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“Because your mum knew if she did, I’d kill both her and you.”
“You’re a fucking arsehole!” Camden shouts earning him a whack from one of the guards. The sound of his breath whooshing from his mouth has my heart stopping and tears pricking my eyes. I blink them away. I will not cry.
Shock renders me speechless as Mr Carmichael stares at his brother with hatred in his eyes. “Grayson, meet your niece,” the King says, as though this isn’t the most fucked up situation ever.
Mr Carmichael’s gaze softens as he looks at the frightened little girl. “Hello, Veronika. It’s nice to meet you,” he says, before glaring at Malakai, his gaze darkening. “I told you to get her out.”
Malakai grits his jaw, looking from Mr Carmichael to Connie. “You have people here you care about and so do I…”
“Malakai, what were you thinking?” Connie hushes out, catching on quick. It’s obvious he’s come back for her but at the expense of getting Veronika to safety. “She’s just a child.”
“All the more reason to make sure both she and you aresafefrom this monster,” he responds, picking Veronika up and tucking her into his side.
“You need to get her out of here. Now!” Connie continues, shaking her head and looking in abject horror at Malakai.
“And leave you with him? No,” Malakai retorts stubbornly.
Connie turns to look at Ma Silva. “Grandma, did you know about this?”
Ma Silva nods. “Malakai told me about a little girl he’d spotted here. I put two and two together and made him promise me to rescue her too when the time came. I hadn’t bargained on them getting caught.”
“You fucking conniving old bitch,” the King snarls.
Ma Silva ignores him and turns to Mr Carmichael. “Why didn’t you come seeme, Grayson? It’s been almost twenty-five years. I promised your mother I would always watch out for you. Maybe we could’ve gone about this differently.”
The King snorts. “Always the favourite. Good old Grayson.”
None of us acknowledge his petty jealousy.
“I had to cut ties from everyone, including you. It was the only way to keep you all safe. But like my brother said in hisnote,” Mr Carmichael spits, “The past catches up with us all eventually. I couldn’t hide anymore. I couldn’t see another person hurt at the hands of this family and live with a clear conscience. This morning when Malakai told me about this little one, it only cemented my decision to return here and deal withhimonce and for all.”
“How fucking noble of you, Grayson! Always the goddamn hero.”
“Enough, you always were a whiny little bitch,” Malakai snaps at the King whilst Veronika cries silently in his arms. He pulls back the gun’s hammer, his finger putting pressure on the trigger. “This is over.”
The guards move in closer, aiming their guns at Malakai instead of my boys.
The King holds his hand up. “Wait!” he snaps.
“Father, you need to end this now. Shoot the bastard!” Monk yells at the guards, clearly not giving a shit about his little sister and the fact she could get caught in the crossfire. He presses the gun into Kate’s temple hard enough to make her yelp. “I’ll fucking kill this bitch if you don’t let Veronika go!”
“Shut the fuck up, Monk,” the King responds, snarling. “You won’t be shooting anyone until I fucking say so. Ifanyof you pull the trigger and risk Ronnie’s life, I will strip the skin from your body whilst you’re alive and feed it to my fucking dogs! That includes you, Monk!”
“Daddy?” Veronika blurts out, the tears that were welling now spilling down her cheeks.
She looks at him wide-eyed as if the man before her is the monster Malakai accused him of being. I swear to God, the King baulks and I see another flash of humanity in the black depths of his eyes.
“Don’t be afraid,” he says to her, the knuckles of his fists white as they grip the back of his chair.
But Veronika isn’t just afraid, she’sterrified. The length of her brown hair doesn’t hide that fact from her big, brown, soulful eyes. Eyes that are so similar to mine. She sees the guns. She sees Pink covered in bruises and cuts. She sees her older brother holding onto a trembling Kate. She seesmeand even though she has no idea who I am, there’s recognition in her eyes. Aside from the pink hair we are so very alike, it’s uncanny. I want to reach for her, soothe her. It’s not her fault. None of this is her fault, and even though Malakai is gentle with her, I know he’s playing a dangerous game with her life to save all of ours, including hers.
Except the King sees something in Malakai that the rest of us clearly don’t and he doesn’t try to call Malakai’s bluff.
“What do you want?” the King asks, his hand still held up, warning his guards off.
“Your men need to drop their guns. Right the fuck now,” Malakai demands, not for one moment taking his eyes off my father.
The King grits his teeth, then nods. “Do it,” he demands.
