Chapter 24

Carl refused to waver in his trust for Eliana."Something's not right here. Let's hear her out before you jump to conclusions."

"There's nothing left to hear! I saw it with my own eyes, and I know what I heard!"

The tension between Carl and Sean built fast, both men edging toward a full-blown shouting match.

The leader of the group sighed, rubbing at his ear with exaggerated impatience. "If you two want to fucking tear into each other, do it back in your damned kennel. I'm not wasting my time on your bullshit barking."

"Watch your tone. Do you even know who you're talking to?" Sean's voice snapped like a whip before he closed the distance in two strides and drove his fist squarely into the man's face.

The blow came so fast that the man staggered back,vision swimming.

Clutching his rapidly swelling eye, he shouted,"You bastard! You think you can hit me and walk away?Guys,get him!"

Two men sprang forward without hesitation, crashing into Sean as fists started flying.

Sean moved with the precision of someone who had trained for years, but his attackers weren't amateurs -they matched him blow for blow, the fight locked in a tense stalemate.

Carl's voice cracked as he shouted over the noise."Enough! Stop it right now! All of you!"

Then, slicing through the chaos, came Eliana's voice -calm, cold, and dangerous. "One more move, and I'll put him down myself."

"Stand down, all of you!" the leader yelled, his voice cutting through the din. Both of his men froze, glancing toward him-only to spot Eliana now behind him, the edge of a dagger glinting at his throat.

"Niko..." The name slipped from one of them, and neither dared to go near Sean again. They retreated in slow, cautious steps.

Sean's eyes widened. "Eliana, easy! Don't actually do it! You've already caused enough chaos-our family can't handle another mess likethis!"

Carl's jaw tightened, his voice rising. "She wouldn't be in this position if you hadn't thrown the first punch! How many times has Mom told you to think before you act? Why can't you ever learn?"

"Save the lecture and just tell her to release him!"Sean snapped back.

All the while, Eliana's grip stayed firm, her expression unshaken. She'd never meant to take a life, but she wanted them to believe she might.

Her gaze locked on the man in her hold, her voice low and icy. "Where's your boss? I need a word with him."

Niko Hughes let out a mocking laugh. "And what makes you think you're worthy of meeting our boss?"

Eliana's brow arched, the blade at his throat pressing in just enough to make her point. "If you won't take me to him, I'll slit your throat and wait for him to come find me."

"You-"

Before he could finish, one of his men blurted out,"She's insane! Don't do anything stupid. The boss is in the car outside the estate. Hurt Niko, and you'll regret it."

"Then start walking," Eliana instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument.

With no other choice, the two men moved ahead,glancing back every so often as they led the way.

Sean took a step forward, but Eliana stopped him with a quick glance. "Go home. I'll handle this myself."

Sean's face didn't shift. "Fine. You caused the mess -clean it up."

It was true enough. If the Clarke family was goingto ease up, it would come down to how she handled things. He doubted his presence would change the outcome, so he stayed behind.

Carl, on the other hand, frowned deeply. "Lia, are you sure you can manage on your own? Let me come with you."

"Relax. I'll be back before you know it. If you tag along, I'll just have to waste time looking after you."

Carl's worry didn't fade, but in the end, he did as she said.

Something about her tone made it impossible to argue. Maybe it was the sheer force behind her words-or maybe it was the mystery of how someone who had once toiled in the fields now carried herself like she'd been born to command. By then, Eliana had already marched Niko to the gates of the estate.

One of his men rushed ahead to a sleek black car at the front, yanked the door open, and bent down to speak to whoever was inside.

Twisting slightly, Niko shot her a sidelong glance."Let me go now, and you might just walk away in one piece."

A cold laugh left Eliana's lips. "Say another word,and I'll make sure they can't piece your body back together."

Niko's expression soured, though he kept quiet. The boss was here, and in Niko's mind, that sealed her fate. No one laid a finger on his boss's right-hand man and lived to brag about it-letting it slide would shred his boss's reputation.

The car door swung open with deliberate slowness.

A polished shoe hit the floor first, followed by the rest of a tall frame, his rugged features coming into view beneath the glow of the lights.

It was Leroy Natt-the infamous head of the Vulture Brotherhood.

The moment Niko spotted him, he erupted in desperation. "Boss! Get me out of this! She's crazy enough to hold me hostage-spitting right in the face of our Vulture Brotherhood!"

Leroy had already been irritated when his men reported that Niko had been overpowered by a woman. In his mind, Niko's capture was humiliating enough.

But the second he heard Niko's words, his irritation hardened into something far more dangerous.

Predatory energy radiated off him as his gaze lifted to size up Eliana.

Niko's body blocked most of her from view, but he caught the outline of a delicate frame and the glint of a blade at his man's throat. His eyes narrowed to slits. "Do yourself a favor and let him go. If you don't, you'll wish you'd never crossed me. My dogs haven't eaten yet... and they're not picky about what kind of meat they get."

At his command, a wave of hulking men spilled out from the vehicles behind him, each one radiating menace.

Instead of flinching, Eliana drove her boot hard into Niko's side, sending him sprawling.

He hit the floor face-first, the impact echoing his humiliation for all to see.

The sight alone was an insult Leroy couldn't ignore. A shadow darkened his features as he leveled a glare at her.

Then his focus sharpened-and in an instant, that glare fractured into disbelief. His eyes, cold and narrow only seconds ago, flew open wide.

Hertha? The name slammed into Leroy's thoughts with the weight of memory. She was the one who had slipped him food when hunger gnawed his bones.The one who had shown him a path when he'd been cornered by nothing but dead ends. Without her, the man he had become wouldn't even exist.

But the whole thing didn't make sense. The person gripping Niko was supposed to be a Murray.Why in hell was it Hertha standing there?

Leroy blinked hard, disbelief clawing at him, then rubbed his eyes as if the gesture could erase an impossible vision.

When his sight steadied, there was no mistake. It was Hertha.Absolutely her!

Leroy opened his mouth to speak, but Niko scrambled up from the floor and staggered toward him. "Boss! This bitch is spitting on the name of the Vulture Brotherhood. You need to kill her-if you don't, our reputation's as good as-argh!"

The plea ended in a howl as Leroy's boot slammed into him, sending him sprawling again. Both of the men who had accompanied Niko froze in shock.Why on earth did their leader attack Niko?Had they misread the entire situation?

They were seconds away from urging Leroy to focus on Eliana when he strode past them, seized Niko by the collar, and hauled him forward with brutal force-dragging him straight toward her.