Chapter 303

The bullet hits the ceiling.

Distantly, an alarm blares. At once, more guards and goons storm off the elevator and from the stairwell and flood into the room.

The brothers are strong. They keep fighting. But the numbers are too many, and soon even they are overwhelmed.

Archer kicks his father’s gun away from him, then makes a grab at me. He yanks me into his chest. A rush of safety swallows me whole, so quickly and forcefully that for a moment I forget I’m mad at him.

He carries me toward where the other brothers stand, each facing a different direction, with Isaac behind them. Archer pushes me into that safe spot behind him, then turns to face off against the encroaching guard.

The brothers fight in earnest. I sneak in a blow now and again, where I can. I’m careful not to get in the way of the brothers’ rage. They seem entirely engrossed, consumed by fury. Hurt what’s in front, protect what’s behind. I don’t want to accidentally end up on the wrong side.

The guards are endless. This will only end in pain.

But I don’t understand why they are fighting at all? Weren’t they planning on turning against me?

Unless I’m an actual idiot to doubt them. Maybe they never meant to turn me over to their father. Maybe they were only trying to bide their time. Why else would they have Beau speak and not Neil? Beau is the better liar.

Guilt rushes through me for doubting them, trumped only by an overwhelming relief.

The brothers care for me.

The odds are against us here, but we’ll go down fighting together. If I see one of the brothers falter for even a moment, I’m ready to step in and carry my own weight. But they are fighting with ferocity. They don’t show any sign of giving up, or slowing down.

“That’s enough,” says a sharp female voice from the elevator.

The guards pause, and then the brothers do too.

No one moves for a long moment, except Mrs. Hayes, who weaves through the guards to make her presence known.

She’s wearing a simple black dress with a diamond broach. Her hair is done up, hidden under a small black cap with a black lacey veil hanging down over her eyes. She’s dressed like she’s on her way to a funeral.

Her eyes are on me as she struts forward like a vulture closing in on a carcass.

Neil immediately steps in her way.

Mrs. Hayes slaps him across the face.

He turns his head in the force of her slap. I wonder if it’s habit. It couldn’t have actually hurt. He didn’t so much as wince otherwise.

“You are asking for the silver again, Neil,” she says.

Neil brings his face forward again. He doesn’t otherwise move.

“You can fill my body full of silver, mother,” Neil says, defiant. “But I will not move.”

“She’s just a girl, Neil,” Mrs. Hayes said. “A poor little girl with an impossible dream. She’s not worth your efforts. Give her up, and let’s be done with this.”

The time for subterfuge, it seems, has passed. Neil straightens. I can’t see his face since I’m behind him, but I know his stern, stubborn looks. I’m sure he’s giving her one now.

“No,” he says.

Mrs. Hayes lifts her chin. “No?”

Neil does not repeat himself. He doesn’t need to.

“He said no,” Beau chimes in.

Mrs. Hayes shifts her glare onto him next. “Even you Beau? You know how expendable these whores are. How often do they throw themselves at you?”

Beau laughs. “I see a lot of desperate women.” He sobers as he adds, “Chloe isn’t one of them.”

“She’s seduced you as well,” Mrs. Hayes says. “I never would have expected that from you.” Her gaze slides to Archer next.

Archer stares back at her. He’s at my right. I can see the wildfire of rage burning in his eyes. He doesn’t have to speak his rejection, it’s written plainly all over his face.

Mrs. Hayes looks to Steven instead. “My youngest,” she says. “Surely, you can see how illogical it is to stand with such an expendable castaway.”

Steven shakes his head as he speaks, “Chloe is not expendable, mother.”

Mrs. Hayes’ face twists in disgust as her gaze finds mine again. “Congratulations, Nanny.”

“Don’t call her that,” Beau snaps.

She ignores him. “You’ve corrupted my sons and polluted their minds against reason. You deserve to die for this sin. But they seem to be set in protecting you. As such…” She turns away from me. The guards clear a path for her, and she walks with confident strides to where her husband stands, nursing his jaw.

The gun is on the table before him. Mrs. Hayes picks it up and hands it to him.

“If they will not stand to the side and let us have the nanny. Kill one of them,” she says.

“K-kill them?” the Alpha King says, in shock.

I’m shocked and alarmed myself. But, glancing at the brothers, they don’t seem too surprised by this turn of events.

How terrible she must have been as a mother that a threat of death doesn’t shake them?

“Did I stutter?” she snaps.

The Alpha King takes the gun in his hands. He looks down at it. “Which one…?”

Mrs. Hayes looks back at us. “Archer first,” she says. “He’s always been the most difficult.”

A muscle ticks in Archer’s jawline. He doesn’t otherwise react.

The Alpha King takes a step toward us, but then hesitates. “But, dearest…”

“Why do you hesitate now? After all the others you have had killed?” Mrs. Hayes says. She crosses her arms and glares at him with clear distain. “Oh, I see. You are truly a coward. You can’t pull the trigger yourself. You can only give the order.”

“D-dearest…”

“How many times have you done so? You’ve have so many killed. Congressmen, political opponents. Lovers. But you can’t pull the trigger. I’m tired of this. I’ve accepted your cowardice for too long. If you refuse to do the dirty work this time, I’ll do it myself.”

The Alpha King glances around at his men, the guards watching their fight so curiously. Here is Mrs. Hayes demeaning the most powerful man in the nation.

Maybe he is a coward, I can see them thinking. Maybe he is not worth following.

Mr. Hayes, because he seems an Alpha King no longer, clutches the gun as he stumbles forward. “I’ll do it. I…” He clears his throat. “Archer. Come forward.”

Archer doesn’t move.

Mr. Hayes takes another step. “Archer…” His voice wavers. “Do as you’re told.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Mrs. Hayes snatches the gun out of Mr. Hayes’s hand. Then she turns to us and storms forward, lifting the gun.

No one moves. I think about tackling her myself. I tense up, about to, when Beau grabs my arm, keeping me still.

She turns the gun on Archer.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Neil says.

She pauses. With the gun trained on Archer, she shifts her gaze to Neil. “And why is that?”

“Because,” Neil says. “We’ve been recording your entire conversation right now. It’s uploaded into the cloud. You pull that trigger, we send it to every news station from here to the ocean and back.”

Mr. Hayes pales. “Dearest…”

Mrs. Hayes considers him. She looks at all of them.

Steven holds up a tiny microphone he’s had clipped to his collar, disguised as a pin.

My heart is in my throat. I don’t know what’s about to happen.

Then Mrs. Hayes starts laughing.