Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
NATHANIEL
T he guards standing outside my father’s office doors hesitated when they looked at my hand and saw my gun.
“If you want to live, get the fuck out of my way,” I snarled. They looked at one another before stepping to the side. He was dead. Those three words were on repeat in my mind. Instead of opening the double doors, I hauled off and kicked them so hard that the latch gave and broke away from the wood as they slammed against the wall. The bang was like a shotgun going off.
My father, Ronan, Titus, and the guards standing inside all jumped. Titus’s dogs stood at attention and stared at me, along with everyone else.
“What the hell is the meaning of this,” my father said, and all I saw was red. Lifting my gun, I shot at the massive bust that sat on a pedestal behind my father. It exploded, sending little bits of debris flying in all directions. Everyone took cover then. My father ducked down behind his desk while Ronan and Titus slid off their chairs and used them as shields. The next thing destroyed was the grandfather clock that sat in the corner. It had been in my father’s family for generations. He loved that thing more than he loved his barely legal women and alcohol. Three shots to the face and the gears came to a halt.
The room became deadly quiet as everyone peered at me from their hiding spots. My father’s loyal guards recovered the fastest and had their guns out but seemed unsure if they should point them at me.
Titus slowly stood from where he’d ducked down and stared at me with his hands up.
“Easy, brother,” he said like he was trying to calm one of his dogs.
Only the winds of a hurricane could’ve caused as much of a reaction from them all so quickly. My chest heaved with every breath. The adrenaline and firey rage flowed freely through my body. I could taste my father’s death on my tongue as it burned up my throat.
“Nathaniel, have you lost your fucking mind?” Ronan barked at me.
“That’s a funny question, considering our father not only sold me out but would kill any of us if it suited him,” I growled.
My father stood, his face red, eyes wary, but he still wore the same mask of self-importance that I’d always known.
“What the hell are you talking about,” Father asked. I made a show of putting the safety on my gun so his guards didn’t shoot me as I marched for his desk. Ronan placed his hand on my shoulder when I got close enough, and even though he didn’t say anything, he must have sensed that there was a good chance I would leap across the desk. I wanted to. To feel his gasp as the life faded from his eyes was all I wanted right now.
“Are you denying it?”
“I think you’ll find any excuse to turn on me. You have an uncontrollable temper, Nathaniel, and it is always aimed in my direction.”
I smiled, and it turned into a laugh that held no true joy or humor. “Such a good actor. At one time, I would’ve believed you. I might even have agreed with you. But now I know it’s not in my head.”
I hit play on the message and watched his face carefully. He didn’t react much, but he paled and sat down. It was his way of conceding that it was indeed him, but I knew he would find a way to justify what he’d done just like he always did.
The message came to an end, and the room remained silent. Ronan and Titus wore the same shocked expression while my father organized paperwork on his desk.
“Jesus fuck. Is that how you really feel,” Titus asked as he glared at our father. Even Ronan, who had been steadfastly loyal, looked taken aback by what he heard. “We’re all just expendable? You were willing to let Nathan’s son die if it suited you? Your grandson?”
“Obviously, I played it up to Romeo. It was a power move the family needed.” I lunged for the desk, and Ronan grabbed me and held me back.
“Are you still on his side? What if it was your family he leveraged? Would you be so fucking loyal then,” I snarled like an animal at my brother.
“No, of course, I think it’s wrong, but I want to hear what he has to say,” Ronan said. I stepped back but yanked out of his hold and shook my head at him.
“All you want is to hear something that you can use to justify his actions. Then you can go back to being the favorite son, and he can pat you on the head every time you jump when he orders.”
“Fuck you,” Ronan said, getting into my face.
“Right back at you, brother. If you can name a time that you’ve ever stood up for me, I will apologize right now. In fact, I will get down and kiss your fucking feet. Go for it. See if you can name a single time.” He blinked and opened his mouth, but no sound came out. “Yeah, that’s what I fucking thought, so why don’t you back the fuck off of me right now?”
He didn’t give me much room, but the wind had gone from his sails. I turned my attention back to my father. “How long did you know? How fucking long did you know that I had a son and didn’t tell me?”
This was my father, the man who was supposed to love and protect his family. Instead, we were nothing more than puppets to him. He grabbed the decanter sitting on his desk and poured himself a glass, and with each second that ticked by, my patience grew thinner for his antics.
“I knew almost right away,” he finally said, his steely gaze finding mine. “The fact that you were willing to broker a deal with that Fed and not kill her told me all I needed to know. The girl was a threat, and I planned on killing her. The only reason she is alive today is because I found out she was pregnant.”
Ronan crossed his arms and, for the first time, looked disgusted. “So, you were just waiting to use the information for your gain,” he asked.
“I didn’t want my grandchild to die, but there was an opportunity, and I saw no reason not to capitalize on it. She was a federal agent, and the only thing I regret is not killing her and taking the boy before Nathaniel married her. What a fucking disgrace? Not only is she a federal agent, but she has no political backing, no money, and no family connections. She’s useless.”
