The Havoc We Wreak (The Four 3)

“What the fuck am I supposed to do? If I don’t hand over Allan, I’ll have Jessa’s death on my conscience. I hand him over, and best-case scenario, she takes me and her henchmen get to enact their revenge on me. Worst case, they decide to kill me. Either way, I’m fucked.”

His voice cracked at the end, and it broke me. Tears filled my eyes, and I bit my lip, hard, to stop them falling. I reached out and placed my hand on his thigh, unable to speak, needing to touch him. I couldn’t let myself think about what might happen. There had to be something I could do. I wouldn’t allow her to take the man I loved away from me.

We slowed, and I could just about make out the docks up ahead. Cassius pulled the SUV off the road, and we stopped behind him. This was it.

Caiden climbed out of the car without another word, slamming the door behind him. I climbed out after him, pulling my hood over my head to try and provide some protection from the pouring rain. Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating his face in stark relief as we stared across the car at one another. Then I ran to him, and his arms were around me, and his lips were on mine, hard and desperate. I could taste the rain, and the salt of tears. Mine or his? I couldn’t tell. All I knew was, I didn’t

want to let him go. I wouldn’t let him face this alone.

He pulled back, cupping my face in his hands, his gaze holding mine. Neither of us spoke aloud, our eyes saying everything we couldn’t put into words.

Then he let me go.

My whole body began shaking, the severity of the situation hitting me as Cassius, Weston, and Zayde came to stand at my side. Cassius tugged me into his arms, and I leaned into him, letting his strength support me. Caiden had point-blank refused to let us go in with him. He was going to drive Allan and Joseph into the docks, alone, and wing it. He had to know we wouldn’t wait outside though.

The rain was easing up slightly. The lightning still flashed, and there was a distant rumble of thunder in the distance, but it was no longer driving against my face.

“Let’s go.” At Zayde’s low command, I spun to face him. “We go in, avoid being seen, get Cade and Jessa out of there. Mack’s on his way, but we don’t have time to wait for him. Everyone ready?”

We nodded, slipping into formation. As the entrance to the docks came into view, I saw the entrance barrier was open. Inside, three cars were parked in a kind of U shape, and Caiden had stopped in front of them. Under the floodlights, I could see my mother, and off to the side, Petr holding a struggling Jessa.

We drew nearer, keeping to the shadows, before splitting up. Cassius and Weston took one side. I started to follow Zayde, but he pushed me back. “Go. Hide behind the SUV. I don’t want anyone seeing you.” Then he was gone, slipping away into the shadows, and I was left alone.

Before I could figure out what to do, the SUV door opened, and Caiden got out. “Give me Jessa,” he called. I couldn’t make out Christine’s reply through the sound of the rain and inched closer, dropping to a crouch and coming around the side of the car. Now I could see my mother clearly. Her face, distorted with hate as she stared at Caiden, a gun in her hand. My boyfriend, holding his head high, facing her down.

I didn’t stop to think. I couldn’t take the risk of her shooting him. I shot around the side of the car and threw myself in front of him. He cried out, and I felt his terror for me break over me in a suffocating wave.

My mother staggered backwards in shock at my appearance, dropping her hand and pointing the gun at the ground.

“Winter? What are you doing here?”

The relief of the gun no longer being pointed at us gave me the strength I needed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cassius and Weston inching closer to Petr and Jessa. Distraction.

I answered her question with one of my own. “Why did you kill my dad?”

Her face paled. “What? I—”

“Don’t lie to me!”

Our eyes met, and hers narrowed. “How did you know?”

And there it was. She’d admitted it. A spark of white-hot rage ignited inside me, rushing through my blood, turning it to fire. It fuelled me. “Why do you think I came to Alstone? I knew there was something suspicious about his death.”

Her face hardened. “He deserved it—poking his nose where it didn’t belong. He knew too much. Thanks to my connections with the Strelichevos, I was able to arrange an ‘accidental’ gas leak.” A smug, satisfied smile spread across her face. “He really should have been more careful.”

The fire raged inside me, and I dug my nails into my palms so tightly, I felt the skin break. Tiny pinpricks of blood heated my chilled fingertips. “You killed the only parent I ever knew. The only one who ever cared about me.” My words were calm, measured, though it was costing me everything I had to keep the fury from bleeding through my voice.

Caiden’s breath ruffled my hair, and I felt his body tense behind mine. I hoped he’d stay in place—Christine seemed to have temporarily forgotten about him, and the longer I could keep the attention on me, the better.

“You were better off without him. Look at you now. Attending one of the most prestigious universities in the country, a guaranteed legacy, countless riches once you join me on the board of Alstone Holdings.”

“Once I join you?” I focused on the final part of her speech. “How, exactly, is that going to happen? I’m not a Cavendish.”

She laughed. “The Cavendishes will cease to be an issue, as of tomorrow.”

My stomach flipped, and everything seemed to still. “What do you mean by that?”

“I may as well tell you. The De Witt deal that Arlo has been working on? It will be signed tomorrow morning, and after that, Arlo will no longer be of use to me. Your stepbrother, here, he will pay tonight.”