The only babies you're having are mine."
Surprise fills her expression.
Warmth fills my chest as I realize what I just said. More heat hits when I realize it's true. If anyone's having babies with Valentina, it's going to be me. And no one's taking our kids. Not now, or ever.
I turn back to Willow and grin, teasing, "What? You want a cousin? Should we go get busy now?"
Valentina laughs, playfully slapping the back of my arm. "Brax! Don't talk to Willow like that."
"Why?"
"She's a baby."
"So?" I shrug, then lift Willow up and down in the air, asking her, "Girl or boy?"
She giggles, and I avoid looking at Valentina, wondering how long she needs to be off her birth control before I can put my baby in her belly.