Beneath HIS EMPIRE

chapter 6

My father stood ten feet from me. Alive. Rain ran off his dark coat. Red lights cut across the walls behind him. Same eyes. Same hard jaw. Same scar by his mouth. Nothing new. But everything felt wrong. My chest went tight. Air stuck in my ribs. “Selene.” His voice hit me like a slap. Lucien moved fast. He stepped in front of me. His gun came up. Pointed at my dad’s head. No wait. “You have five seconds.”

Dad gave a small smile. “Still over the top.” “Four.” I grabbed Lucien’s wrist. “Stop.” His eyes cut to me. Hot. Cold. “You think I don’t know the graves you dug?” “And you do?” That hit hard. Lucien’s eyes moved from me to my dad. Slow. Like he picked who would bleed first. Gas hissed from the vents. My throat burned. Each breath hurt.

Lucien saw it first. He pulled off his coat. Shoved the cloth in my hands. “Cover your mouth.” “You too.” “I’m fine.” Sweat made his shirt dark at the neck. His teeth were locked tight. Not fine. The alarms screamed loud. Dad moved first. “We need to leave.” Lucien let out a hard laugh. “You think I walk out with you?”

“No.” Dad looked at me. “I think she does.” No one breathed. The air felt like glass. Thick. Old. Like wet iron. Lucien stepped close. “You lost the right to ask her for s**t years ago.” Dad kept his eyes on me. "They think you have what they're looking for." "I don't have anything." "That won't stop them from coming."

My gut twisted. Not again. “Enough.” I pushed past Lucien. “You leave for three years. Fake your death. Let us cry for you. Now you show up and say I’m not safe?” Dad’s jaw went tight. He looked away once. “I did it to keep you safe.” Lucien’s face went mean. “There it is.” Dad met his eyes. “You should have stayed away from her.”

“You lost the right to pick.” My father closed the space fast. Lucien’s men lifted their guns. Dad stopped an inch from Lucien. “You think this ends with paper?” he said low. “You pulled her into a grave.” Lucien didn’t blink. “You dug the grave.” The lights blinked. All the screens lit up at once.

News hit the glass. My face came first. Then Lucien’s.

ARMAND HEIR MARRIED IN SECRET

WRITER LINKED TO ARMAND FAMILY

MISSING MONEY FILES TIED TO SELENE VALE

My knees went weak. “They let it out,” I said. Lucien’s eyes went small. The truth was out. Not next week. Now. Every bad man after Lucien would come for me too.

Dad glanced at the screens. Then at Lucien. “This is what I said would come.” “Who talked?” Dad said nothing. That said enough. Lucien’s whole body went still. Like a wolf before it bites. “You called someone.” “I had no choice.” “You always had a choice.”

The hate between them felt old. Not just work. Not just a lie. Deep. I looked at both men. “Someone tell the truth.” No one spoke. Metal crashed outside. Then shots. Loud. Fast. Lucien’s men turned to the door. A body hit the steel. Then one more. My heart kicked hard. Lucien grabbed my arm. Pulled me back.

His men made a wall around us. Dad pulled a gun from his coat. That hit me worse than the shots. My dad held a gun now. A guard ran in. Blood ran down his neck. “Cars are here.” “How many?” Lucien said. “Too many.” The floor shook. Boom. Boxes fell outside.

Lights died. Black. Then shots tore the room. Men yelled. Bullets bit the walls. Lucien shoved me down behind a box. He fired into the dark. Dad was gone. Fear shot through me. “Dad!” “Stay down,” Lucien yelled. A bullet hit the box by my ear. Wood bit my cheek. I couldn’t breathe right.

This was war. Lights came back. Weak. Red. Bodies lay on the floor. Blood ran on the stone. Smoke filled my mouth. Thick. Bitter. Then I saw him. Dad stood by the back door. A man stood with him. Tall. Black coat. Silver watch on his wrist.

I knew that watch. My blood went cold. The man stepped into the red light. Senator Adrian Mercer. The same man who killed my job six months back. The same man who said I made up lies about bad money. My dad looked at me. Then at Lucien. “You were never meant to find her.”

Lucien’s face went blank. Not mad. Not shock. Like a bad truth just clicked. The senator smiled. His eyes met mine. “Your father left out one thing.” My heart stopped. Lucien’s hand on his gun went tight. The senator’s smile got sharp.

The senator looked straight at me. "Ask Lucien who chose you first." My breath caught. I turned slowly toward Lucien. He didn't deny it. He didn't explain. He simply looked back at me. And for the first time... I wasn't sure which man I should fear.