Page 19 of Siege of Blood and Betrayal

Scottie is in the entryway, practically shoving the couple out the door. Does she have no self-preservation? When did she become so reckless? Did she miss the part where that male vampire was set to pounce on her?

When she turns back, she steps over Huntley’s massive frame lying prone on the floor. What the hell?

My ire about her endangering herself is forgotten. I’m across the floor as fast as my feet will carry me and kneeling at his side. “What the fuck happened to Huntley?”

I’m getting situational whiplash right now. I don’t even know what’s happening. I examine Huntley lying on the floor, my racing pulse throbbing in my ears.

Scottie comes over and grabs my wrist, pulling my attention away from Huntley. “Forget him and listen to me.”

“Did you miss the fact that Huntley is unconscious?”

“Since I’m the one who snapped his neck, no. I’m aware.”

I blink, narrowing my gaze on her. She’s had a night—I can see that—but why the hell would she put Huntley down? The twoof them used to be tight—so much so that Huntley’s been a cold dick to me every time I mention her since the day she left us.

I scoop Huntley off the floor and carry him to the sofa. It guts me that she broke his neck, but he’ll heal. That, at least, calms some of the chaos churning within me.

Once he’s laid out on the cushions, I straighten to give her my full attention. “What the hell is going on with you, Scots?”

She juts her chin forward and meets my gaze. “I went to the compound to surprise Da for his birthday tomorrow. I snuck in using the tunnels and heard him swearing at someone in his office. When I looked through the mirror, there was a turned bitch there with a couple of thugs. They had Da tied to his desk chair and were after you and the dagger. It was a fuckingcoup d’état.”

My mouth falls open. “Acoup? Inside the compound?”

“They obviously had someone on the inside, otherwise they never would’ve gotten inside the royal living quarters.”

I run my fingers through my hair and race back to my room to grab shoes and socks. “Is that what happened to your cheek? You jumped in to fight with Bran?”

“There was nothing I could do for Da. The woman and her followers had been there a while.” She stops pacing and her expression melts into a devastating sadness. “I’m sorry, Z, but they killed your father.”

The words echo in the surrounding room, and I stare at her lips. They are as lush and pink as I remember, but they couldn’t possibly have said what I think I heard.

“No… that’s not possible. He upped security. That’s why I’ve been stuck on the outside for the past two months. Heinrich and his family were killed in a similar situation a couple of months ago, and he wanted to be sure…”

My mind blanks out and I can’t even go there.

My fathercan’tbe dead. I wave away her words. “You must’ve misunderstood the situation… or they were bluffing to get Bran to cave.”

The sheen of tears filling her bright hazel eyes squeezes my heart. “I didn’t misunderstand, Zane. They killed your father. Believe me. I saw he was dead and watched as the bond took Da to join him in death.”

This can’t be happening.

I close the distance between us and move to wrap my arms around her without thought.

She steps back, shoving me away with a force that sends me stumbling backward. “Don’t. I am gutted by what happened, but I’m not here to let you into my life again. I’m here because of this.”

She extends her arm between us and my gaze locks onto my family crest inked into her skin. “Wait. That’s a squire’s mark.”

“I’m aware.”

“How?”

She rubs her hand over the mark as if it offends her. “Da must’ve had a last-minute change of heart because he transferred his squire powers to me. So, like it or not, we’re stuck with one another.”

Like it? I fucking love it. Thank you, Bran McCullough.

I’ve tried to make amends with Scottie a dozen times over the years and she has shot me down or avoided me at every attempt.

Now we’re bound.

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