Chapter 25

Strauss

W e make love every morning, noon, and night. For weeks, I stuff her little cunt with my seed in hopes that something takes hold.

I've never slept as well as I have with my angel in my arms until one night. On this particular one, she awakens to pee three times, and on the last trip, I get up with her. Crouching underneath the cabinet near the sink, I pull out a box and stand it on top. When she finishes, her eyes scan the words on it until she gasps.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

Tapping on the cardboard, I nod at her. "Precious angel. I think you need to take this."

Her eyes widen as she beholds the package. "It's only been two months… D-do you really think I should?"

"Look at me." She does with a bit of a quiver to her bottom lip. Rushing to her side, I gather her in my arms and squeeze. "Where is the fear coming from? That it would be positive or negative?"

As she raises her chin, she gazes at me with all seriousness. "Negative. I don't think I'll be able to handle it if it is."

"Then I will. I'll handle it."

Plush pink lips part as she inhales deeply. I let her go only so she can perform the pregnancy test and wait with her in silence. She fits perfectly between my thighs as we rest against the bathroom wall, slumped on the floor together. My phone ticks down the counter time and her little back muscles twitch with every minute that passes.

Pressing my mouth against the back of her head, I murmur, "Not yet."

Finally, it goes off, and all her anxieties heighten as she trembles in my hold. "Baby, listen. It's positive. I know it is."

"How do you know?" Tears fill her eyes as she swivels around to look at me.

I brush back the hair from her face and hold her cheeks. "Because I know you. You've been nauseous ever since the gelato four days ago. You blamed the chefs for poisoning your food. You cried at the dead bird we found yesterday in the woods. And you won't. Stop. Rushing to the restroom. It's positive. And even if it's not, we'll deal. I'll go fuck you again right now. Although…I may do that anyway."

She smiles and gets up, then helps me stand. I try to suppress a groan as my bones stretch. If it did, I wouldn't hear the end of her old man jokes.

Twirling in a circle, she holds the stick up and giggles. "Positive!" Elation fills me as my arms grab her waist, spinning her through the air as she nuzzles my neck.

"My angel's pregnant with my baby."

Her feet kick as she seeks the floor, and when I set her down, I hug her tightly to me. I need her to understand just how much of this feeling wants to purge from my body and surround her. "I love you, Astrid. I do."

She stumbles a step back as wetness coats her cheeks. The smile spread across her face is pure, radiating lightness. But suddenly, it drops. "What if it's not a boy?"

"Who the fuck cares? We just need it to be born."

A furrow develops on her brow. "For revenge, you mean."

Confused why she'd say that, I tell her flatly, "Yes."

"Vincente, do you ever want to save the city? For its people? For your future?"

It strikes me as humorous, that maybe she's being funny. A huffed laugh leaves my lungs, but then halts when she doesn't show any signs of whimsy. "No."

Her thumbs rub at her cheeks, and she sniffs, then straightens her shoulders. "For our future?"

A sad smile forms on my lips and my eyelid twitches. Gripping her shoulders, I pull the little girl into me and rock her. "You and that baby are my priorities."

Her mouth pressed into my chest muffles her voice as she says, "For vengeance."

My ears heat from irritation. "I thought you understood what this was, Astrid. You said you were my angel…"

Vaulting her shoulders back and forth, she squirms from my hold. "I need some air."

A growl escapes as I watch her toss on a sweatshirt and my pajama pants, then leave the bedroom. Grinding my teeth, I run my hands through my hair. I've been very plain about my goal here. And why this baby is necessary. Her delusions about some selfless love and a white picket fence make me feel ancient. More so than my achy joints.

Sev knocks on my door, and I hurry to open it. His bushy eyebrows raise at me, and I tilt my head. "We had a spat. Follow her, but keep your distance. She needs to cool off and make sure she gets back to our bed within an hour. Maybe get her some warm milk and let her complain about me."

Pushing past him, I make it to the second story. Dilan stands in her night robe down the hall as she peeks out from her room. She looks like she's going to scold me without even moving a muscle in her face. "Anything I need to do, sir?"

My belly tightens as I loosen my jaw. I stroll toward my mistress. Stroking my stubble, I let the hairs tickle the back of my hand as I stare at the floor in front of her.

Lifting my face up to meet hers, she freezes at my expression. The moisture in my eyes carries some cavernous emotion, perhaps regret or sadness, but I take a deep breath and will it away.

"Astrid is with child."

Her cheeks hollow out as she swallows roughly. Otherwise, not an inch of movement occurs.

"So, it's time." Clearing my throat, I say it with finality. "Time for you to go to church."

"But she could still miscarry, sir. Or something… Do you not want to wait? Wait until we're sure ?"

"By the time the Winter Solstice occurs, I'll know for certain. But the plans should be in place now. You'll go to church. And Falcon will follow soon."

"Sir…you-you're certain?"

Pressing my palm to her cheek, I nod slowly.

She shatters.

A desperate sob rips from her chest, and she falls to the ground, weeping. Standing over her crumpled figure, I close my eyes and think back on everything I have been through with her since we were young. The wails turn to laughter as her back shakes. It's a cry of relief.

"Your money is in the account. You can take whatever car you want. Best to leave now. Before the dawn."

When her face lifts, she shows the most emotion I've ever seen from her. A broad smile transforms her face at her deliverance. "Yes, sir."

