Page 31 of Brutal Collateral

“I served Mrs. Keller for twenty years as her guard,” someone else in a suit shouts. “You’re an insult.”

“Got anyone better?” Brandon yells, spinning around to face all the men who want his head. “Blood is blood.”

“Silence!” Troi says, standing up. “Brandon, I’ve given you my answer on this. Guards, remove my son. We will continue hearing petitions.”

But the room descends into chaos.

I roll my eyes and stand up, not wanting to hear any more jacked-up and exaggerated claims that probably have roots in sharing beers and women.

“Where are you going?” Ares yanks on my arm.

“Ladies room.” I push away, but Ares snaps his fingers at the guards he code-named Wrath and Envy to follow me.

In the lobby, I face Wrath and tell him to get off my ass. When I turn back, I slam right into someone and memories of running into Rand Miller on that platform make my sight go hazy and my breathing ragged.

I stagger back and take in Brandon Keller standing there holding out his hand to me. “Hello, Ava.”

Wrath yanks me behind him. “You do not touch the princess, bastard.”

Brandon’s eyes flare at the insult, his skin flushing. “As if Lucien Zervas was any more faithful to his wife than my father. I am his son, and I will claim your princess. Watch me.”

Hearing my father’s name after all these years twists my stomach. Wrath’s jaw tightens, and after he passes me to Envy, he lunges for Brandon.

I stop him with a squeeze that makes him cry out from a bite of pain. “Don’t bother. He’s not worth it.”

Brandon’s guards intervene and convince him to fall back. His dark eyes stay on me as he walks backward, and the evil there shakes me to my core.

Ares emerges from the ballroom a moment later, holding his phone. He spots me and narrows his eyes at Envy holding me.

“What happened?” he asks.

“Nothing.” I shake away from Envy. “Everyone is just on edge.”

“We’re leaving,” Ares says, taking my arm.

“Already?” I say, annoyed for being dragged out to this shitshow, and now I’m being dragged away.

I want to scream. I’m used to being in charge. This is killing me.

“Mr. Zervas,” the lawyer from before stops us again.

Ares looks ready to detonate. “I have nothing to say to anyone who is sworn to a Keller right now.”

That lawyer tents his fingers. “Please, I just need a moment of your time.”

“Is Troi seriously considering one of those pigs up in there?” Ares sneers at Kai Powers.

“I hope not.” He looks at me with a smile, then back at Ares. “Can I talk to you alone? Five minutes. I think you will find what I have to say to your liking.”

Ares scrubs a hand down his handsome face then glares at Atlas. “Put her in the car.”

“Why can’t I listen to what this lawyer has to say?” I’m praying he has some legal wrangling that will partner up the families without marriage.

“Come on cubby.” Altas steers me outside.

I pull away. “That’s not funny.”

He calls me cubby for a baby cub seal because I didn’t make the grade.

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