by Kate Stewart
“Do you think this is easy for us to stand by and let him die?” Z roared. “It’s fucking tearing us apart.” He wrecked me when his eyes glistened with unshed tears. “We have our orders, Mian.”
Mian.
Not princess.
“He’s not your leader right now,” I pleaded brokenly as I balled his shirt in my fists. “He’s your friend, your brother, and he needs you right now.” I couldn’t just accept that he was going to die. Not after everything I gave him this morning.
“The crypt,” Lucas cursed as he pulled me out of Z’s arms. “They took him to the crypt.” “It doesn’t matter,” Z argued. “We’ll never get in without the key,”
I didn’t stop to think about a plan or even if I should rescue Angel with all I had just learned. I just knew I could never stop my heart from wanting to try.
“It just so happens I know a way in.”
Chapter 23
ANGEL
WE WERE UNDERGROUND the mausoleum where each Bandit before me, including my father and grandfather, were buried. The main chamber was circular with an altar in the center. The floor was made of black and white tiled marble. Surrounding the altar were six crypts, one of them belonging to me.
“I’m almost disappointed you didn’t see this coming,” Andrew whispered as he tied me to the pillar. The rope bit into my skin, cutting off the blood flow. “Our family thinks you’re a legend yet it was so easy to orchestrate your downfall.” He patted my arm once he had finished tying me up. “We’ve orchestrated a lot of downfalls,” he confessed. “It all started with your mother. Your poor, broken mother. Beatrice gave Victor the code to the safe and the tip about the silent alarm. The paranoia Victor implanted in her head made her think she was saving you from yourself.” I kept my gaze forward and didn’t react. My chances of getting out of this alive were slim, but if I did, I needed to know who deserved my wrath. “Then there was Victor who was so eager to prove his potential. My father promised him power if he helped us set you up by stealing the book. When he succeeded, we couldn’t leave loose ends, so we asked him to take your sweet little wife and then you killed him for us. Just as we wanted.”
Reginald and fifteen of my cousins were busy arguing how best to kill me. His suggestions favored pain while the others just wanted to get it over with. My family had long ago divided. There were those who wanted nothing to do with Alexander’s legacy but were too afraid of rebelling.
And then there was Augustine who feigned boredom as he stood silently within our circle of cousins. I knew my warning not to interfere had fallen on deaf ears. He was a calculating player and used every piece in the game of chess as his personal pawn. He once told me himself that it was smarter not to trust him.
“Finally, there was the ambitious Henry Staten who was eager to keep his cozy job in the Senate. We convinced him to deliver the book to you in exchange for erasing his indiscretions, and of course, Mian and the kid. Once he entered those gates, we counted on you making sure he’d never return.” I waited, knowing there would be more. “We promised we’d show up on a white horse with the other heirs to bear witness to how a descendant of Angelo broke the rules. But we didn’t.” He moved closer and whispered, “You weren’t the only one laying a trap,” he taunted. “Staten dead means there’s no one left to tie us to the book being stolen and tampered. You remember rules number five and six, don’t you?”
Never sell silence.
Protect the book.
He snapped his fingers. “Almost forgot the last piece of the puzzle. We killed your grandfather, of course. Alon didn’t leave us must choice when history repeated itself. He confronted us with his suspicions after that fiasco at the ball.” He leaned in close again. “Were you really going to kill that innocent beauty?” I closed my eyes to block the admiration in his voice. What I almost did to Mian would haunt me forever.
“I admire your ability to train your woman better than your father trained your mother. I couldn’t get anything out of her during our little chat in the gardens. She was Plan B. Who better to kill you than the woman you love? After we kill you, I think I’ll keep her around for a while. Without the kid, of course.”
I smiled at that knowing if he did ever manage to get Mian in his bed, she wouldn’t hesitate to carve his heart out while he slept.
“Are you thinking about your last words?” he mused when I didn’t respond to his prodding.
“I’m thinking if I don’t get to kill you, my wife certainly will.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind when I’m deep inside her.” He stood in front of me now. “Maybe I’ll even give her my seed.”
His grin was triumphant when I growled and fought to free myself from my bonds. If my hands weren’t tied to this pillar, I’d carve his heart out myself.
Augustine noticed us first and sauntered over. Reginald called his son away, and I finally relaxed. I closed my eyes and prayed Lucas and Z had followed orders and got Mian and Caylen far away from here.
“What did he say?” Augustine asked me.
“Nothing I haven’t already figured out.” My eyes opened to find Augustine standing close with his arms crossed. He was using his body to block me from view and kept his voice low.
“Reginald and the kid were in it with Staten.”
“They must have offered him anonymity, and Staten must have figured he could control them.”
“Those idiots think they’ll be gods.” His grin was mocking. “Staten would have made them errand boys.”
“They’d be dead long before that could happen.”
He grunted and then fell silent. A second later, he said, “So how do you want to do this?”
I didn’t miss a beat. “You sure about this?”
He shrugged. “I’m not helping to kill the only member of this family I actually respect.”
“Two against sixteen…” I’ve fought those odds before, but I had the advantage of not having my hands tied behind my back.