“Un-fucking-believable,” I mumbled and stepped back from the desk. My phone started to ring, but I hit End . I wasn’t able to think straight, let alone take a call.
Ronan, Father, and Titus yelled at one another, becoming background noise as my mind reeled. He’d known for years about Cutter and didn’t say anything. He almost killed Savannah regardless of anything I’d done or how I felt. None of it mattered to him.
All the attempts at the very public arranged engagements made sense. Hell, he probably hoped that Savannah would see them and stay away. I looked around the office at the famous artwork hanging from the walls. Statues were proudly displayed under lights, and antiques were under glass to protect them. There was one thing missing. There wasn’t a single picture of our family. I’d never noticed it before. It had never occurred to me to look or care, but the signs of how he felt had been there all along.
The anger and shock made it hard to feel anything other than dead inside, where he was concerned.
“Enough!”
All three of them looked at me. I locked my stare on my sperm donor. He was no more a father to me than the gardener who showed up twice a week to cut the grass.
“I’m done. As of this moment, I will no longer call you my father, and I’m pulling all of my businesses from the family. Good luck getting the rest of your shit to stay afloat without me. I’ve brokered the last drug and gun deals. All those contacts are mine.”
Dimitri smacked his fist on the desk and leaped up. “You can’t do that.”
“Oh, but I can. Each of my businesses was created solely under my portion of the corporation’s umbrella and not yours. You were always so quick to wave off anything that I set in front of you, so eager to sign the paperwork so I would leave you alone. You never bothered to notice that my company owns the lion’s share of all stock, buildings, businesses, and employees. It’s all mine.”
“But if you take all of that out at once, it will cripple us. What about the deals in place for the family corporation? You brokered those in good faith.”
“I don’t fucking care. Why should I care about what you love when you never cared about me or what I love,” I said, hitting him where it hurt more than if I ever put a bullet between his eyes.
“Everything I’ve ever done is to better this family,” he had the nerve to say.
My phone rang again, and I hit End without looking at the caller ID.
“No, everything you did was for yourself. Right down to having multiple kids so that one or more of us were expendable for your gain. It has all been for you.” I glanced at Ronan and then Titus.
“I’m sorry that this will affect the rest of you, but you’re welcome to come with me if you choose. As soon as the wedding ceremony is over, I’ll be moving out. I can no longer live here with him.”
“No, I forbid you to do this.” I smirked at Dimitri, and that only enraged him more, which felt good. I wouldn’t stop at leaving the family. No, I was going to bring it down. I would tear the corporation apart with my bare hands and own every piece until there was nothing left of him or what he’d built. It would all be mine, and my brothers could get on board or sink with the ship.
“You’re out of touch, old man. You think you won because you made a deal behind my back. Naw, someone around you wants to see you fail as much as I do, or they wouldn’t have sent me this message. Maybe even Romeo himself. Your time as head of this family is up.”
“Nathaniel,” the guard outside the door called my name, and I glared at him for being so informal. “I’m sorry, but I had to get your attention. Goran has been trying to reach you.”
“Tell him I’ll call him back.”
The man swallowed, and his eyes were wide. “No, Sir. You need to take this call.”
The way he said that sent cold dread down my spine like nothing else could. I held out my hand as I walked toward him, and he handed me his phone.
“Goran?” I plugged my other ear, and the sound of a siren was loud in the background.
“Nathaniel, it’s Savannah. She’s been shot. We’re on our way to the hospital, but…my friend, it’s not good.”
I sucked in a ragged breath, fear turning the heat that had been filling me a moment ago to ice as my heart stopped beating.
“What,” I stupidly asked, even though I’d heard him fine.
“Meet us as St. Mary’s emergency.” People were talking in the background about too much blood loss and losing her. I stumbled back, barely catching myself before I ended up on the floor. “I’ve got to go.”
Goran hung up, and I clutched the phone, staring at the face before lifting my gaze to Dimitri.
“If Savannah dies, I will come for you. I will come for you with everything I have. You better start praying that doesn’t happen.” I would’ve usually taken joy in the little bit of fear that filled his eyes, but not today, not now.
“What’s wrong,” Titus asked.
“Savannah’s been shot,” I said, already jogging for the door.
“I’m coming with you. Hailey. Holly. Go to Cutter,” Titus ordered as we ran down the hall while the dogs took off to my son’s room.
Soldiers followed in our wake as we left the house.
“We’ll take my car. You’re in no shape to drive,” Titus said. I didn’t argue as I went to the passenger side of the McLaren. “What hospital?”
“St. Mary’s,” I said, wiping at something wet on my face. I stared at the clear liquid and then slowly closed my hand into a fist as my eyes locked onto my wedding ring.
She couldn’t die. I just got her back. If she did…there was nothing I wouldn’t do to avenge her. I’d start with making my father eat his gun.
I closed my eyes as we whipped down the road.
Please, God, don’t let her die, I’m begging you. My soul is nothing without her.