The cold London air bit through the silence as the SUVs pulled up to the Watson London Manor, a sprawling, historic estate that served as the family's seat of power in Europe. But tonight, it didn't feel like a home. It felt like a trap.
POV: Jay
I could feel Keifer leaning more heavily on me as we crossed the threshold of the grand foyer. He was trying to hide it—his face was a mask of granite—but I could feel his pulse racing under his skin, a sign that the nerve block was wearing off.
"Rory, sweep the house. Section E on the perimeter," Keifer commanded, his voice sounding like grinding stones. "Keigan, I want the internal server logs. Now.".
"On it," Keigan replied, his eyes already scanning the shadows of the upper balcony.
I led Keifer into the study and forced him down into a leather wingback chair. I didn't care about the "Monster" aura; right now, he was my patient. I knelt between his legs, ripping open a fresh pack of gauze.
"You're bleeding through the dressing," I hissed, my eyes stinging with frustration. "I told you to stay behind the line."
"I am the line, Jay," he rasped, his hand coming up to tilt my chin toward him. "If I don't stand in front, who does?"
"Me! I stand beside you!" I snapped, the week of terror finally bubbling over. "But I can't do that if you're dead on a mahogany floor in London!"
The Revelation
The door to the study swung open. Keigan walked in, holding a tablet. His face was paler than usual, a look of pure, cold disgust written in his features.
"I found the leak," Keigan said. "It wasn't a mercenary or a low-level guard. It was the logistics coordinator for the London branch. Someone we've trusted for ten years."
"Arthur?" Keifer's voice dropped an octave, a sound so lethal the temperature in the room seemed to plummet.
"He's been selling our transport schedules to the highest bidder for eighteen months," Keigan continued. "He's the one who gave them the coordinates for the 'accident.' He's currently in the basement, trying to wipe the backup servers."
Keifer started to stand, but I pushed him back down.
"You aren't going anywhere," I said, my voice leaving no room for argument. "Keigan, bring the servers to him. And bring Arthur. If he wants to talk to the Head of the Family, he can do it while I'm stitching his handiwork back together."
POV: Keifer (The King's Justice)
Ten minutes later, Arthur was dragged into the study by Rory and Erdix. The man was shaking, his face a mess of sweat and terror. He had served my father. He had held Alexander when he was a baby.
"Why?" I asked. The word was simple, but it carried the weight of a death sentence.
"They... they have my family, Keifer!" Arthur wailed, collapsing to his knees. "The Sterling Syndicate... they threatened my daughters!"
"You should have come to me," I said, my voice devoid of emotion. "You chose to protect your daughters by trying to kill mine. You chose to save your blood by spilling mine."
I looked at Jay. She was standing behind me, her arms crossed, her eyes like cold emeralds. She didn't offer a word of mercy. She knew the rules of this world.
"Keigan," I murmured. "Ensure his daughters are safe. Locate them, pull them out, and put them in a safe house."
Arthur's eyes lit up with hope for a split second. "Thank you... thank you, Keifer..."
"I'm saving them because they are innocent," I interrupted, leaning forward so he could see the "Monster" behind my eyes. "But you? You are a Watson traitor. And there is only one cure for that."
I didn't reach for my gun. I looked at Rory. "Take him to the Black Site. He doesn't leave until he's given us every name he ever spoke to. And then... finish it."
Quiet After the Storm
Once the room was cleared, the silence returned, heavier than before. Keigan left to coordinate the rescue of the girls, leaving me alone with Jay.
She was quiet as she finished bandaging my side. Her movements were efficient, but I could see the way her hands trembled slightly when she thought I wasn't looking.
"Jay," I whispered.
She didn't look up. "Don't, Keifer. Don't tell me it had to be done. I know it had to be done."
"Then look at me."
She finally raised her eyes. They were wet with tears she refused to let fall. "We're in London, the kids are in a bunker in the States, and we're executing people in our study. When does it end, hubby? When do we get to just be Jay and Keifer again?"
I pulled her into my lap, ignoring the protest of my stitches. I buried my face in her neck, holding her as if she were the only thing keeping the world from spinning off its axis.
"Soon," I promised against her skin. "I'm burning the last of the weeds, wifey. I'm making sure the ground is clear so we can finally build that 'normal' life you want. Just give me a little more time."
"You better," she whispered, her arms locking around my neck. "Because I'm a surgeon, Keifer. I'm tired of seeing you on my table. Next time I see you in a bedroom, I want it to be for a much better reason."
I let out a low laugh, kissing the pulse point on her neck. "I'll see what I can do about that."