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Mikhail shook his head, raking a hand through his hair. “He’s gone. We can’t track him,” he said grimly. “Timothy Walters possibly took him as leverage. Looks like he wanted the package for himself and not the Covent.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Grayson cursed, his blazing eyes finding Killian. “It’s you, isn’t it?” he roared, already on him. “It isn’t enough that you took our mother. You had to take our brother too.” Grayson threw a grueling punch to his face that split his lip, gushing blood.

Killian retaliated with a sharp uppercut that sent Grayson’s head rolling back.

“Fucking stop,” I shouted. I couldn’t believe Grayson was acting out now, of all times.

Jon tackled Grayson from behind, grabbing his collar as he hauled him to his feet.

“I won’t forget this, you motherfucker,” Killian threatened, spitting out blood. “I fucking had nothing to do with this or your mother. I’d rather kill him with my bare fucking hands.”

Grayson raged forward, but Jon held him in place, giving him a cold look.

As far as I knew, Killian was telling the truth. He loved to kill so much that he wouldn’t miss the opportunity and hire men to commit the act instead. He was a clever, crazy motherfucker, but this wasn’t his style.

“Fuck,” Killian cursed, placing a towel to his lips as he sent a glare my way. “Last fucking time I tolerate you Stormholds. Consider yourself warned, Arkane.”

I didn’t say a word as I turned to Jon. “Keep him in check.” I glared at Grayson. He just wasted time I could’ve spent searching for Marcus.

“Find Marcus. Get everyone on it,” I ordered Mikhail. “I want no inch unturned in the city. The only priority is finding him. And make sure the rest of the family is safe and bring them all to the estate. We can expect trouble from anywhere.”

“On it.” Mikhail nodded and got to work.

Marcus was gone long enough that something terrible could’ve happened. I didn’t want to expect the worst, but all I kept thinking was, what was I going to tell Mother when she woke and asked for her favorite son?

I can’t help but get fucking anxious with each passing second.

But somewhere in the back of my mind, I kept thinking, what if it was Marcus? What if Marcus was the traitor, luring us all here to our deaths? We were only eleven months apart. He was the kindest soul in our family, like Mother, and I admired him. Sometimes even envied him, for the love Father showed him, wishing I’d been a second-born instead. But no matter how much I tried to think about it, I just couldn’t see him as a traitor. He would die before he hurt Mother.

Although we had our differences, my brothers meant the world to me, and I would give them everything if they just asked for it.

“It’s best if we all stay in one place till we get a handle on this situation,” Mikhail said, his eyes darting to me. “I have our men outside. No one can touch us here.”

“I don’t have to stay, do I?” Killian raised a brow, knowing very well he wasn’t leaving anywhere without us. He was still casually sprawled on the bed, only this time with two Surman guards by his side. If a fight ever broke out between us cousins, it would be a deadly one.

“Can I g-go?” Alanna’s meek voice spoke out.

My eyes dashed to hers. I hardly even remembered that she was here. “No,” I told her.

She nodded, her lips parting into a smile, but I ignored it and got back to finding my fucking brother.

Alanna was a past acquaintance of mine, one that made one too many advances toward me, all of which I ignored. Because the older I got, the more sex bored me. Flowers and romance weren’t my style and one day, I stopped it altogether. It’s been years, and I don’t think I missed it at all. The transaction of pleasure with strange women made me feel nothing anymore.

I didn’t give a fuck that she was fucking Killian now. He had a certain taste for tricking the women that were interested in me. I knew he did it to get a rise out of me, but I internally thanked him for dealing with my trouble.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my hand, and I gritted my jaw when I saw the caller ID. The last man I wanted to speak to right now.

Escaping to look out the window, I studied the dark night before I hit answer.

“Father.”

“Do you know what you’re doing, Arkane?” he asked in his stiff voice that he only reserved for me. “How can you let something like this happen?”

“I’m working on it,” I spoke in a low tone.

“Your mother wouldn’t want this,” he replied, some emotion in his voice at the mention of Mother.

“I know,” I replied curtly. I could tilt the earth at a different angle and go back a day, and my father still wouldn’t be pleased with me.