17 Die Fighting
“Oh, hell no.” The words come out on a breath.
I push away from my desk, slamming the lid of my laptop down. All eyes in the room look to me.
“Iz?” Maeve’s eyes are wide.
I shake my head. I’m going to explode.
Without a second glance I’m storming out of the room. I can hear their footsteps behind me, my name being called, but it all fades in comparison to my pulse pounding in my ears.
How could he?
Why?
I don’t understand. I need answers. I’m sick of being kept in the dark.
Everything is a blur as my mind focuses like a missile seeking its target. Guild members stop and stare as I slam open doors and trudge through. I don’t care.
The door to Lucian’s office slams against the wall. It bounces back and nearly hits Maeve. Noah stops it with a hand and I give him a small nod of appreciation.
Lucian stands from his desk. “What’s all this about?” His face is scrunched in confusion or worry. Or is it just a mask? Did I ever really know him at all?
“I just got a very interesting email from Gideon, complete with files attached. What happened to mom’s family?” I narrow my eyes at him.
His expression smoothens as the silence stretches. I can see the calculation in his eyes as he decides how much to tell me.
“Gracie—”
“Don’t you dare.” I shake my head. “I won’t be placated with another lie.”
Lucian looks past my shoulder.
“No, they stay. I want witnesses.” I hold my hand out.
Lucian sighs and walks around his desk to stand in front of me.
“It’s complicated.”
“I have time. I’m not going anywhere,” I fire back.
He dips his chin, and his shoulders drop.
“It was late, I’d come home and you were already asleep. So I kissed your head and went to my study.”
“Glad to know that wasn’t a lie,” I grumble.
Lucian ignores my comment. “I was working in the study when there was a knock. It was Celia’s parents.
They lived here, at Ashthorne Hall at the time, so that wasn’t enough to raise an alarm, even if it was pretty late.
They wanted to discuss the future of the Guild, or so they said.
Celia had opted out of participating in the Guild, but when we got married, they were inducted as a new legacy house, a part of the Guild and all that being a part of it came with.
” He turns away from me and walks toward his desk.
“How did they end up dead in your office?” I ask through gritted teeth. The email from Gideon Ravencourt was very clear. I hate it. I hate that he had something on my dad that he could hurt me with. Part of me still hopes it’s not true, even though I just saw undeniable evidence.
“They wanted me to step down and hand the power over to Gideon. They thought the Guild should take on more assassination contracts. But I told them no, I wouldn’t be stepping down. Celia’s father tried to pull a gun to shoot me.” He closes his eyes as I suck in a breath.
It tracks, but it doesn’t make it any better that he kept it from me, that Gideon had leverage to prove everyone here keeps secrets. Even my dad.
“Then Mark walked in,” Lucian continues, “Your uncle. He saw them bleeding on the floor and tried to charge me. I tried to get him to stop, so I could explain, but he didn’t want to hear it. All he saw was his parents bleeding out on the floor. So I did what I had to do.”
“The files showed my mom left the next day. Did she know?” My voice is small; it sounds detached from myself. Like the words aren’t mine.
“I worked late into the night getting everything cleaned up. I didn’t think she knew, but I was so tired that when she left with you that morning, I didn’t even think twice about it.”
“You lied to me. Again.” My fists clench at my sides.
“This is exactly what Gideon wants. That’s why he sent it. Gracie—”
“No.” I take a step back as he reaches for me. “This wasn’t protection. It was a flat-out lie.”
“How was I supposed to tell you? I'd just finally found you again... after years. We were virtually strangers. Would you have come with me if I just dumped everything on you that first week?”
“That’s not the point—”
“It is.” Lucian throws his hands up. “You’re my daughter, Gracie. I looked for you and at every turn, Daniel was one step ahead. I couldn’t risk losing you again.”
“That doesn’t matter, you should have told me as soon as I knew about the Guild.” I turn and push through the guys.
I can’t breathe. I need to get away.
“Iz—” Maeve starts.
“Let her go.” I hear Jace say as my steps carry me away.
Lucian’s voice cuts through the room like a blade. “We have a confirmed sighting.”
The map on the projection screen flickers, honing in on a port city a few hours out. Somewhere industrial and sprawling. Crates. Shipyards. Fewer eyes.
I almost didn’t come when I got the message. I refuse to look at Lucian. I haven’t said a word.
“Daniel?” Jace asks, his voice low. His arm is in a sling.
He claims he slipped while training and landed wrong. But the chill wafting off of him is colder than it’s been in weeks.
