Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 114551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
I walk ahead, and as I pass him, I can almost feel the wheels turning in his mind as he puts everything together like a puzzle. It’s the same look Nikolai had when he realized exactly what was at stake, and assuming this guy believes I am who I say I am, he knows that taking me out will leave the throne open for the taking.
It’s anyone’s game then.
Not liking the thought of having this strange man at my back, I move to the side and wait for him to pass, watching him like a fucking hawk. “So,” he throws over his shoulder, his hand hovering too close to the gun at his hip. “You’re Julius DeVil’s granddaughter? I wasn’t aware Lawson had a second child.”
“He didn’t.”
The man stops and spins on me. “That makes no sense, girl,” he roars, spittle hitting my face as his hand rests against his gun. “Who are you really?”
“I am who I say I am—the real blood heir of Empire,” I tell him. “Julius DeVil was my grandfather. I am the daughter of his only biological son, Matthias Quinn. Lawson DeVil might have been raised as Julius’ son, but he was a fraud. He did not possess the blood. My father was the result of an affair and ruthlessly shoved aside like some kind of stain on the family name.”
“You lie,” he spits. “Julius DeVil had one son, one legitimate son, and that was Lawson DeVil.”
I arch a brow in challenge. “Are you sure about that?”
The man clenches his jaw, and deciding he’s had enough, he storms into me, his hands gripping my shoulders as he slams me up against the cold wall of the tunnel. “How dare you come into our holy grounds and speak ill of Julius DeVil. He was a saint among mere mortals, and you dare have the audacity to try and muddy his great legacy. I will not tolerate such blasphemy.”
Ahh, shit.
This isn’t exactly how I planned this to go.
The man whips me around, slamming my face against the wall as he wrangles my wrists behind my back. “You assholes are all the same,” I seethe. “You say you’re loyal to the blood, yet when a blood heir is standing right in front of you, your only thoughts are of how you could use this to benefit yourself.”
“I am loyal to the blood,” he spits in my ear. “That is exactly why I cannot allow an imposter like you to try and come in here, in the wake of a tragedy and try to claim it for your own. If Zade DeVil is truly dead, then a war is brewing, and I cannot allow such filth like yourself to come in here and try to take advantage of us during this time of mourning.”
With that, he pulls me away from the wall and starts pushing me ahead of him. “Where are you taking me?” I rush out, trying to fight against his hold.
“To the cells,” he rumbles. “Where you will remain until we can figure this mess out.”
To the cells, huh? Seems like this asshole is going to hand-deliver me exactly where I want to go.
“NO,” I scream. “I AM THE BLOOD HEIR. UNHAND ME, RIGHT NOW.”
We break out through the tunnel and into the deserted bar that usually looks like some kind of gentleman’s club, and I can only assume it’s all hands on deck at the ball. There’s not a soul in sight, and I quickly realize that this might be my one and only shot.
“Look around you, girl. You can scream all you want but nobody is coming to save you.”
Clenching my jaw, I take this fight into my own hands. I shove my ass back into him, nailing him right in the dick. The asshole doubles over, groaning in pain as he loosens his grip on my wrists just enough for me to pull free. Then without a moment of hesitation, I dart across to the bar and curl my fingers around the neck of a whiskey bottle, spinning back around and grinning wide at the asshole who thought he could put his hands on me.
Then, holding the bottle in both hands like a Louisville Slugger, I rear back and swing with everything I’m worth. His eyes widen in horror, but it’s too fucking late to even blink. The thick glass bottle slams across his temple, the momentum knocking him right off his feet. He drops to the ground like a sack of shit, and I move in closer, peering down at him and hoping like fuck I didn’t just kill him.
I’ve been down that road before, and while it was necessary at the moment, it wasn’t exactly my finest hour.
After confirming he’s still breathing and just knocked out, I grab his ankle and heave, pulling him around the corner of the bar, just in case someone decides to walk through here before I get the chance to free my father. He’s a heavy fucker, but I eventually get him out of sight, then knowing he’s going to wake at some point, I turn on my heel and get my ass down to the cells.