26. Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Hazen
I grip the spatula, watching as the pancake batter bubbles, waiting for the perfect moment to flip it.
Cooking has never been something I’ve enjoyed doing, because I’ve never had to.
We always had a cook that made every meal and did the grocery shopping because, according to my father, that’s peasant work.
We didn’t have time to waste doing chores; we paid for help and ruled our empire, alongside our brothers.
But here I am, making breakfast for Freya.
Flour lines every surface of my kitchen, and it’s driving me insane.
It needs to be sparkling clean again, but I can’t leave these pancakes or they’ll burn.
“Smells good,” Freya says, coming into the kitchen.
I glance over my shoulder and pull my bottom lip between my teeth.
She’s wearing tight workout shorts and a crop top.
A bead of sweat runs down the side of her face as she grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and brings it to her lips.
Fuck me, she’s beautiful.
She comes up behind me, wrapping her arms around my stomach, resting her head against my back.
My stomach muscles seize up, and I freeze, fighting the urge to step away from her, not wanting her to be so close to me.
I’m not good enough for her; she’s too pure.
I’m like poison, infecting her.
She’s impossible to keep away from, though.
When she’s gone, I want her back.
But then when she’s close again, I want to push her away.
It’s fucking with my head.
My father has caused her so much pain.
Does she see him when she looks at me?
Do I remind her of him?
That’s my worst fucking fear.
Freya releases her grip and moves backward.
As soon as her warm embrace is gone, I miss her.
She hoists herself up onto the island and watches me closely.
“You okay?”
My shoulders tense.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just stressed with all The Brotherhood recruiting and picking up the pieces from the explosion,” I reply.
It’s not the whole truth, but it’s something.
Once the pancakes are finished cooking, I place them all on the plate and bring them to the island, next to the array of sauces.
I’m not sure what Freya likes, so I got everything out.
“Kai didn’t do it,” Freya says, turning around on the counter to face me.
“I don’t want you getting in the middle of this,” I say, taking a couple of pancakes and putting them on a plate for her.
She scoffs.
“Too late for that once you kidnapped me and took me against my will. Now Kai won’t even talk to me—thinks I’ve chosen you guys.”
“Probably a good thing. At least I know you’re safe when you’re here with us. Under my roof.”
Freya rolls her eyes as she squeezes some maple syrup onto her pancakes.
“You know I can take care of myself, and just because I’m here doesn’t mean I’ve chosen a side. Kai is my best friend, and I won’t be playing against him.”
The front door opens and slams shut.
My father walks into the kitchen, and Freya stops with her fork halfway to her mouth.
I move forward, stepping in front of the island, between her and him.
Brax runs into the room, looking from Dominic to me.
“Fuck, sorry, he got away from me.”
I shake my head, dismissing him with a wave of my hand.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I snap, and my father smirks.
“What, no ‘Hey, Dad, glad you’re alive and well’?” He looks past me to Freya, his eyes lingering a little too long.
“Hello, Freya,” he says, and she just stares right through him.
Anger boils inside me.
I cross my arms over my chest.
“I’ll ask one last time—what are you doing here?”
He looks around the room, then comes back to me.
“Nice place you’ve got here, son. Such a pity you moved out of the old family house. We could have done amazing things together under my roof.”
He watches Freya closely, and it takes everything in me not to punch that smug look off his mouth.
“You’ve got ten seconds to tell me why you’re here before I kick you out,” I say, and he finally looks back at me.
He glances between me and Freya.
“Let’s talk somewhere a little more private, without prying ears.”
“Anything you have to say can be said in front of her.”
Dominic shakes his head.
“Have I taught you nothing? What, a couple of weeks without me, and you’re ruining everything? I won’t have it,” he snaps, before turning and leaving the kitchen, moving into the hallway.
I follow him out but pause, glancing back at Freya.
She motions for me to leave.
“I’ve got some shit to do with Amirah. I’ll see you later,” she says, continuing to eat her breakfast.
I’m sorry , I mouth, but she shakes her head.
Dominic has no respect for women whatsoever.
It’s surprising that I even know how to talk to a female, let alone date one, after being raised by this asshole.
I pull out my phone and hit dial on Gage’s profile, and he answers after two rings.
“Yeah?”
“Dominic is here. Meet us in my office.”
I hang up before he can say another word.
Last time I saw him, he was working out with Freya and Lucas in our home gym.
Gage and Lucas practically live here now that Freya is back.
It’s nice having my family all under one roof—my found family, not my blood.
Dominic’s waiting in the hallway, leaning back against the wall with his phone in his grip.
I don’t bother acknowledging him as I walk past and head down the hall to my office.
I scan my phone against the keypad, the door beeps, and I push it open.
Dominic follows, his gaze moving around my office a little too intently for my liking.
