Page 39 of Microburst

“I didn’t have a choice,” she rasped. “He did worse if I didn’t and I couldn’t escape.”

I pointed to Darren. “Your salvation wasright fucking here!He would have burned it all down if he’d known. Don’t give me that—” I shut my mouth. There was no point in trying to argue logic or reason with people who were locked in their own pain or could ever defend what they’d done.

And honestly, I couldn’t be rational or reasonable given how it had affected me. I hadn’t been there. Maybe she’d done what she could. Maybe she’d never been alone with Darren, or he’d threatened to hurt Darren if she’d ever told him.

I didn’t know.

I also didn’t care. The past couldn’t be changed, and the gods would punish her. I just wanted Grandfather gone as a threat to Darren. Every family like this had a charter that very clearly stated that the head of the family had to be “whole,” meaning their dragon had to be fully functional and in top shape.

Missing part of an arm wouldnotqualify as that.

I spit on Grandfather just to appease Eloise since she wanted him dead and to take a wing. I reminded her that it wasn’t hisdragon’s fault and not being able to fly would be worse than death to us.

Yeah, but she thought he deserved worse than death.

She probably wasn’t wrong.

I glanced out at the stunned and scared faces. “No more of this madness. It is against thelaw—it’s fucking child abuse. There is no court that wouldn’t convict that. You are out of your minds if you thinkshockingthe female children of this family to be docile and obedient isn’tchild abuse!”

A man not far from me grabbed a woman by him and spun her to face him. “Has someone in my family hurt you?” His face went pale when she didn’t answer. “No, that’s—how could you nottell me?”

“Your mother said you all knew and it was what it was to be a Gurren woman,” she whispered, looking scared. “It’s why my dragon won’t get pregnant. Your mother said it will be a matter of time before I realize it’s what’s best—that all the mates come around and fall in line.”

“By the gods,” Darren choked out as he stood. Then he looked at me. “I need to borrow one of the tiger investigators. I have to—I can’t just ignore this.”

“You would end the family if you outed this,” one of the elders snapped. “How we handle our family is our business.”

“Oh, the child abuse laws have been in place for decades and you cannot say it was standard if you only did it to the girls,” I practically purred. “And you’re looking at the one who would decide the case in the end after all of your appeals.”

“Yes, well, we also have what you did here tonight to tell people too,” he threw right back.

“Bad call,” Belinda chuckled as Darren moved in a flash and punched the elder.

Yeah, I saw that coming too.

“I have diplomatic immunity, and even my harshest critics would forgive me for what I did if they learned he broke his daughter and she was so twisted she shocked me as a child and that’s probably why my father sent me away because she was so fucking crazy,” I lied through my teeth, not seeing any truth dragons there.

Everyone froze.

I smirked at several of the elders of the family. “You don’t think that could be a reason? The Heir of Thovudin was being abused and there’s no divorce for royals, it’s in the laws even, because it would be a national security level of instability for the government. So the king realizes the queen is fucking nuts after she births a child and they never have another.

“And I find all this out after their death and he admits it.” I pointed to Grandfather. “When my uncle takes over to save all the women here and future females of the family. And… You think anyone will actually not be on my side this time? Even I think everyone will be on my side for once, especially with all the wins I’ve had recently.”

They did too. It was all over their faces.

“The queen and her party leave, but then the compound is locked down,” Darren ordered. “We figure out who was involved and get answers before deciding how to proceed. I’morderingeveryone as the head of this family not to shock anyone for any fucking reason other than self-defense. Is that understood?”

Some people didn’t like it, but being head of the family meant something and it was clear that Darren was in charge… And of probably a lot more than I understood.

He cupped my face and kissed my forehead. “Go. I have things here, I promise. I might not be able to fly to you this week, but I won’t miss the meetings.”

“Whatever you need. I’m here for you too.”

He hugged me to him tightly, almost like when I’d survived the assignation attempt. “You are a miracle from the gods. Never forget that.”

I snuggled against him, enjoying the moment and soaking up his love after another too-hard realization.

“Oh yeah, she’s a fucking miracle,” a male voice mocked. “She just ripped off Great-Grandfather’s arm with a smile. More like the queen’s a fucking psychopath.”