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Clearing his throat, Colton said, “Mosley was no longer under my command. Whoever was⁠—”

“Stop right there.” The voice of the woman he believed to be Reina Solange was practically vibrating with anger as she said, “You claimed Dr. Mosley was ready. You claimed he was willing. But instead, he was holding on to a grudge against you. We found out, after his death, what you did. He left a letter in his room. He told us that you had his mother killed.”

Every you was coated in accusation and condescension. Colton swallowed hard, his mind scrambling. This was a nightmare, and while others were at fault, he knew the council was going to make him pay. He had to get them to understand. “Dr. Mosley was punished for⁠—”

“We don’t care what it was for. You should have never sent him to us if he wasn’t ready. Because of your actions, both he and Franco are dead.”

“I didn’t⁠—”

“Do you know what that means, Mr. Kingsley?” another council member asked. “Franco Bianchi was the head of one of the largest corporations in the world. He has been a major donor and a huge supporter of our work for years. But now that he is dead, his son will be taking over, and he wants to move the corporation in another direction. So not only will we lose billions with his death, but we’ve lost his influence, which was monumental to our success in Europe. This is a devastating loss that could set us back years.”

“We don’t give second chances, Kingsley.” Those words came from an overhead speaker, from someone who wasn’t even in the room. A chill swept through him. This voice, he realized, belonged to Lazarus. The one who made the final judgment calls on all major decisions.

This was it. This was the moment where it all ended. They would shoot him, roll his body up in the rug he was standing on, and carry him out to an incinerator. In seconds, he saw the entire scenario play out like a movie in his mind. Instead of becoming one of them, he would be one of the forgotten ones or, even worse, a joke or a cautionary tale for others.

He would not be receiving any of the riches or accolades he deserved.

Fighting with all his might to stay standing and not lose control of his bodily functions, Colton tried to come up with a dignified way to beg for his life. His mind was a complete blank, and for the first time in decades, he wanted to cry.

“We, however, have made the decision to make you an exception,” Lazarus said.

Before relief could even begin its journey through his body, one of the five who had been silent until now said, “Your mistake with Dr. Mosley will have massive reverberations throughout the entire world. We trusted you to handle any difficulties with the man with delicacy and empathy. Instead, you had his mother killed. In his letter, he explained that he’d made the difficult decision to allow his friend to die because of a minor infraction. But you chose to deny the horrific decision he had to make and made it a thousand times worse.

“You, Mr. Kingsley,” Lazarus shouted from the speaker, “are not fit to be a WREN leader. Go home and get your house in order. One more error like this, and you’ll be screaming for death long before we’re through with you.”

If he didn’t get out of here, he was going to pass out. No matter what he said, they weren’t going to listen to him. He needed to be alone to process what had happened. He took one step back, and another council member said, “Your bags have been packed and loaded. A car is waiting for you and will take you to the airport. If I were you, I’d leave before we change our minds.”

It didn’t matter that he looked like a coward or a loser. He took them at their word and strode quickly out of the room. His exit was so different from how he’d entered. Only a few moments ago, he had been full of hope and promise, sure of his success.

And now he was back to almost nothing.

Humiliation oozed from every pore in his body. He felt like each person he encountered on the way down the stairs to the front door knew of his downfall. His triumphal entry into the upper echelon was now nothing more than a dream. He was living a nightmare, one he knew he would never wake from.

The car was waiting for him. Not a limousine this time—an older, American-made SUV with a cracked windshield. Even the driver, a greasy-looking guy with a paunch, didn’t even bother to open the door for him. He slid inside, and the vehicle took off.

Colton had left everything behind. His hopes. His dreams. His very reason for being.

By the time the SUV reached the end of the driveway, rage like burning lava had settled deep in his gut. Someone would pay dearly for what he had just endured.

And he knew exactly who to target.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Kingsley’s Compound

Serena took one last bite of her luscious omelet, savoring the taste. With Kingsley’s absence over the past few days, her appetite had improved greatly. The heavy, oppressive atmosphere the evil man fostered was absent.

Everyone felt the difference, especially her fellow captives at the table. She’d even seen a few smiles. She knew the cameras were still on and couldn’t help but wonder if Kingsley had reviewed the footage and noticed the difference. But then again, the man was a narcissist and likely didn’t concern himself with how his captives felt.

According to Smith, Kingsley was scheduled to return in two to three days. While part of her dreaded seeing him again, she could hardly contain the excitement of what would come next. The instant she logged on to her computer after his return, she would send a message to her team that the time had arrived. She couldn’t wait to see them again. And she prayed with all her heart that Sean was fully recovered and that they could finally find their way back to each other. She knew he loved her, and she certainly loved him. Whatever had happened in the past could be conquered as long as they were together. He had to see that. If he didn’t, Serena would never stop trying.

Her eyes roamed the table. She hadn’t really gotten to know these people. She didn’t know what their lives had been like before they were taken or who they were protecting by cooperating with Kingsley. But she looked forward to seeing the excitement on their faces when they realized that rescue had arrived.

She glanced over at Smith, who stood like a sentinel at the doorway. One of the things she most looked forward to was seeing Smith gain his freedom. To know that his entire life had been nothing but servitude and pain hurt her heart. She knew most of the inhabitants of the compound were in similar circumstances, but she had grown close to the young man, especially over the past few days. She wanted to see happiness on his face instead of the sad acceptance he wore like a permanent mask. He was still so young. There were so many things he had missed out on in his life. She knew the moment she introduced him to her mom and dad, they’d take him into their home as one of their own.

Surprising her, she watched him touch his ear and then send her a look she couldn’t interpret. It was gone in a flash, but she thought she saw a hint of panic in his expression.

Striding toward the table, he announced to the group, “You’ll be happy to hear that Mr. Kingsley is returning. He will be here in just a few moments.”