Lucian nods once. “Surveillance confirms he met with two known smugglers tied to black-market arms deals. There was an exchange—brief. We believe he’s trying to secure weapons for his operation.”
My stomach clenches.
A cold image of the man—smiling as Tex bled out at his feet—flashes across my mind.
“This is your opportunity. Get in. Get what intel you can. If you can stop the transfer, even better,” Lucian continues.
Noah leans forward. “Do we have shoot-to-kill clearance?”
Lucian pauses, looking at all of us. “Only if you’re in direct danger. The priority is containment and disruption. We need to know who he’s working with. Not leave a crater.”
“Got it,” Luca says, already rolling his shoulders out, adrenaline humming under his skin.
Maeve sits beside me on the edge of the conference table, worry knitting her brows. She can’t come but I know that doesn’t mean she isn’t afraid.
I reach over and squeeze her hand.
“We leave in twenty,” Lucian says. “Gear up. Dakota, you're the team lead. Bring them back.”
Dakota gives a single nod, then turns to us. “Let’s move.”
“Be safe.” Maeve pulls me into a hug.
“Always.” I hug her tightly. It’s comforting that she has two Guild members keeping an eye on her. I wasn’t taking any chances. It would be like Daniel to have someone do something to her while we’re occupied elsewhere.
“I’m excited to be going out with you.” Dakota smiles, falling into step with me.
“Definitely, it was fun over Christmas break.” I give her a small smile.
“Iz.” Jace’s voice stops me as I turn around to look at him.
“I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” I say to Dakota and she gives me a nod, giving Jace a look I can’t read.
“I’m sorry you can’t go with us,” I say when we’re alone.
“It’ll be hard to stay here while you’re all out there,” he replies, his jaw working.
My eyes move to his sling. “Hopefully you heal up quickly.”
He nods, but his eyes are stormy, like something’s on his mind.
“What’s going on, Jace?” I sigh.
His eyes roam over my face before he leans in and kisses me. It’s sweet, gentle. Nothing like the hunger that usually simmers between us. My fingers brush his sleeve, careful of the sling.
His breath stutters, and I feel the tension under my palms. He rests his forehead against mine. “I don’t like this.”
“You don’t like what?” My thumb brushes his skin.
“Not being with you. When you’re in danger, when you’re not. All the time. Especially right now, with so much at stake.” His voice is rougher now.
I exhale, smiling. “You’ll survive a few hours without babysitting me.”
The corners of his mouth curve, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’d be happy to just watch you.”
He kisses me again with more force behind it. I can’t decipher what he’s trying to convey to me but there’s something he’s not saying and I can feel it.
“Jace—”
“Promise me something.” His hand comes up, cupping my jaw with such tenderness, my heart skips a beat.
I swallow. “What?”
“If anything feels off, don’t push through it.”
I huff out a laugh. “It’s a mission, going after Daniel. Everything already feels off.”
I stare at him and I see it. Something I’ve never seen in Jace’s eyes.
Fear.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask, my voice wavers just the slightest.
His jaw clenches, his eyes flash with some unnamed emotion before he shuts it down.
“Because I can’t be there,” he whispers.
The knot in my chest loosens. “I’ll be fine.”
His mouth opens then closes; it’s quite the sight to see. Jace Ravencourt, trying to find the words. I would laugh if his face didn’t look so pained.
“I’ll be back before you know it.” I hug him and kiss his cheek.
When I pull back his eyes are closed, he takes a deep breath. When his eyes open, he’s himself again.
“Go,” he says, voice low. “Before I do something stupid and try to follow you.”
The van rumbles over the cracked coastal roads, our weapons laying across our laps.
Dakota sits beside me, arms braced on her knees, eyes locked on the window.
Luca loads his sidearm with practiced calm, and Noah is tapping rapidly on a tablet, scanning for comms and checking blueprints of the target area.
No one speaks much. The tension is thick.
This is our first real chance. The first time, Daniel slipped. The Guild has spent weeks chasing ghosts, but this one feels real.
I tighten the straps of my combat vest, Glock holstered at my thigh. The van pulls to a stop, and we file out.
Jace would be going over the plan one last time right about now. Something to cut through the weight of it all. Keep us focused, not thinking too hard.
Tex.
I swallow hard. We’ll finish this. For him.
The night is cold and damp, the sea air curling under my collar as we move in the shadows between the stacked shipping containers. Salt and rust linger in the air, mixing with oil and old metal. It was the kind of place where people disappeared.
Dakota holds up a clenched fist, signaling a halt.