31. CHAPTER 31
CILLIAN
I looked up at the glass tower of House of Moon cutting into the Manhattan sky. Crescent-and-four-point-star logo gleaming silver over black marble. Cold air off the avenue. Every surface screamed control. The same beautiful cage Moon grew up inside.
I walked in straight from the jet. Black bespoke suit stretched across my shoulders, dark tie, Ashbourne ring heavy on my finger. Split knuckles still healing. Ink crawling up my throat and across the backs of my hands. I didn’t hide a goddamn thing.
One guard’s hand twitched toward his radio.
Receptionist gave me the polished smile. “Good afternoon, sir. Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
Her fingers froze over the keyboard. “Mr. Moon isn’t accepting unscheduled visitors today.”
“He’ll accept this one.”
She studied me. Knuckles. Ink. The gun I wasn’t carrying but everyone could feel. “May I tell his assistant what this concerns?”
“His son.”
“Your name, sir?”
“Cillian Ashbourne.”
The receptionist’s expression changed immediately. She picked up the phone. “Cillian Ashbourne for Nathaniel Moon. Regarding Hyun-seo.”
Her posture changed. Smile more careful. “Forty-sixth floor, Mr. Ashbourne.”
I crossed the lobby. Executives pretended not to stare. Whispers started the second I turned my back.
The elevator was quiet. Mirrored walls. Silent security escort who wouldn’t meet my eyes. I pictured Moon in this same box years ago.
The doors opened on the executive floor. Nathaniel’s assistant was waiting. She took me in once. Ink. Bruises. Her gaze lingered.
“Mr. Moon will see you now.”
I smiled.
Nathaniel didn’t rise when I walked in. He stayed behind the massive desk designed to make men cross the room like supplicants.
Smart. I let him have the small victory and crossed anyway.
Sat without being offered the chair. Relaxed.
Not sprawled. Just comfortable in the space he thought he controlled.
He studied me.
“Did he send you?” he said.
“No, he doesn’t know I’m here.”
Nathaniel leaned back, fingers steepled. “My son is under considerable emotional strain right now. This… relationship is over.”
He expected me to get angry. To prove I was the volatile thug he assumed.
I stayed still. Let the silence stretch.
“You targeted him because of the Blood Writ,” he continued. “Academy games. Hyun-seo confuses infatuation with something deeper.”
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you here, Mr. Ashbourne?”
I leaned forward slightly.
“Carrick Maritime has been disrupting your freight lines for years. Hostile interference. Delayed customs. Insurance pressure. Routes exposed. Political exposure if House of Moon is seen negotiating directly with certain interests.”
Nathaniel didn’t blink. But his fingers tightened on the arm of his chair.
“They escalated the moment Moon and I became public. They realized they could pressure you through your son. Hurt me by hitting your business. This stopped being simple commercial rivalry the second they saw a personal weakness. I’m not here to ask for your blessing.
I’m here to offer a solution. Protected routes.
Pressure on the Carricks. Deniable security.
Intelligence. Quiet intervention. In return, legitimate contracts, port access, legal insulation, eventual alignment framed as strategy. ”
I met his eyes.
“You’ve spent years building House of Moon. The Carricks see a weakness they can exploit. I see an opportunity to make you untouchable. The difference is I know exactly how they think. And I know how to make them stop.”
“And what do you expect in return?”
“Your son.”
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed. “Please. You’re the mafia. What could you possibly want with Hyun-seo?”
“Marry him.”
Nathaniel stared at me without blinking.
“You have known my son for a matter of months.”
“Long enough to know there isn’t a future I want that doesn’t include him.”
I kept my hands loose on the arm of the chair. No need to dress it up. He already knew what I was.
Nathaniel leaned back, studying me with cool assessment. “Hyun told me over the phone the Writ is in Declan’s hands now. Get rid of Declan, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”
“Get rid of Declan?”
Nathaniel leaned forward, eyes cold. “That’s what you mafia guys do, isn’t it?
Remove Declan. Remove the Blood Writ on my son.
Do that, and protect House of Moon from Carrick Maritime, then you’ve proved you’re useful.
Whether you’ll ever measure up to my son is another question.
He and I are already on strained terms. I do not intend to lose him over you. ”
He paused, studying me like I was a disappointing investment. “But to be frank, all I see is a thug in an expensive suit.”
He stood. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting.”
I rose with him.
He moved toward the elevator, then paused with his finger over the button. He turned. “And Mr. Ashbourne… if you fail, don’t come back.”
