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I swallow hard and nod, allowing him to lead me back inside.
Easton follows on our heels, and I stand near the dining table, the boys rushing in and holding me one last time, tears welling in their eyes as they try to fight them back. They kiss me, hold me, and whisper goodbye.
One last touch.
One last kiss.
One last whispered admission of love.
Then all too soon, Zade takes my hand again and leads me toward the elevator with Cara heavy on our heels. I glance back, watching as my three heroes stand defeated around the dining table. Easton’s head hangs low as he grips the back of the chair, and Sawyer crumbles against the floor-to-ceiling window. Dalton clenches his jaw as he paces, and his hand ferociously sweeps toward a crystal vase as he passes it, sending it soaring across the penthouse with a ragged, pained cry.
Their heartbreak destroys me, and as the elevator chimes its arrival and Zade leads me in, pulling me in tight against his chest, all I can do is weep as I prepare to meet my fate.
Chapter 26
OAKLEY
The walk through the thick woods to the tomb is terrifying. I hear people in the trees around us, threats at every corner, enemies wanting one last ditch effort to keep Zade from rising in power, to force him to forfeit his claim to the crown. Not that he truly has one.
I wonder what they would think if they knew that when they attack me, they’re attacking the true blood heir of the organization they claim to be so loyal to. It’s almost ironic . . . downright laughable. To attack a blood heir is a direct betrayal against the blood, punishable to the full extent of Empire’s law, punishable by death. I bet if they knew that, knew the lineage and purity of my blood, they wouldn’t move to attack me so quickly.
The fallen leaves rustle under my feet as I walk as close to Zade as humanly possible, my heart pounding so loudly in my ears that I can barely hear anything around me. Cara stands on his other side, probably the closest she’s been to him in weeks, and I know it’s solely out of fear. She’s well aware of the enemies in the thick bushes, waiting to strike, but like me, she has no choice but to trust that Zade will protect her. Unfortunately for her, if someone was shooting at us, I know undoubtedly which one of us Zade will throw himself in front of, and I don’t say that to be a cold bitch, it’s simply fact. Something she must be aware of.
The walk is long and cold, and after such a long day, I’m already exhausted, but as far as last days on earth go, it was a good one. The emotions were overwhelming, and saying goodbye to the boys was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but on the other hand, they went out of their way to ensure I had a good day, to truly make me feel alive. Hell, even now I can still feel them between my legs, and what better way to go? Not going to lie, my ass could use a cold compress and an ice bath. It was worth it, though.
The idea that my father could be in these woods surrounded by his army eats at me, and when a shiver trails down my spine, Zade glances at me, pulling me in even closer, lending me his warmth. “Are you okay?”
I shake my head. “I can hear them around us,” I tell him. “Lying in wait, wanting to take one last shot.”
“There’s no one out there,” he comforts me. “I mean, there is, but they’re my people, security put here by me to patrol the area and watch our backs when I can’t. I’m not taking any risks, not with you. I anticipated this, Lamb. I’ve meticulously planned this out. You’re the safest person out here in these woods.”
“Do you think my father will show up?”
“I have no doubt,” he tells me. “But he won’t be able to get to you once we’re inside the tomb . . .”
“I won’t be coming out,” I finish for him.
He lets out a heavy breath, the hopelessness growing between us and weighing on my shoulders. “Please forgive me, Lamb,” he begs, his tone filled with the greatest agony, absolute disgust for himself flashing in his eyes. “If there were another way, if I could save you—”
“I know,” I whisper through the trees.
“No,” he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me to a stop, forcing me to meet his haunted stare. “I don’t think you do.”
As I stare up at him, my baby blues locked onto his dark gaze, I see that terrified little boy inside of him, the one clawing to get out, and it breaks me.
