Chapter 28 #2
"I wasn't really asking," Viktor says mildly, completely unbothered by Charles' reaction.
He stays relaxed, like he's discussing the weather rather than threatening to force an Omega into a bond.
"You play your son as a pawn, but he's really the chess piece, isn't he?
The king of this whole operation. If someone holds him, they hold the key, don't they? "
I frown as realization crashes over me. Somehow, impossibly, Viktor knows about the accounts.
About how Charles has structured everything to protect himself while leaving Ashton completely vulnerable.
All of Charles' assets, all of his holdings, everything is tied to Ashton's name to keep it away from law enforcement and rival criminals.
But that protection only works if no one knows. And Viktor knows.
Viktor keeps talking, leaning back in his chair with a smug smile that makes me want to rip his face off.
"You see, I've done my research. I tried to figure out why you were easy to research and yet there's not one fucking account linked to your name.
Nothing the police or any kind of authority could really get you on.
Nothing concrete, nothing they could seize or freeze. Because it's not tied to you, is it?"
Charles' face goes pale, the flush of anger draining away to leave him looking almost gray. For the first time in all the years I've worked for him, I see genuine fear flicker across his expression.
"It's tied to motherfucking Ashton Driscoll," Viktor continues, clearly enjoying himself.
His smile widens with each word, relishing the power he holds.
"The pretty little shy Omega. Your chess piece.
Your dirty little secret. Own the Omega and you own the Driscoll empire.
You've been dangling your treasure in everyone's arena, but it's time to stop the games. "
Viktor gestures to his sons, both of them sitting up straighter with matching predatory smiles.
They look at each other, some silent communication passing between them.
"Now, choose one of my sons to mate the Omega, or I'll choose.
Maybe I'll even throw my hat in the ring.
I've always had a fondness for pretty Omegas who need to be broken in. "
The threat is clear. Viktor will force Ashton into a bond, use him to access all of Charles' accounts and holdings.
Once bonded, Ashton would have no choice but to obey his Alpha.
The bond would compel him to comply, overriding his free will completely.
Viktor could drain every account, seize every asset, and destroy everything Charles has built.
And there would be nothing Charles could do about it because he set it up this way to protect himself.
He never thought about protecting Ashton. Just himself.
I realize what's about to happen a split second before it does.
Charles reaches for his gun a second time, his hand moving with the same casual efficiency as before.
But this time there's desperation beneath the movement, the actions of a man who sees his entire empire about to crumble and is willing to do anything to prevent it.
I dart toward the door, knowing I need to get to Ashton before Viktor's men do. This is going to get ugly fast, and Ashton needs to be as far away from this office as possible.
Behind me, the first shot rings out, followed immediately by a second.
I hear a body hit the floor and then another, twisting around to see both sons crumpled on the expensive carpet.
They weren’t even fast enough to draw their weapons, too inexperienced against a man who’s just seen everything he has to lose.
Fuck.
I wrench open the office door, another two shots ringing out in the open space. Pain explodes in my left thigh, my leg threatening to buckle beneath me but I keep moving, adrenaline overriding the pain signals my body is screaming at me.
I burst through the office door and into the hallway, one of Viktor's Alphas manhandling Ashton, dragging him toward the back exit.
Ashton is fighting, his feet scrambling for purchase on the polished floor as he tries to break free.
But he's smaller and weaker than the Alpha holding him and not even the scratches and teeth lodged into the Alpha’s harm is slowing the guy down.
"Get your fucking hands off him!" I roar, launching myself at the Alpha.
We collide hard, both of us going down in a tangle of limbs.
My injured leg screams in protest but I ignore it, focusing all my rage and desperation keeping this man off of Ashton, off of my Omega.
The Alpha is bigger than me, outweighing me by at least fifty pounds of solid muscle.
But I fight like hell, fueled by desperation and rage and the absolute certainty that I cannot let this bastard take Ashton.
My fist connects with his jaw, snapping his head back with a satisfying crack.
He returns the favor, his fist slamming into my ribs with enough force to crack bone.