It’s funny how things changed as soon as I was out from under his thumb.
Although I thought the control he used to have over me had faded, being back in his presence is jarring.
I can’t deny that a small, niggling part of me wants his approval, for him to tell me I’m doing a good job, which pisses me off—I don’t want him to have that control over me.
Yet here we are, in my office, and I’m waiting for it.
I move around my wooden desk and take a seat, motioning for him to sit in one of the chairs.
A smile forms on his lips.
“Well, this is very different to how I’m used to carrying out meetings, isn’t it?” He takes a seat just as the door beeps and opens.
Gage comes in, with Lucas behind him.
Lucas is throwing on a shirt, his hair damp.
They watch Dominic closely.
Gage sits down next to him but doesn’t greet him.
Lucas leans back against the wall opposite my dad.
“What do you want?” I ask, ignoring his comment from before.
He’s trying to unravel me, but I won’t fall for his games.
I won’t let him see how much he affects me.
Weakness gets you killed in our world, and he’s not in charge anymore—we are.
“I’m so proud of you, son,” he says, running his thumb along his jaw.
Heat burns deep under my skin, rising to my cheeks, and my fingers ball into fists in my lap.
“Clock is ticking. You’ve got one minute before you’re gone,” I say, and he sits up straighter, his smile replaced with a sinister purse of his lips.
“I am proud. You must feel so bad about what happened, but you’ve done all that you can, haven’t you, son?” He licks his lips.
He’s taunting me, and fuck, I want to punch that smug look off his face.
“Say what you really want to. I’m not playing your games,” I bite out.
“Fine. You’ve had your fun, but you are too young, too inexperienced to run The Brotherhood. Look at the chaos you’ve already caused since taking the reins.”
I take several deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart.
How fucking dare he come into my house and speak to me, us, like that?
Lucas lifts his gun from its holster, holding it with a playful grin.
I watch him carefully, shaking my head.
He can’t kill him—at least, not yet.
“Is that all you’ve got to say?” Gage asks, and Dominic shakes his head, looking between Lucas and me.
“I haven’t even started yet. How many years did I rule, and in that time, did we ever have this kind of attack against us?”
I shake my head, lowering my gaze to my hands in my lap.
Technically, I know what he’s saying is true.
I mean, when he was in charge, this never happened.
We didn’t cause this, but fuck do we take responsibility for it.
“We’re working on it,” Gage says, speaking up for me.
My words are lost deep inside me and I’m finding it hard to speak.
This is what he wants.
The guilt is too much to bear.
“You know as well as I do that the Hood did this to us,” Dominic says, anger lacing his voice.
“They sacrificed their own. They are trying to create a divide between us, but I won’t allow this when I’m in charge.”
I rise quickly from my chair, and it hits the back wall with a thud.
“What the fuck did you just say?” I growl, and Dominic stands, followed by Gage.
Dominic steps forward, leaning over my desk until he’s right in my face.
“You boys aren’t ruling The Brotherhood anymore. I won’t stand for it!” he yells, his eyes turning into slits.
“We are in charge now, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You know the rules have been in place since the beginning. You have two choices,” I say, walking around the desk to stand next to him.
He turns, rolling his shoulders back.
I stare into his ocean-blue eyes that are a mirror of my own.
“You can walk out of here now alive, drop this shit, and never contact me again. You leave Daring and don’t ever come back,” I spit.
His jaw twitches.
“Option two?”
It takes everything in me not to wrap my fingers around his throat and squeeze until he has no air left in his lungs.
He’s impossible.
He brings out the very worst in me.
Fuck.
I release an audible exhale.
“Or choose to go against The Brotherhood and—”
Lucas kicks off the wall, closing in on us.
“I’ll put this bullet down your throat. Open wide, princess.”
The air around us thickens, making it impossible to breathe properly.
“You disrespectful, fucking—”
Loud banging hits my office door, and Dominic stops.
Gage walks over, opening the door to find Ronald, his eyes widening when he sees Dominic.
“What’s going on?” Gage asks.
“Sorry to interrupt, but there’s been an incident,” he says, showing Gage his phone.
Gage curses before saying something to Ronald, then slams the door shut.
“There’s been another attack. This time at the track crossing,” Gage says, and my stomach sinks.
“Our guard station has been destroyed. No casualties, but a lot of our comms equipment has been taken out.”
Dominic laughs, taking several steps back.
“See, like I fucking told you. It’s them!” he yells, and before I can open my mouth, he storms out my office door.
“Follow him out,” I say to Lucas, and he doesn’t argue.
I stumble backward, my back hitting the wall, and my head falls into my hands.
What a fucking mess.
Not only do I have to deal with my off-the-rails father, but now there’s been another attack against us.
Battle lines have been drawn, and I have no fucking idea if I have what it takes to keep my chosen family safe.