Chapter 64
Chapter Sixty-Four
Claudia
Zac paces the length of the drawing room like a caged animal, fury radiating from him in waves. His breaths come harsh and uneven, and his hands keep flexing open and closed, fighting the urge to punch straight through anything in his path.
I’ve never seen him like this.
“I promised her she was safe. Told her there was no way for them to know it was her. That I’d never let her get hurt by them ever again.”
“Zac, let’s think this through,” Jordan says, hands outstretched, as if hoping to try to tame the beast.
I shake my head at him; Zac is unstable right now, and from the look in his eyes, I don’t trust that he won’t snap past the point of no return.
Emilia’s gone, and I’m utterly terrified of what that might mean for her. I’m panicked, and I’m urgent—but Zac… Zac’s on a whole different level. Animalistic and primal.
And they say they don’t have feelings for one another.
“City Hall.” Zac’s voice is a low, feral growl. “She’ll be in The fucking Cell. That’s the only place they’d take her.” My stomach drops.
Riley shifts in the doorway, his shoulders hunched. “I’ll talk to the Armoury,” he says. “I can try to get backup but, Zac, no one’s going to storm City Hall. It’s too heavily guarded. There are Enforcers on every entrance. None of us would make it more than ten feet.”
Zac spins towards him, eyes blazing. “Then I’ll make it nine. I don’t give a fuck.”
Jordan swears under his breath, stepping forward. “Zac, you go down there alone, they won’t arrest you, they’ll kill you. Do you get that? They’ll fucking execute you in the street like they did Jace.”
“Maybe I’ll take a few of them with me,” Zac spits.
“And how would that help Emilia?” I pipe up, loud but shaky. “You do that, Zac, and you’ll guarantee her execution, too.”
“I’m not letting them fucking win. I promised her.”
“We just need to take a moment. Think things through—”
“She doesn’t have a moment,” he roars, slamming both fists onto the table. A candle falls over and papers scatter onto the floor. “She’s already in their fucking clutches.”
“Riley, is there any other information?” I ask desperately.
He shakes his head before pointing at his ear. “Nothing. No one knows anything yet—”
“I should’ve brought her back here,” Zac snaps, grabbing at his hair. “We should’ve treated her the same way we have Kayla. She should’ve been kept here!”
“There was no way for us to know—”
“Yes, there was,” Zac spits, cutting my husband off, his eyes pits of pure, unrestrained fire.
“Those fucking boots, Jordan. Who else in their right mind would ever have purchased a pair of those from the State?” He starts pacing once more.
“I should’ve realised that. Before it was too fucking late. ”
My heart aches at his words, but his rage is stifling any iota of reason.
“Zac,” I say, but he’s not listening, already storming for the door. Jordan lunges after him, grabbing his arm. Zac wrenches away, and Jordan nearly loses his footing, stumbling into the table.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Then stop acting like a fucking idiot!” Jordan shouts back, voice cracking. “You’re not thinking—”
“I am thinking!” Zac snaps. “She’s alone down there. Alone with them! And if something happens to her, if they hurt her…” His voice breaks.
My eyes sting as his expression shatters.
Riley moves closer, barricading Zac’s escape route. “We’ll find a way. But running straight to The Cell is suicide, and you know it—”
“I’m not leaving her there,” Zac snarls. His arm whips forward, fist connecting with Riley’s ribs. Riley falls back, straight into the doorframe, and Jordan curses, launching at Zac from behind, locking his arms around his chest. Zac erupts, pure panic fuelling his actions.
“Let me go! She needs me! She needs me!”
The sound of him breaking… guts me.
I stumble forward, sobbing. “Zac!” I scream.
Zac slams his boot down on Jordan’s foot. Jordan yelps, his grip faltering, and Zac takes the opportunity to drive his elbow back, straight into Jordan’s gut. Jordan wheezes, collapsing just enough for Zac to tear free.
He lunges for Riley.
Riley pulls back his fist and drives it straight into Zac’s face.
His head snaps back, blood spraying from his nose, but he barely flinches, recovering fast, bending forward and hurling himself at Riley once more.
They go flying through the kitchen, smashing into the cabinets.
Glass shatters and dishes erupt, debris raining over the floor.
Riley’s pinned to the sink, but he doesn’t let up, face twisted into a snarl as his hands knot around Zac’s top, holding him tight.
Jordan tears past me, grabbing Zac’s raised fist before he can plunge it into Riley’s face. He clings to Zac’s arm with everything he has as Riley wraps his arms around Zac’s torso, straining to keep him from bolting for the door.
They’re succeeding, with Zac still recovering from his stint in Killmoor.
Without thinking, I launch myself across the room and jump onto Zac’s back with a yell, winding my arms around him as tight as I can.
“Zac,” I choke out. “Zac! Stop!” He doesn’t stop struggling, doesn’t listen. “Zac!” I cry again, voice breaking as I cling to him. “Zac, we’ll save her. We’ll get her back. I promise.”
And finally—finally—he stumbles forward, the fight draining out of him as his shoulders sag.
Slowly, I slide off his back. Jordan reaches out, tugging me into his chest and curling his arm over my collarbone just as Riley reaches for the back of Zac’s neck, yanking his lowered head onto his shoulder before his wide eyes meet ours.
There’s a small scuffle from the end of the kitchen and all three of us turn towards the noise. Kayla stands there, pale and messy, on the third step.
“I heard everything,” she says, her voice hoarse. “I want to help.”
Between us, we now have to come up with a plan to save Emilia as fast as we can.