It's almost morning by the time I fall back to sleep. So drowsy that I have my recurring nightmare for the first time in ages. Well, since Astrid occupied my bed. The horrors are only intensified when I'm awakened by yells and commotions in the hall. Sev throws open the door with force, and my chest thuds with shock.

"Sir! Your wife… Halcyon grabbed her. Falcon was following their van, but they blew out the tires, so she couldn't proceed."

Snapping awake, I rub my face and leap from the bed while tugging on clothes. "How far did they get?"

"Falcon believes they'll stay in the North. Warehouse division. Or…"

My head whips to his as my air seizes in my lungs. I could cut his head off for pausing. "Or what ?"

"Or the airfield, sir."

Airfield would mean they'd take her anywhere. Biting my knuckle, I pace around the room for a moment. Then, I implement step one of my plan.

I sprint to the dungeons, locating the control room, and slide into the office chair in front of a desk. Sev huffs to catch up and leans against the door frame.

"You'll stay here and guard." It feels as if my heart is about to crack open my chest; the anxiety is almost too much to bear. But I've been over this in my head thousands of times.

Scanning the programs and lists on the monitor, I select the options I need. Then I shut down the power for the city sector by sector. Including the airport.

Next, I move to the armory room to snag weapons and a duffle bag. I barely feel the winter air cutting across my bare arms when I head out to the garage. Every step across the gravel echoes through my ears like a sound of doom. The bullet-proof Hummer is ready for battle, especially after I toss in the flamethrower and machine guns.

With a roar, the engine comes to life, and I speed down the winding drive, then head due west on the main street. Despite the flashing red lights operating on batteries, I motor through as cars swerve and honk when I almost power over them. Driving up the sides of the embankments, I skip past the confused drivers and floor the gas until I'm at the outskirts of the airport's high fences. Things blur across my vision as I accelerate, tears filling the corners of my eyes.

This can't be it for us.

I pull out my phone and locate the program I need, entering the code. The single flight tower rumbles slightly, then glass pops out of the windows until each shatters. It falls into a crumpled pile of dust. Watching the destruction settles something inside me, but it's not enough.

I'll destroy everything until I get her back.

Leaping from the vehicle with my weapon in hand, I stand in front of the electrical system nearby. The flames heat the box until it melts into a metallic goo on the grass. That will take them days to fix.

I jump back inside and press my foot all the way down on the pedal steering through side streets until the back of Von Dovish estate lay before me. The tires climb up on the curb, and I head straight through a wooden fence and continue at top speed to find the back entrance of the manor. With a jolt, I slam on the brake, my head rearing forward as I stop, practically right at the back door. I have enough room to slip out with a machine gun and shoot the glass barricading me from inside.

Calum Von Dovish stands in the middle of the foyer with his hands out, unsure of where to run. He looks as terrified as I feel inside. Good.

Tossing the sling over my shoulder, I let the firearm hang from my back and hold up my hands. My eyes catch the ginger spy with a rifle pointed at my head from the second story. She doesn't worry me. Not compared to the loss of my wife.

Brushing off some airport dust from my jacket, I straighten up and announce, "Congrats on your pregnancy… Mr. Von Dovish, a word with you, please? It's urgent."

He swallows, then nods, letting his hands hang at his sides, but stiffness cloaks his shoulders. "Certainly. Would you care to join me in the?—"

"No. All I need to tell you is… do not restart the power . Repeat that back to me."

A heavy brow hangs over his eyes as he tilts his head. "Do not restart the power."

"That's correct. Good job. I understand your capabilities, but you don't know where to use them appropriately."

Turning, my boots crunch through the broken shards of glass, but he stops me. "So where would you have me use them?"

With a toss of my voice over my shoulder, I call out, "On making sure the gas lines are still flowing."

Hustling back to my Hummer, I aim for the East. In the middle of the city, I rove over the statues of my ancestors clogging up the center park until they topple. Anger seizes me that they caused all of this. If any of them had had the gall to stand up against the societies, I wouldn't have to be here now. The gas mask I brought helps keep my face shielded from the wintry air when I exit and find the marker I need.

I dig up the pipe, then puncture it. Back in the SUV, I find a pack of matches and light one, then toss it toward the pipe. As I floor the accelerator, the explosion rocks the ground beneath me and the flames of the line spread fast along its route.

Center city burns…and hopefully the sewers as well.

Everything must go in my wake.

At the first fuel station, I run into a pump directly and do the same. Then, the same on the South Side. And then the East.

Nowhere is safe from the burning smell of sulfur and petrol. It's heavy, despite the mask covering my face.

But fire is just to flush snakes out.

By the time I make it to House Strauss and climb the elevated drive to the castle, Gnarled Pine Hollow burns. When I step out of the Hummer and toss the mask off my face, I behold the spectacular show beneath me. But it's not enough…

All I can think of is where they've taken my little girl. And my baby.

A sob threatens to surface as I run my hands through my hair and tug on the ends. Pacing back and forth on the cliff's edge, I scan the chaos beneath me. Anarchy ascends from the ashes. And I feel nothing but utter devastation in my soul.

Astrid asked me why I was doing this, and as the minutes pass, and I have no further ideas on where to find her. I know.

It's no longer for revenge.

This is for my angel.

My savior.

My love who carries our love.