Ordinarily I wouldn’t worry about Mack or my girls and their ability to get out of a situation like this. With or without Quinn, if she was in there. But they are up against my father, and he rarely fights fair.
I don’t even have anyone I can call. Everyone in my life that I care about, except Reed and hopefully Quinn, are in that building. The same one that is falling in front of my eyes. I feel helpless. If I could do something, what would it be? I’ve never felt so useless. One working arm, I can’t breathe, I can’t move, my body is sore as fuck.
Nothing for me to do to help, even less I can do to stop this. My chest feels heavy, but in a different way. Ironically, this is what my father always warned me would happen if I got too close to others. If I allowed myself to care, it would only end in pain. Like him with my mother and now me with Mack and my girls. Oh god, and Quinn. I don’t know where she is. Can I even rescue her on my own?
What about Mack’s promises when I was in the hospital about getting married and having babies? What happens to all of that? Katya’s death almost killed me. I survived, knowing that one day I would avenge it.
Revenge is a powerful elixir for the living. I don’t know how I avenge the deaths of Mack and the girls when the murderer is my father. Do I have it in me to go up against him? Given the opportunity, could I kill my father?
The man from whose loins created me? I wasn’t kidding when I said that they raised me to respect and admire him. It is that way with women and all our male elders and counterparts. Regardless of the skill we possess or whether we inherited the “gift” from my great grandmother.
It’s only because of my grandmother I can even consider myself an equal among men. Well, men like Mack or my brother. Maybe even my father. Most other men, let’s face it, I’m better than.
But if she hadn’t taught me that? Schooled me in the arts of manipulation and intimidation, would I know that now? And is what she taught me enough to go after my father if this results in the death of my family? My chosen family.
Such a westernized idea to choose a family instead of a blood family, but one that I’ve embraced wholeheartedly.
Another explosion rocks the world in front of me, breaking my soul even more with each piece of the building that falls. Every—
My phone ringing interrupts my thoughts, and my heart leaps from my chest. “Mack?”
“Daria?”
It’s not him.
“Ronan?”
“There are issues at Andrei’s compound, is that you?”
“No,” I sigh. “It’s my father.”
He curses in Russian. “You need to get there. It’s where I have your friend. Quinn.”
“What?”
“Quinn, she is in one of the holding rooms at Andrei’s.”
It’s like the ground drops out from beneath me. I feel dizzy. Nauseous. Pissed. Empty. Alone.
“If she’s hurt, I swear to god I will kill you myself, Ronan.” I make the threat, but it sounds hollow, even to me.
“Get her out.”
“I can’t.”
“I knowyoucan’t. Send your team in. Get her out.”
“That’s what I mean, my team is in there.”
“Inside the compound? With bombs going off?”
“Yes.”
He’s silent for a moment. “Where are you now?”
“In an SUV, on the east side of the compound. That’s where they entered from.”
“I’m on my way.”