I stood there long after the elevator had already dropped several floors below. Fuck. I had just asked Lorcan to handle Seamus Carrick, and now I needed to get rid of Declan.
No way I could involve my family in this. They’d never sign off on killing one of the Carricks. Several wars would start between the clans.
This was something I had to take care of myself.
***
“Hello, my Irish friend.”
I fisted his shirt and dragged him after me. I didn’t stop until we’d cleared Briar House, left Thorn Court behind, and were heading toward the glass house.
“Hey, Cil? What the fuck are we doing here?”
I let go of Misha’s sweater and scanned the area. We were alone.
“I need you to help me kill Declan.” I stared at him dead on.
Misha started chuckling, shoulders shaking, until his eyes went wild. “Kill Declan? Declan fucking Carrick? I thought you’d never ask.”
“Moon’s father wants the Writ gone. Declan has it now. He has to go. I found out he’s invited to the hunt. We sneak in during initiation, masks on, and take him out. The only problem is I don’t know what mask he’ll be wearing, but judging by his size, we should be able to spot the big bastard.”
“Guess? Cil, give me some credit. I already know Kaelan’s invited. He and Sawyer tied Declan up in the Vesper basement during the ball. He can help us.”
“Kaelan and Sawyer tied up Declan? Fuck, I wish I’d seen that.”
Misha was already pulling out his phone. “I’ll call Kaelan and set a meet. You get us masks. We meet back here during the hunt. Nobody sees us arrive together.”
“Aye. See you soon, brother.”
He clapped my back hard. I left him by the glass house.
***
I stood in the black forest outside the Glass House.
Wet leaves underfoot. The initiation had already started.
Third-years were yapping at the masked crowd, but I didn’t give a fuck what they were saying.
I couldn’t fucking see Misha. I gave him the crimson and black neon oni mask.
I just hoped he remembered mine and could find me. If not, we’d be fucked.
Anyway, I was going after Declan regardless. Misha said Declan would be wearing—
There. Blood-red neon lion mask. Perfect.
“The doors to the Glass House will open,” the third-year announced. “You have five minutes to get comfortable. When the doors close, they will not open again until sunrise.”
He smiled, scanning the masked faces with sick anticipation.
“Should you survive the night, you will earn entry into the Glass House. Evermourne’s most exclusive society.”
His smile widened. “Collect tokens by completing challenges, solving puzzles, or simply stealing them from someone else. Frankly, I don’t care. Once those doors close, court colors mean nothing. There are no rules worth mentioning… because there are none.”
He rubbed his hands together. “Children.”
He spread his arms. “Go play.”
People started running toward the mansion. Fuck. I still couldn’t see Misha. Declan was already inside. I needed to follow him.
Fucking hell, for his size, Declan was fast. He bolted down the grand staircase of the mansion. I stayed far enough behind that he wouldn’t notice me.
A girl in a dark neon butterfly mask brushed past, giggling as she turned the opposite way Declan was heading. That laugh sounded familiar. If I wasn’t hyper-focused on the lion mask ahead, I might have cared.
I turned the corner.
He was gone.
Pitch black down here. I didn’t bring a flashlight. I pulled out my phone and switched on the light. It barely cut through the dark.
A text from Moonshine.
I’m preparing my speech for the ceremony tomorrow. I’m in the study if you want to come over for a bit.
I stopped dead.
Yeeeeeees, I fucking do.
Still had to kill Declan. Still no clear way out of this mansion before sunrise. Perfect timing, as always.
Prince, I can’t believe I’m saying this again. But I can’t.
Ok.
I will make it
I didn’t get to hit send.
A body slammed into me from behind. My phone skittered across the floor, flashlight face down. I couldn’t see shit. I elbowed the guy hard in the jaw. He grunted. I rolled onto my back and he jumped me again, straddling my chest.
Neon blue and black fox mask stared down at me.
“I’m just fucking with you, Lucky Charms.” He drummed his fingers on my chest.
“Kaelan…?”
“Where’s your Russian shadow?”
“I was hoping you’d know. I didn’t see him at initiation.”
“Haven’t seen him all night. You sure he’s here?”
He got off me and reached out a hand. I took it and he hauled me up.
Never thought I’d be friends with this feral little shit, but he was an unhinged bully. Turns out that’s useful.
Behind us, three or four girls were running and screaming.
Sometimes I couldn’t tell if they were terrified or just excited.
Tonight it sounded like the latter. They cracked up, heels clicking, tiny dresses riding up.
One of them bent over right in front of us.
I rolled my eyes under the mask. Little did they know I was gay and didn’t bait that easily.
Kaelan stepped forward. I shoved him back.
