Oh, fuck no. I was going to bitch slap the fuck out of him while calling him my pet when we had him in custody.
Glancing at Drake, I spoke to him as I chewed my lip.It doesn’t seem like anyone else is in there besides Rin and Jeoffrey. Should we get closer to attempt a look inside? I don’t see anyone watching the perimeter. Plus, we haven’t heard Serena yet, and we need to make sure she’s in there.
He gave a nod.Go closer and take Lincoln with you. Andrei and I will move around to the back of the house and let you know if we see anyone else.
I quickly relayed the message to Linc before we split off into our teams. Speeding to the side of the house, we dropped to our asses with our backs to the wall just below a broken window. My heart rate increased, pounding lightly in my ears at the thought of being seen or heard.
“I’m going to grab Serena from upstairs,” Jeoffrey announced, voice growing more distant as I heard the pounding of feet on what I assumed were stairs. “Our underlings are already in place at the designated spot. We’ll kill Dracula and his little bitch today and live like the kings we are by the time the sun sets, Rin.”
He promised to rule alongside him, and Rin actually fucking believed him. Jeoffrey would decapitate him the moment he got what he wanted.
No doubt,I easily agreed with Lincoln’s assessment.
“Baby, I—” Rin started, before Lo quickly cut him off.
“I don’t care what you have to say to me. I came to you last night to try to help you. To save you from this path you are so hellbent on going down. Now you have me tied up as a hostage and are allowing him to hurt me, Rin. I showed you mercy and compassion, and you spat in my fucking face by doing this. You’re dead to me.”
A mixture of pride and sorrow flashed through me at Lo’s words. So she was never in the castle to begin with during the attack. She’d sought out Rin to try to work things out and probably try to sway him back to our side because of her love for him. She had such a big heart, but she was finding out the truth behind what I’d said to her before. We wanted so badly to see the good in those we love that we often gave them more credit than they deserved.
Rin’s voice softened to a hushed whisper, barely carrying out to us. “Baby, this is all part of the plan. Once we get rid of Dracula and Alina, we’ll kill Jeoffrey and rule together.”
I had to shove down the groan that threatened to burst out of me. Jeoffrey and Rin each planned on double-crossing the other. Truly, they were wonderful partners.
“Did you ever stop to think that maybe that isn’t what I want!” She hissed, venom dripping from her tone. “Dracula and Alina are my family. Why would I ever,everbetray them?”
Pride rolled through me at her standing her ground. That’s my girl.
I’m going to look in while they’re preoccupied.
I offered Lincoln a nod, and he quickly flipped to his knees and eased his head closer and closer to the edge of the window.
“I’m all the family you need, Lo!” Rin argued, sounding a bit unhinged. “You’ll see that when this is all done. I promise.”
It’s just them as far as I can see.
Relaying the info to Drake, I waited to hear their report.
We have eyes on Jeoffrey coming back down the stairs with Serena. She’s thrown over his shoulder and looks to be unconscious. She doesn’t look well. We need to move, now. Go through the front door with Lincoln and distract them. We’re going to come through the back door and try to catch them off guard to prevent any weapons from going off.
On it.
Be careful, Comoara.
I could feel his indecision over sending me to be a decoy, but we both knew this was our best course of action with needing to choose immediately. Time was not on our side.
Lincoln and I sidled around toward the front and shared a nod and a deep breath.
If anything goes sideways, get out of here. Don’t look back or wait for any of us.
I could lie to you and say okay, but I will never, ever abandon any of you. If we go down, we go down together.
The muscles in his jaw clenched, and his nostrils flared as if he was planning his rebuttal. I knew we didn’t have time for an argument, though, so I quickly hopped onto the porch, spinning around to face him with my chin held high. My heart raced as I waltzed through the entrance, praying my confident façade was convincing.
“Hello, friends,” I called out, leaning in the doorway as Jeoffrey and Rin whirled around with wide eyes.
A smile tugged my lips up at the corners when I spotted a genuine flicker of fear in their eyes. Were they afraid of this little bitch? The one who needed muscle? Funny how that worked.
Jeoffrey grabbed the limp body of Serena, haphazardly flinging her over his shoulder before carelessly dumping her onto the ancient and stained couch.
