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“Protect him!” someone shouts from the hallway. I hear the telltale sound of a body dropping. I’d bet every penny I own Thayer’s arrived with his silencer. I smile at Montague.
Another heavythump.It’s the quietest of revolutions as one by one they’re taken down, alerting absolutely no one else of the attack. As his men fall, Montague’s face pales. He looks around the room and signals to his guards. “Do something!” One of them runs to the door just as it opens. Thayer marches in with Princess around his neck.
Montague screams and cowers as Thayer strides over to me.
“There you are,” he says in a chiding tone. “No wonder you didn’t answer when I called you. Here, brother.” He bends, and Princess slides down and affectionately rubs her lengthy body against mine.
Snakes, like cats, aren’t usually tamable creatures. But some enjoy the challenge of commands. My girl is one of them.
“Easy, Princess,” I say in a low voice. “Don’t hurt him. Not yet.”
Montague whimpers.
Thayer doesn’t shoot or attack but pulls out a tablet and pushes a few buttons. Cosette comes on the screen.
“Where is she?” I growl to Thayer.
He doesn’t answer. If she gets hurt...
Her beautiful voice fills the room.
“My name is Cosette Fildeuroux. François Montague is my father. Twenty-four years ago, he had an affair with my mother.”
“What is this?” Montague fumes as Cosette goes on.
“He was married with children when he impregnated my mother. He refused to send child support or anything to help, and thus my mother raised me in poverty. He denied my very existence. I spent years of my life tracking down the man who was my father and was shocked when I found he was a man of wealth, prestige, and privilege. My mother died when I was a teenager, and I’ve long suspected that her death was no accident. François Montague never wanted anyone to know who she was because it would ruin his career.”
“What is this?” Montague repeats in fury.
“It hasn’t aired yet. You see,” Thayer says, clearly distracting him as Princess wraps herself around me. A silver glint catches my attention. He’s attached a sheathed knife for me on Princess’s underbelly. I slide my fingers over and carefully extract it as Thayer goes on. “We wanted to handle this peaceably.” He holds up a hand. “To be fair,Cosettewanted to. Be peaceful, that is. Me, well, that’s another story. But I allowed my team to defer to her.”
I slide the knife out of its sheath and carefully begin to cut the ropes at my wrists.
“Princess,” I say in a low voice. I jerk my chin at Montague. “Attack.”
I’ve just given her the signal to go to him, but she won’t hurt him.
He doesn’t need to know that.
He cowers and screams as Princess slithers over to him. “Stand back,” I pretend to command the snake. “Don’t strike yet.”
My wrists swing free as Cosette enters the room.
I’m going to kill Montague, then I’m going to kill my fucking brother.
She stares at me, and I hold her gaze. My heart swells at the sight of how beautiful and courageous she is, but goddamn, I don’t want her here.
“You!” Montague holds up a fist, but when Princess gets closer, he whimpers and stands back. “Do something!” he yells at his useless bodyguards. They flounder helplessly, unwilling to get any closer to a ball python.
“I’d say it’s nice to meet you,” Cosette says calmly. “But I don’t like to lie.”
“You,” Montague rages. “You’re as despicable as your mother.”
“Me?” Cosette says, her eyes the picture of innocence. “I’ve done nothing to hurt you. I’m not quite sure why you hate me so.”
He pulls himself to his full height and points an irate finger at her. “You should never have happened. I have no daughter!”
“Oh,” she says with a nod, “but youdo.Just because I don’t fit in with your plan doesn’t mean I don’t exist. But I don’t need your acceptance. I don’t need your money. I have become who I am without your aid, and I’m proud of that.” She shakes her head sadly. “Parents should never reject their children. I spent many years mourning what could have been.” She smiles proudly and lifts her chin. “But no more. You left me, and that was your loss, not mine.”