“We’re not supposed to trust anyone, remember?”
He shrugged.
The blonde picked up my phone. “Oh, Moonshine. How cute. I’m screaming.” She flashed the screen to her friends. “Wait. He’s preparing a speech for the ceremony? Is this Moon Hyun-seo? Omg, he’s cute.”
They started giggling.
“He was dating Vivienne, then Zara, and now there’s Cillian. So maybe he’s bi. Omg, I want to be his next girl. He could bend me over anytime,” the redhead said.
The brunette took the phone. “So whose phone is this then?” They all looked at us. “Is it sexy fox or sexy wolf?”
I didn’t trust these girls for a second.
Kaelan took a step back. I followed.
“Should we run, Paddy?”
“I need my phone back.”
“Oh, boys, you can have it back,” the blonde said, waving it. “Your accents are so sexy, by the way. I’ll give it back if one of you, or both, wants to hook up with us in the Velvet Room. It’s the hottest thing at Evermourne. And you earn tokens. Win-win.”
I looked at Kaelan. “I need my phone back.”
“I’m not hooking up with them,” Kaelan muttered. “I have a… girlfriend.”
The blonde grinned. “Oh, boo. What about you, wolf boy? Do it for Moonshine. Get your phone back.”
They started giggling again.
“What if you just give me the phone back and we call it even?”
“What if you chase me, big bad wolf?” The blonde tilted her head. Ironically, she was wearing a neon pink and white bunny mask.
Fuck. Declan was coming back.
The girls scattered screaming, but the blonde took off with my phone.
Kaelan grabbed me and shoved me into the next room before Declan could see us.
“We ambush him. Drag him in here.”
I nodded. We got ready.
The second Declan passed, we jumped him. He fought like a fucking animal, but we managed to drag him through the door and lock it. Dim lighting. Stone walls. Rows of dark wooden racks filled with expensive bottles. Great. Glass everywhere.
Declan turned on us, breathing hard. “You want my tokens? Not gonna happen.”
“We’re not here for your tokens,” Kaelan said. “We’re here to kill you.”
Declan stared at me. “Wait… you’re that fuck who helped Whitlock. But you’re not the blonde one. Who the fuck are you?” He squared up.
“Declan.”
He scoffed. “Cillian. Should’ve figured. You’re here to save your little boy princess from the scary Irish mafia. You’ll turn your back on your own kind for some nepo baby. You’re sinking low these days. But you ain’t killing me today. Where’s your lapdog?”
“Enough talking,” Kaelan snapped. “Let’s just kill the guy, Cil. I have things to do.”
Declan grabbed a wine bottle and hurled it at me. It smashed against my head. I went down hard. Kaelan jumped him immediately.
They crashed to the floor. Declan threw Kaelan off and bolted for the door.
“Get off me. Go after him!”
We scrambled to our feet and chased after him.
He ran back up the stairs and into the grand library. Two-story shelves. Dark wood. Where the fuck did he go?
Kaelan went right. I went left.
The shelves were two stories high. He could be anywhere.
“Come out, little lion. We’ll make it quick.”
Great. Now he was taunting him. I was trying to do this quietly. Guess that’s not happening.
Declan stepped out from between the shelves and tackled me.
I hit the floor hard. Arms locked around his neck.
“Kae—fuck… A little help.” He was strangling me.
I reached for the knife inside my jacket.
Kaelan yanked him off. I got on top, knife at his throat.
Declan grabbed my wrist while Kaelan tried to pin the other arm.
Behind us the door slammed open.
“No, please…” A guy in a matte black neon owl mask stepped in.
What the fuck?
Kaelan released Declan. I looked at him. “What the fuck, Kaelan. Come back here.”
Declan used the opening to slam his fist into my face. I got knocked back, knife skittering away. He climbed on top of me and we fought hard.
“If you touch him again, I’ll kill you,” I heard Kaelan say. I couldn’t see the owl guy anymore. I also had a two-hundred-and-thirty-pound brute on me.
Fucking hell.
Kaelan disappeared after the owl mask. Great plan. Fuck Misha. Where are you?
We fought for what felt like forever. We were evenly matched. I needed the upper hand soon, or he was going to kill me, and then go after Moon.
I reached for the books on the lower shelf and slammed one into his head. Again. And again. He finally backed off. I got on top of him and started pounding his face. Hard. With everything I had.
This was for Moonshine. For our future. Every prick who stands in our way is going to die. Declan stopped moving. Fuck. I got off him fast. I kicked his boot. No reaction.
I grabbed my knife, slid it back inside my jacket, and left the library.