I move away from my father and frown. “What are you talking about?”
The radio at Carlisle’s side crackles with a mess of voices. He unlatches it from his belt and turns up the volume. I hear gunfire and wails of pain.
“They’re attacking everywhere,” Carlisle says. “The docks, the airstrip. Everything. They’re destroying it all.”
“Bring me the Harrison twins—”
Jennifer and Jeremiah burst into the study a heartbeat later, white-faced and panting.
“What the hell is happening?”
“I’m sorry, Mason.” Jennifer shakes her head. “Our men are withdrawing.”
“The fuck they are. We have an agreement—”
“Not anymore, we don’t, Mason,” Jeremiah says. “You’re on your own with this. Fucking waste if you ask me, but oh well.”
He strides out of the office with his hands in his pockets. Jennifer offers me another apologetic look before hurrying after him.
“Get me the mayor, now. I want to know how the hell this happened. Where the fuck is Katia?”
I storm out of my father’s office, with Carlisle on my heels. I find Katia in the foyer with her phone to her ear.
“They just made a move on London’s parents. Nadia barely managed to get them out alive.” Katia keeps pace beside me. “I’ve tried reaching out to some of the others, but there’s nothing but radio silence.”
I burst into my office and rummage through the drawers. “Where the hell is the mayor?”
Carlisle says something else into the phone then hangs up. He stands up straighter and clears his throat. “He’s out of town.”
I rip a drawer off its hinges and toss it aside as Carlisle and Katia drift closer to each other. A moment later, my father comes into the study and sits in one of the armchairs. He stares at the flames of the fire.
I hurl another drawer at the nearest wall, and it splinters.
This can’t be happening.
Mathew cannot win.
I won’t let him.
“Carlisle, find Olivia.” My mind is racing a million miles a minute. “Take her and get Oliver. Gather whatever men are still loyal and wait for me in the library.”
Carlisle nods and leaves.
I turn to Katia. “Have Nadia keep London’s parents underground until we reach out with more instructions.”
Katia lifts the phone to her ear and mumbles something too quick for me to hear. A few moments later, she hangs up and pockets the phone.
“Go and help Carlisle. I’ll join you when I can.”
Katia leaves the room, and I turn to face my father, who is still staring into the fire. I storm over to him, kneel, and wait for him to look at me. “For fuck’s sake, don’t just sit there.”
Jack slowly lifts his gaze to mine. “I’ve said all I need to say. Stay and die or run and live.”
“Live in disgrace, you mean.” I shake my head and stand back up.
He isn’t wrong. It’s over. There’s nothing else for you to do.
Still, I can’t bring myself to turn my back on everything I’ve built and the only life I’ve ever known.