I feel something give way, sharp pain lancing through my side.
But I don't stop. I can't stop when the alternative is losing the Omega I refuse to confess to.
I hit him again, then again, my knuckles splitting open on his teeth. He gets a hand around my throat and squeezes, cutting off my air. Black spots dance at the edges of my vision but I keep fighting, bringing my knee up into his gut hard enough to make him grunt and loosen his grip.
Something in my hand gives way, pain shooting up my arm. Sprained or broken, I can't tell and don't care. I just keep fighting, hitting and kicking and doing whatever it takes to get this bastard away from Ashton.
Finally, the Alpha goes down hard, his head cracking against the floor with a sickening thud.
He doesn't get back up, his body going limp.
I scramble to my feet, my injured leg nearly giving out beneath me.
I twist around to look at the blood-soaked denim, grimacing as that only makes the pain more present.
"Stefan," Ashton gasps, his voice full of terror.
I grab his arm and haul him toward the back exit.
More shots ring out behind us, the sounds of Charles' war with Viktor continuing. None of that needed to happen. I’m not sure how it could have been taken care of but Viktor won’t stop until everything Charles loves is destroyed.
Roughing up a man’s son in this kind of world is one thing but killing him?
Fuck.
Refusing to look back or slow down, I make a beeline to the stable, glad that the Volkov men have always been a little slow. They weren’t prepared for anyone to fight back and I’m sure they didn’t expect any of us to leave that meeting room alive.
Which means they weren’t prepared to actually surround Charles’ estate.
Lucky me.
Ashton stays silent beside me as I throw open the nearest stall and haul Ashton up onto his horse.
It takes me a few tries, my strength waning and Ashton no help as he collapses against the horse’s mane.
He lets out a wheeze as he wraps an arm around his stomach, my heart twisting with a thousand emotions I can’t focus on right now.
“Hold on, Ash, okay? Fuck, this is going to hurt like a bitch.” I push out a heavy breath and then launch myself up, wincing as pain shoots up my leg and through my hip. There’s no time for a saddle or reins or anything else as I wrap a hand through the horse’s mane and take off into the night.
A bullet whizzes past my head, close enough that I feel the displacement of air.
Another one hits a tree to our left, bark exploding in a shower of splinters.
We hit the tree line and I urge the horse faster, ducking low branches and navigating the dark trail by memory and instinct.
Ashton clings to me, his whole body violently shaking.
Wetness soaks into my shirt where he's pressed against me. Blood or tears or both, I don't know.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out with my injured hand, biting back a grimace as the movement sends agony shooting through my sprained wrist. A sliver of hope builds in my chest at the name flashing across the screen.
I answer the call, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder. "Dustin, fuck, I need you."
"Yeah?" Dustin's voice comes through as relaxed as always. He's probably sitting enjoying a quiet evening with his mates, no idea that his stepbrother is currently bleeding out while fleeing from a deal gone horribly, horribly wrong.
The phone slips slightly and I adjust it, my bloody fingers making it hard to grip as more shots ring out, fading in the distance. Whoever had shot toward us must have been a fluke but I can’t risk that.
Dustin's tone changes immediately, all traces of happiness gone. "What is going on? Stefan, what's happening?"
I grit my teeth, trying to form words through the pain. The blood loss is making me dizzy, my vision blurring at the edges. The leg wound must be bad, worse than I initially thought, because I can feel warmth running down my leg, pooling in my boot with each stride of the horse.
"If I don't make it," I manage to get out, each word an effort. "Just make sure Ashton does, okay? I'm coming to you."
"Stefan, what the fuck do you mean?" Dustin yells, panic clear in his voice. "Stefan! Answer me! What's going on?"
The phone slips from between my shoulder and ear. I try to catch it but my hand cramps, my fingers refusing to obey. The phone tumbles through the air and hits the ground somewhere behind us, lost in the darkness.
Without slowing down, I stay headed toward my stepbrother’s ranch, knowing I’m about to bring trouble to him, but nothing else matters as long as Ashton is safe.