gloomy halo. Ghost stares at me with an unreadable expression. No idea if he’s thinking about slaughtering me or skinning me alive. Maybe skin me alive then slaughter me.
When he says nothing, I blurt the secret I held on for decades. “She came back after a year of abandoning you when we were living in the streets. She had two buff men with her and was shaking with bloodshot eyes, obviously on some drug withdrawal. I heard her tell the men she’ll offer her son as collateral and was asking the homeless men about Julian while giving your description. She stepped out in the streets, a truck was coming and I… pushed her. She was already swaying so no one even suspected me. Everyone thought a drug addict died in a car accident.”
Harsh breaths leave my lips, and I feel a huge weight lift off my chest. I held on to this secret for years – no, decades. And now, it’s finally out.
Ghost remains motionless, and I’m about to start fidgeting like the Rubbish Boy I was. I prefer he punches me to death instead of the silence.
“I know you want to kill me.” I smile. “But my life has a better use. I was going back to The Pit to shut the fucker Ink because he somehow knows what I did, but now, I’ll return on your behalf. My life never had value anyway. You can stay in your new life with Elle.”
Ghost lunges at me. I don’t move. I don’t duck. I don’t even tense. His fist slams in my jaw. Pain explodes in my face as he does it again. And again. I stagger backwards but straighten so he can continue to punch me.
I deserve every bit of his rage.
At that time, I was already too attached to Ghost. Ever since he saved me from those homeless men, we became inseparable mates. The thought that he’d be taken away by those dangerous men terrified me. I didn’t think that she was his mother, I only saw her as someone wanting to hurt him.
We were kidnapped into The Pit soon after, but the three of us stayed together. If I allowed those men to take him, we wouldn’t have remained mates for decades.
Those excuses don’t matter now.
“Julian, stop!” Elle runs inside and tries to pull Ghost back. He looks at her and his features soften the slightest, but his hands are still clenched into fists.
“I don’t know what this is about.” She stands between us and trails her gaze from Ghost to me. “But there’s something more important. Zoe disappeared.”
My body tenses. “She’s meditating with Scar.”
Elle shakes her head. “Scar lost time again. She didn’t even notice when Zoe left the room. Someone mentioned seeing her with Natalie.”
“Fuck!” I ran a hand through my hair. “Maybe she went to that lieutenant… Liam?”
I still want to kill him, but she’d be at least safe with him.
“No, but…” Elle trails off and bites her bottom lip.
“But what?” I’m two seconds away from shaking her.
“But she’s President Joe’s granddaughter. She said she’ll ask him for help so no one would go back to The Pit. Dammit. I asked her to wait.”
“Fuck!” I’m already running towards the entrance. President Joe is an opportunistic bastard. If he thinks she’s related to us, he’ll use her. It doesn’t matter that she’s his granddaughter. He’s that much of a heartless businessman.
“Shadow?” Elle calls from behind me.
“What?”
“Be careful. She’s… she’s pregnant.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
“No!” I thrash against the guard’s brute force.
President Joe is already walking into his club, his jacket flapping in the wind behind him.
He doesn’t seem to care that he just ordered a kill.
It’s as if my life – his granddaughter – means absolutely nothing.
“No wonder my mother became what she is!” I shout while still struggling. “I can see who she took it from.”
President Joe halts in his tracks. Both his henchmen stop, too. The guard tightens his hold on me, but he isn’t trying to drag me away. Their boss slowly turns around like a bull before a fight.
“Don’t ever call that ungrateful bitch my daughter.” Every word drips with venom and rage before he schools his features and tilts his head. “You’re that devil’s spawn, aren’t you?”
“I’m your granddaughter.” I stick out my chin. He’s the last person I want for family, but he’s also the only person who can help Shadow and Ghost – and therefore Elle and I. However, a tyrant like President Joe needs to be dealt with caution.