Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

AELLA

T he Brew is between a charming bookstore and a quaint sewing shop on Main Street. Twin Pines is a picturesque town at the base of a snow-covered mountain range. The buildings have a fifties feel, and the beautiful trees and bushes that line the street surely turn magical in the wintertime.

I push into the café and order a caramel latte with a triple shot of espresso—something I've been missing while living with brutish motorcycle men for the last two weeks.

I find my seat amongst two other patrons, one on a laptop and the other aimlessly scrolling their phone on a plush leather sofa while sipping from to-go cups.

"Here you go, ma'am," the young server says as she places my latte before me. There's a leaf design on the top, and the scent of the beans mixed with milk caresses my senses lovingly. I close my eyes and breathe it in.

"Thank you," I say as she moves off .

She throws me a smile over her shoulder.

I barely get the first mouthful swallowed when my father strides in, leaving a man behind guarding the door.

The server, now behind the counter, eyes him worriedly.

"Black coffee, please, sweetheart?" he asks her, his tone smooth as butter and as unsettling as being in front of a lion.

"Coming right up," the girl says, moving to fill his order hurriedly.

People can tell when they're in the face of something dangerous. It's innate in all of us to know when we're threatened. It's why I don't even like to be near him.

I remind myself why I'm doing this and steel my insides.

Taking another sip of latte, I eye him over the rim as he sits down and opens his long tweed coat.

He sighs as he looks me over. "Aella, it's so good to see you. You look well."

I swallow. "Why wouldn't I?"

He smirks at the girl who hands him his black coffee.

I notice her hands are shakier than they were a moment ago.

"Thank you, dear," he tells her, looking back at me as he lifts it to his nose and takes in the aroma. "Well, I thought you kidnapped all this time. I've been worried out of my brain after you. You could've at least let me know you were alright. We could've still kept you away from the media. "

I sit back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. I don't mean to be defensive with him; it's just second nature. "It was a split-second decision, Dad. I didn't… I wasn't thinking clearly."

"And now? Are you thinking clearly now?"

My eyes drift behind him, catching the movement of a man in leather across the street near a brick building that looks to be a bakery. Sully tips his head at me and dips into the alley next to the building.

Confidence builds in my stomach at the thought I'm not alone.

"I am alright now, yes. So, Carter…"

He shakes his head, clinging his mug down on his platter. "We don't need to speak of him. He's out. He's been dealt with."

"Really?" I ask, surprise washing over me. I don't want to show him vulnerability, but I feel it in his presence, especially knowing that he did something so severe for me.

Even though he's my father, he's never been the type to look after me or worry about my feelings. So, there has to be more to the story of him letting Carter go, especially after he groomed him to take over for so many years.

"Of course, Aella. I can't stand someone who doesn't listen. The inability to take direct orders is a character flaw. One I can't have in a leader."

There it is.

Even though I knew there was another reason for his gesture, my stomach sinks, realizing he did it himself.

"Now, I got you a new apartment and had all your things moved there. Even though Carter isn't living at the house you two bought any longer, I figured you'd like a fresh start. It's here, in this little town you seem to love. I'll text you the details."

He takes his phone out and clicks away as he forwards me the information for my new home , even though I know that nowhere will feel like home now—not unless they're a part of it.

"Thank you. That was very kind. It'll be nice to be out of the hotel, that's for sure."

"Mmm, I'm sure. So, let's discuss your future, hm? With Carter gone, that leaves an opening in your life…"

If he's about to thrust another man into my life, I'll fucking scream.

"Well, actually," I cut him off, sitting forward and placing my hands on the table, "I wanted to discuss that with you."

"Oh?" he asks, intrigue is plastered on his face.

"I'd like to be the one you groom to take over, Dad. I know you've got it in your head that you need a man in charge, but you don't. I'm as level-headed as the next person, and I'm your daughter, for fuck's sake."

He winces as my language degrades.

"I want to learn the business and be a part of it, Dad," I finish, and he sits back in his chair, looking over my shoulder at whatever is happening behind the coffee counter as a few more customers have trickled inside.

"I'm not going just to hand you a key to the castle because you're my daughter, Aella. Carter started on the bottom, and so will you."

My heart skips a beat. Had he?

I can't recall a time that Carter was ever anything but beside my dad—up his ass, more like.

I nod. "Whatever you think I should do. I want to be a part of your legacy and make my own."

His smile seems genuine, but there's also a look of confusion and speculation on his face. "You can start in a couple of days at the factory here in town. Start on the line, where everyone does. They won't go easy on you. You're a Montague, after all. Your name will cause you strife, but it'll build character."

I nod along with his words, eager to secure my place. The factory here in town is what I needed access to. It doesn't matter that I'm going to be at the bottom. That's where their mom had been. I'll need to be right where she was. Hopefully, even after all these years, someone still remembers her. If they'll talk to me, that is.

"Sounds good to me. I want nothing given to me, Dad. I'll work for their respect and yours."

His face changes from accusatory to beaming in the flash of a second as he nods. "Well, then you'll start on Wednesday. You'll need to show up to administration and go through the hiring process, and then you'll be on the floor for the rest of your shift. I'll give H.R. the heads up that you're coming in."