“Four against sixteen.” We shared a look. “I may have left the door to the tunnel unlocked.”
“Lucas and Z have their orders. If we die down here, Mian and Caylen won’t be safe.”
“Then we better make sure we don’t die down here.”
Over Augustine’s shoulder, I noticed Andrew watching us curiously. If we were going to make a move, it had to be fast. Augustine noticed my distraction and quickly drove his fist into my gut. I struggled for my next breath as my body folded as much as my bonds would allow. Augustine may be lean, but he packed one hell of a punch.
“You should know better than to beg for mercy, cousin.” He spat the words loud enough for Andrew to hear as he approached.
“Pride is forgotten when one is staring death in the eye,” Andrew reflected when he reached us. “Even men who think themselves a god.” Augustine faked a laugh for Andrew’s benefit and then rolled his eyes when he looked away.
“Has your father made a decision on how we’ll end this prick?”
“Actually, it was me who decided to show Angeles the same mercy Adan showed my second great-grandfather.”
Augustine blanked. “You want to behead him?”
“It seems traditional, don’t you think?” To me, he said, “Be sure to thank your grandfather for me when you see him in hell.” With a wink, he walked away again and made his way to the long, brown satchel he had brought in. He then made a show of removing an axe while everyone looked on.
Reginald took the opportunity to approach as his son expertly swung the axe through the air. He’d obviously been practicing. “I didn’t want it to be like this.”
“Really? Because your son says you planned the entire thing.” Reginald cast a worried glance at Augustine and stepped closer.
“My son can get a bit carried away with his exaggerations. I long suspected foul play and did my duty to this family by calling you out.”
“Whatever helps your crown of righteousness fit better.”
“Reginald,” Alista
ir called. “Can we please move forward?”
“Certainly.” Reginald fixed his attention on Augustine. “I trust you can untie him and get him on his knees.”
Augustine nodded and moved to untie me from the pillar while Reginald and the others circled the altar. Andrew stood alone in the center with an eager gleam in his eye as he twirled the axe.
“Get ready,” Augustine whispered as he stealthily untied my hands. I kept them folded behind my back as he led me forward. Beyond the altar, I noticed a dark figure dart into the shadows. I casually let my gaze roam and noticed another moving in the opposite direction. It wasn’t until a third, much smaller figure followed the second that my control slipped infinitesimally. “Easy,” Augustine whispered. He disguised the order by pushing me to my knees.
I gritted my teeth when my knees hit the stone. I then searched the shadows again for movement, convinced my eyes were playing tricks on me. Augustine had warned me they would come, and I was terrified to believe he was right because if we failed…
“Any last words?” Andrew taunted.
“Try to be tasteful,” Reginald scolded before I could answer. “Angeles, please present your neck.”
I saw the shadows move again, and this time, it didn’t go unnoticed. Benjamin, a cousin from my own line, noticed the gun pointed at his head the same time I did. He backed away, stumbling, and drawing attention.
It didn’t matter, though.
It was already too late.
“Actually, I do have last words for you,” I announced. I stole Andrew’s attention again before he could notice them. “You lose.”
Andrew went down after Z delivered a brutal blow with the butt of his gun.
“What is this?” Reginald bellowed.
Lucas, Z, and Augustine were busy overpowering the armed and stupid when I smelled her soft scent. I didn’t know I was already missing her until now. “Why are you here?” I growled as she untied me.
She didn’t sound so sure of her answer when she said, “Wouldn’t you do the same for me?”
“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.” Her hands froze from untying me, but it didn’t matter. I forced free of the loosened rope and turned to cradle her face in my hands. “But you still shouldn’t have come.”
“Who would have stopped me?”
I HAVEN’T KILLED them yet even though I really wanted to. Reginald and Andrew were tied to a chair at each end of the table while our cousins, who hadn’t been injured to within an inch of their life, sat around the table. Lucas and Z stood as sentinels by the door while I leaned against the fireplace, holding the book at my side. The edges of the leather were burned, but I chose to focus on one issue at a time. Tension filled the library as they waited nervously for me to start the meeting.
At this point, there were no sides. Only confusion.
“Someone want to explain what the fuck is going on?” Amir spat. He was a descendant of Meredith and one of the few who hadn’t resisted when we stopped my execution.
“Angeles is a traitor and should be put down,” Reginald roared.
“It pains me to say it, cousin, but he’s right,” Liam, a descendant of Angelo, grimly agreed. “You wouldn’t have hesitated.”
“I wouldn’t have been wrong, either.”
His gaze narrowed. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that these two set me up and he,” I nodded to Andrew, “was stupid enough to confess his betrayal while I was still alive.”
“It’s your word against mine, and even if I was guilty, why would I confess to a corpse?”
“Because I wouldn’t have still been the Knight.” Andrew paled while Reginald glowered at his son. “And as you know my reign doesn’t end until I’m dead.”
“He’s right,” Augustine gloated. “As long as he breathes he’s judge, jury, and executioner.”
The door opened, and Mian slipped past Lucas and Z just as Reginald shouted, “My son is right. Knight or not, you can’t prove he confessed anything to you.”
