Chapter 10: Blood and Lineage

The boardroom froze, every eye on Marcus and the pistol trained on Arthur. The air crackled with desperate expectation, the syndicate members unsure whether to intervene or watch the changing of the guard.

Suddenly, a section of the ornate ceiling panel above the conference table groaned, then gave way. Dust and plaster rained down.

I dropped, silent as a shadow, between Marcus and Arthur. My old boots landed squarely on the polished wood table, sending coffee cups and water glasses scattering.

Marcus, caught completely off guard, hesitated for a split second. That was all I needed.

My right hand shot out, a blur of motion. I twisted the pistol from his grip, the metal cold against my palm, then, in the same fluid movement, tossed it across the room where it skittered under a heavy leather chair.

My left hand caught Marcus’s wrist, twisting it sharply. He cried out, pain flashing across his face. I spun him around, my arm locking under his chin, pulling him back against me in a controlled chokehold. He struggled, but my grip was unyielding.

The boardroom erupted in gasps, shouts. Guards, who had been standing by, unsure what to do about Marcus, now surged forward.

“Stand down!” Arthur’s voice, surprisingly strong despite his shock, cut through the commotion. He stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief, then something else—a flicker of understanding.

I held Marcus for another moment, letting the message sink in. Then I released him, shoving him toward the guards. He stumbled, gasping for air, rubbing his wrist, a look of pure hatred mixed with bewilderment on his face.

I stood between Arthur and his would-be executioner, my chest rising and falling evenly. Fifteen years of bitter grievances, of false accusations, of stolen land, of my daughter’s mother’s death hanging between us. I could have let Marcus finish him. I could have stepped aside.

But he was family, Evelyn’s father. And despite the poison in our past, I would not allow his son to be his killer.

“No more blood,” I stated, my voice echoing in the stunned silence. “Not tonight. Not for Evelyn’s sake.”