Today is Monday, and it gives me time to settle into my new apartment before I begin my new life as a Montague Inc. employee.

"Sounds good. Thank you for this opportunity, Dad."

He stands and buttons his coat, looking down at me. For a moment, I think I see pride in his feature. I'll likely never see it again. "Thank you for wanting it. Had I known you had this fire in your gut, I'd have never put up with Carter and his foolishness."

Feeling flutters in my chest, and I try to swat it away because this is a rouse. I must keep my head and feelings out. I need answers. This man could be a monster. He could be a killer, and I need to keep disillusioned by his aura, no matter how charming.

"Go get settled, and keep me updated about how you're doing, hm? I've missed you, Aella." His hand lingers on my shoulder as he stands next to me before heading toward the guard at the door.

I look up at him, feeling as small as a five-year-old girl wishing her daddy loved her more. "I will."

He nods as he turns and heads out.

I linger in the café and drink my latte as I watch the sky turn orange with the setting sun. Sully is still in the alley, so I don't worry about returning to the hotel in the dark. Now that I'm a Cobra, I'm never alone. I'll never have to be again.

I thought about texting Miles and telling him I'm in, but I want to be sure before I contact them, so I'll let him know once I've started on Wednesday.

As I head out for the night, throwing a wave over my shoulder to the lovely barista behind the counter with the pierced face, I let the warm summer breeze greet me and carry me to the hotel to get my things.

My heart is heavy, being away from the compound, and I hope they're alright.

The apartment Dad got me into is very nice—not that I thought it wouldn't be. It's in a prominent-looking building at the end of Main Street, one with a doorman in the front.

Not that having him there makes me feel any safer. What makes me feel safe is the fact that I know a Cobra is lurking somewhere beyond the building. Likely, Sully has had to get a break by now, but I know they haven't left me unattended.

The massive kitchen is empty and clinical-looking. I make a glass of water and then meander into the living room. When I got home, I took a few hours to eat the food I picked up on the way to the hotel to get my things, and then I settled my stuff into the space. I don't know why I had. Hopefully, I won't be here for very long.

Opening my phone, I click on Google and type in keywords that might pull up any newspaper articles mentioning Brax and Miles's mom.

One reads, ‘Missing woman in the Twin Pines area.'. I click on it and learn all I can, which isn't much. Miles told me before I left that she'd gone missing on shift. The local police thought she ran away, but nothing was stated in the article to explain why they'd think that.

I wonder if there's more to their childhood than they've shared with me, but I don't have the right to probe if they're uncomfortable enough to tell me themselves.

I sigh and lock my phone, grabbing the remote as I click it on. The news comes to life on the screen.

"There are no leads on the body found in front of the Portland pub," the reporter says, and I pause my finger that was about to turn the channel to click through for something to watch, " All that the Portland Police Chief will tell us now is he believes it to be gang-related. The victim wore a jacket with the Jackal's symbol on the breast and back. "

I lean forward, letting my feet hit the floor to remind me I'm not dreaming. This is real life.

Flashes of the Jackal I'd met in the restaurant bathroom flicker through my head and my breathing speeds.

" We also know a massive explosion was reported in the area known to be Cobra territory, Jane," another reporter sitting beside the first on the screen says.

" That is correct, Bill. Seems like, for the time being, the streets aren't safe. Everyone needs to be careful out there."

Explosion?

My heartbeat is the only thing I can hear pounding away in my ears as anxiety builds in my chest.

I rush to my room and rifle through my purse for the burner. The one I'd planned on reaching out to Miles on after my first day at Dad's company.

His number is the only one in the recent calls, likely dialed by the man himself.

It rings and rings, but no one ever picks up.

I want someone else to call, but I don't have anyone else .

I rush out of my apartment and into the elevator, pressing the ground-floor button as quickly as possible.

"Ma'am, is there anything I can do for you?" the doorman calls as I pass his desk, rushing by as if I don't see or hear him.

"Sully? Kylo?" I shout into the still night.

To my right, a stoplight is blinking yellow, and it has turned into a different mode for the lonely night in Twin Pines, where no one is on the streets.

"I know one of you is out here, damnit!" I sob, rushing to the side of the hotel, where an alley splits the hotel away from an insurance firm that's locked up tight for the night.

A shadow moves in the alley. "Well, you didn't call my name, Cobra Princess," a voice says, stepping into the dim light of a street lamp overhead.

"Blaze," I manage. "What's happened? There was an explosion? Someone's dead? Are they alright? No one will answer my call," I yell.

His head hangs. "The compound is on lockdown. Nothing you need to worry about, though."

Tears rush down my face in waves as I lift my shirt. "You see this?" I smack the healing tattoo with my free hand. "This means I'm one of you!"

He looks at the inked Cobra on my stomach and sighs, looking around. "They're fine. But we need them to believe they're not." He grabs my burner and adds his number to it. "You text this number and give me updates from now on, alright? Don't come out here making a fucking spectacle of yourself again," he admonishes .

I nod frantically. "I didn't mean to… I was scared."

He steps closer, his ominous aura bearing down on me. "This is why love and this life don't mix. But no one listens to me."

He turns and becomes a shadow again, barely discernible through the night veiling him.

Love?