“As far as you’re concerned, I am your God.” I heard Mian’s gasp. At this moment, I truly was the monster she once feared. “But if you want proof before you die, I can make that happen.” Lucas and Z left on cue. I took the opportunity to meet Mian’s gaze for the first time since she had entered the room. She stood by the door wringing her hands. When I held out my hand to her, she hesitated before coming to me. “You don’t need to be afraid of me.”
“I know.”
My frown deepened as doubt stirred in my gut. “Do you?”
“I think so.”
I kissed her lips, but she didn’t kiss me back. “We’ll fix that later,” I promised, attempting to soften her. I felt her stiffen in my arms just as Lucas and Z returned. I ignored my cousins’ stares and pushed her behind me with a mental note to find out what was wrong with her when we were alone. I felt her fingers dig into my sides when they dragged the senator, crumpled and bloodied, inside. We hadn’t had the chance to get him to the warehouse, so we kept him locked in the cellar with instructions to the servants to stay clear.
The senator attempted to stand, but Z’s firm hand on his shoulder forced him down. Reginald avoided eye contact while Andrew looked as if he’d pass out. Staten looked around, and when he finally noticed Reginald, his face twisted with rage.
“You son of a bitch! How can you just sit there? You assured me when you stole the book he’d be taken care of. Look at me,” he roared. He was a bloodied broken shell of the refined man who wanted me and my baby dead. “My son is dead because of your betrayal.”
No one moved or spoke. The only sound that could be heard was the senator’s heaving as he attempted to catch his breath.
“I think we have all we need,” Alistair slowly spoke. Reginald turned his scowl on him.
“You spit on Alexander when you side with him.”
“Alexander is the one who made these rules our family’s law. You disgraced him when you tried to frame Angeles.”
“I was righting the wrong his line did to this family. Angelo’s line has ruled for four generations while we sat back and did nothing. The Knighthood belongs to Andrew. He should be Alexander’s true heir.”
“I’m afraid that argument won’t save you from Angel’s mercy,” Ronald, another descendant of Alexander’s, answered. “If it’s all right with you, Angel, I’d like to go home now.”
I nodded and silently watched as everyone except Lucas, Alexander, and Z left.
“Angeles.” The senator said my name like a plea. “Let me go, son. You can’t simply kill a senator and expect no one to ask questions. They’ll trace my death to you.”
“Senator, I promise you, when I’m done, there won’t be anything left of you to find.” And my vow was meant for anyone who crossed me. My gaze swept the room, resting meaningfully on my traitorous kin.
Chapter 24
MIAN
ANNA RELUCTANTLY DECIDED to return home after her mother reappeared. None of us liked it, but it was a decision she forced us to respect.
I hadn’t seen Angel in two days, but I didn’t regret the space. I was still figuring out how to confront him about my mother and had been focusing on not allowing hurt and anger to consume me. The morning after we saved Angel from being beheaded, I watched a report on the news about the perishing of Senator Henry Staten, his son, Aaron Staten, and girlfriend, Erin Andrews, after the home of the senator had burned down in an uncontrollable fire. Angel’s promise to not leave anything left of the Senator to find must have been what kept him away these past couple of days.
I was busy drawing a sketch on a legal pad I’d stolen from the library, something I hadn’t done in months, when Angel stepped out onto the patio looking like he needed a week’s worth of sleep.
“Hey,” he greeted.
“Hey.”
“I thought you might like to know that your friend, Becky, is alive. She was shot in the abdomen, but it went straight through without damaging anything.�
� I felt a tear slide down my face and quickly wiped it away.
“Thank you.” My voice shook, but I didn’t care. I wanted to see my friends again, but I knew it would never be possible. It was better this way. They were safe.
“Sam also received a package from me this morning.”
My lips parted, but no words came. I had to fight for them. “You paid them off?”
“I thanked them for taking care of you and Caylen,” he corrected. “And because she took a bullet for you.”
I turned away and ran my pencil over the sketch, darkening lines and creating more depth.
“You’re drawing again,” he observed as he took a seat next to me. I blushed when he took a peek at my sketch. It was a roughly drawn replica of him during one of those rare moments he never allowed anyone to see. Moments usually spent with me. “Have I ever told you how talented you are?”
I smiled feeling myself blush. “You don’t have to suck up. It’s just a hobby.”
“Have you considered doing nudes?”
“No.” I ran my pencil over Angel’s eyes, darkening them. “Most of my drawings are of my mother. I barely remember her before cancer so mostly I imagine how she’d look knowing she was going to live.” I wasn’t looking at him, but I could feel his reaction. When I did look at him, his eyes were empty though his jaw was set. He was never going to tell me the truth unless I made him. “Your father murdered my mother, didn’t he?”
“How did you—” His gaze narrowed. “You read the book?”
I slammed the pad down and stood up. “Then I guess we’re even.” I tried to walk away, determined to leave him once and for all, when his hand closed around my wrist. He was gentle, but his constant betrayal made his touch feel like acid.
“I’m not upset,” he rushed to assure me.
“Well, that makes one of us.”