6. Lazarus
“We need to get the wife.” I state.
I’ve interrupted their breakfast, and I don’t care. There’s no time for pleasantries, no time for idle chatter. The urgency of the situation burns in my chest like a fire that refuses to be extinguished.
It’s been twelve hours since I found out who she is, what her relation to us is.
“We need to get her,” I say, my voice sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade. “We need to bring her back.”
Konstantine looks up at me, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. He takes a slow sip of his coffee, while the steam curls around his face, and sets the cup down with deliberate calm. “Get who?” he asks, his tone casual, as if he has no idea what I’m talking about.
I grit my teeth, frustration bubbling up inside me. Like he doesn’t fucking know. “The wife,” I snap. “We need to bring her back to the US. Now.”
Konstantine shakes his head, his expression still purposefully blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lazarus.”
My patience snaps. “Don’t play dumb with me, Konstantine. Antonio told me on the plane back that she’s family. She’s a Heseltine for fucksake. We can’t leave her there.”
Antonio shifts uncomfortably, his gaze flickering between me and Konstantine.
Oh, I can see the conflict in his eyes, the struggle between duty and loyalty.
He’s caught in the middle, and I know it’s tearing him apart.
He’s known the girl since she was six. Since her father died, since he gained guardianship of her.
It all makes sense now, it all explains why he was on the plane, why he was so involved in this little escapade. And why he was so desperate for me to gut Gunther.
Konstantine takes another sip of his coffee, his movements slow and deliberate. “No,” he says simply, his voice calm but firm.
The word hits me like a punch to the gut. “No?” I repeat, my voice rising. “She’s family, Konstantine. She’s blood. We can’t just abandon her.”
Konstantine doesn’t react, his face a mask of indifference. He sets his cup down and leans back in his chair, his gaze steady. “The deed is done,” he says, his voice cold. “You fucked up anyway by killing the bastard and not simply marking him as I ordered. There’s nothing more to be done.”
I step forward, my hands slamming down on the table, the dishes rattling with the force of it.
I was played. Was it Konstantine who did this, who put Antonio up to this? I glance at the witch and she’s smiling, smirking. Fuck, was it Ines? Did she do this to ensure my position as my brother’s righthand man is no longer tenable?
“She’s already being blamed for this,” I state, my voice echoing through the room. “We can’t leave her there to die.”
Konstantine’s expression doesn’t change. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t react. He just sits there, calm and composed, as if my words mean nothing to him.
Ines sets her teacup down and rises from her chair, moving to stand behind Konstantine. She places a hand on his shoulder. “The deed is done,” she says, her voice soft but firm. “Whatever your intentions were, we shouldn’t muddy the water after the fact.”
I turn to her, my eyes blazing. “Muddy the water?” I repeat, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “She’s blood. Holy blood. She needs to be protected.”
Konstantine’s hand slams down on the table, the sound echoing through the room like a gunshot. “It is done,” he growls, his voice low and dangerous. “Let the bitch die. It’s too late to do anything now.”
I stare at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “Our father…” I begin, my voice trembling with anger.
Konstantine’s eyes narrow, his gaze cold and unyielding. “Our father is not in charge.” he replies, his voice harsh. “I am. I am Grand Master now, not him.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Ines cuts me off. “She is Esau,” she says, her voice firm. “She was against us. Just because she is of your blood, it does not excuse what her family has done, what crimes they have committed.”
I turn to her, my lip curling in a sneer. The irony is not lost on me for a minute. “We could say the same about you,” I spit, my voice dripping with venom.
Konstantine’s chair scrapes against the floor as he stands, his towering frame looming over me.
“Enough,” he growls, his voice like thunder.
“I am Grand Master. It is my decision, and I say the deed is done. The girl will die, and that will be the end of it. We need to focus on the future, on rebuilding after all this destruction you’ve caused. ”
I stare at him, my chest heaving, my fists clenched at my sides.
Antonio steps forward, his face pale, his eyes filled with conflict. “Grand Master,” he begins, his voice hesitant. “As Paitlyn’s Guardian, I…”
Konstantine cuts him off with a sharp gesture.
“You have more important things to focus on, don’t you think?
” he says, his voice cold. “You need to ensure whoever is selected as new Chapter Lord is a suitable choice. The fate of the entire UK Chapter is in your hands, Antonio, but instead you also seem to be distracted by some insignificant whore.”
Antonio inclines his head, his expression conflicted but obedient. “Yes, Grand Master,” he says quietly.
Konstantine dismisses him with a wave of his hand, and Antonio turns and leaves the room, his shoulders slumped, his steps heavy.
My brother turns to me, his eyes cold and hard. “You should be more careful with your words,” he says, his voice low and dangerous.
I stare at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “What do you mean?” I ask, my voice trembling with anger.
Konstantine’s eyes narrow, his gaze piercing. “You know exactly what I mean,” he says, his voice like ice. “And just because you’re my brother doesn’t mean I’ll let you get away with insolence as well as disobedience.”
Insolence? He wants to pull that fucking card? The tension in the room is palpable, thick and suffocating. I can feel the weight of his words, the coldness in his gaze.
He’s serious. He’s not going to budge.
Well, fuck him. Fuck both of them.