Chapter 5 - THE SEATTLE THREAT
The silence in the study became deadlier than any storm.
Mave took a step back, the blood draining from her face until she was as pale as marble. "What... what did you say?"
"Trant sent three men to Seattle," August said, his voice dangerously low as he began tapping rapidly on his phone screen. "They reached Julian’s apartment ten minutes ago."
"No... no, no, no!" Mave gasped, her voice breaking into a panic-stricken scream. She lunged forward, grabbing August’s lapels with both hands. "You promised! You said he would be safe! You gave me your word!"
August didn't push her away. He let her pull at his jacket, accepting her panic, her anger, her terror.
"Listen to me, Mave," August said, putting his large hands over hers, holding them firmly against his chest. "Listen to my voice. Julian is safe."
Mave blinked, hyperventilating. "What?"
"I told you I would secure him before sunset," August said calmly. "My men reached Julian four hours ago. They moved him out of his apartment and put him on a private plane. He is currently mid-air, flying here to Blackwood Manor. Trant’s men broke into an empty room."
Mave stared at him, her chest heaving as the terror slowly receded, replaced by a wave of dizzying relief. She let go of his jacket, stumbling back slightly.
"He's... he's on a plane?" she whispered.
"He will be here in two hours," August confirmed. "Trant thought he was one step ahead. He sent his best men to Seattle, leaving his main compound in the city undermanned. He just exposed his heart."
August walked to the wall behind his desk and pressed a hidden panel. A portion of the bookshelf slid open, revealing a wall lined with tactical gear, encrypted communication devices, and dark steel weapons.
"Where are you going?" Mave asked, her voice trembling.
"To finish this," August said, pulling a dark kevlar vest over his crisp white shirt. "Trant broke the cardinal rule. He went after family. If I allow him to breathe until tomorrow morning, every crew in the city will think targeting loved ones is acceptable."
"August, wait!" Mave stepped in front of him as he reached for a leather shoulder holster. "You're going into a war!"
"It's not a war, Mave," August said, putting on his coat. "It's an eviction."
"Please," Mave begged, surprising even herself with the desperation in her tone. "Trant wants you to come to him. It's a trap!"
August stopped. He looked at her, seeing the genuine terror in her eyes—not for herself, but for him. A faint, rare smile touched the corner of his lips.
"Four years ago, you lost a man because he fought back against the fire," August said softly. "I am not your husband, Mave. I am the fire. And Trant is about to burn."
He stepped past her, heading for the heavy double doors.
"Gabriel!" August called out as he walked down the hall. "Prepare the convoy. We are taking the northern foundry."
Mave stood in the doorway of the study, watching his broad back disappear into the dark hallway. Her heart was beating wildly against her ribs. She had spent four years isolated, detached from the world, caring for nothing but survival and her brother’s safety.
Now, in less than twelve hours, her destiny had become inextricably linked with a man who was walking straight into the jaws of a violent dragon.
Clara appeared beside her, holding a warm woolen shawl. She wrapped it gently around Mave’s shoulders.
"He won't die, Miss Donnelly," Clara said quietly, looking down the dark corridor where August’s footsteps were fading. "Men like August Farley don't die in traps. They explode them."
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"He's doing this because of me," Mave whispered, wrapping the shawl tightly around herself.
"No," Clara corrected gently. "He is doing this for you. There is a grand difference. Now come, child. Your brother’s plane will land soon. You should be at the gates to welcome him."
