Page 101 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family
Kades’s frown deepened. “Okay, so what does it mean?”
I leaned forward, dropping my elbows on my knees. “Everything you just told me. Think about it. The trust, the properties, the last of his money. All that shit points to one thing. He’s planning to disappear or die. And based on what Sea’an said, I’m betting on dying.”
“You’re not making sense, Mir.”
“You’re not thinking.” I met my brother’s gaze. “Trent can’t kill me. It goes against code. And he was specific as hell aboutruiningme. Killing me doesn’t do that. That would only hurt you and Yair, our family, shit even Baylyn but my name still means something when I’m gone.”
Yair’s eyes darkened. “So what the fuck does all that mean?”
“Think about it. ‘Die with honor and ruin me.’ Trent fucked with Baylyn to make me come after him. He tore up her place, sent flowers, followed her at that club, but he never fucking touched her. It was never about that. He wanted me to think he would though because that would have me not thinking logically. Shoot first, no questions asked. If I kill him, he dies with honor. As fucked up as things are, he wouldn’t put a gunto his own head. His legacy would be ruined. We live by a code, and even if he’s no longer relevant in our world, if he puts a gun to his own head, that legacy is done. If I’m the one who pulls the trigger?” I sat back, letting the words sink in. “He gets to die with honor and my legacy is fucked up.”
Kades’s expression was blank, but I saw the gears turning.
“That’s a stretch,” he muttered.
“Yeah, it is,” I admitted. “But it makes sense. You gotta think like a crazy muthafucker. You’re using logic.”
Kades ran a hand down his jaw, thinking. “But coming for your girl justifies you pulling the trigger.”
“It does.” My voice stayed even. “But what if there’s no proof he did that?”
Kades narrowed his eyes. “There is. We know it was him who broke into her place.”
“Nah, not really.Weknow it was him. But what proof do we really have? How could we prove that? What if his plan was to make me come for him and erase all the evidence that pointed to him coming for me and Baylyn? If I kill him against code, it ruins me. That muthafucker wants me to kill him because even after death, he destroys me and my legacy. He couldn’t do that shit in life, so he’s willing to die for it.”
Silence filled the space between the three of us.
Yair shook his head and laughed dryly. “That’s fucking wild.”
Kades looked at me with his expression hard. “It doesn’t fucking matter. You still have to take him out.”
“I am. Trust me. But I need to prove this shit before I do.”
Yair jerked a hand down his face. “I can do that. There’s a paper trail out there. Give me time and I’ll find it.”
“Good.” I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees. “After you have it, I’ll wait for him to make his move then end this shit.”
Kades nodded. Yair didn’t argue. Once I dropped Trent, I would be moving on with my life and focusing on the one woman I was willing to risk it all for.
Chapter
Nineteen
Baylyn
Emir had been off for days. Distracted and caught up in his own head. He wasn’t exactly distant but his mind was somewhere else, and I wasn’t stupid enough to pretend I didn’t notice.
This morning was no different.
I watched him from the entrance to the kitchen as I finished pulling on his hoodie. He moved through the kitchen like he was on autopilot. The coffee was brewing, but he wasn’t drinking it. His phone was next to him on the counter, screen lighting up every few seconds with notifications, but he barely glanced at it.
His head was somewhere else. Somewhere I wasn’t.
I crossed the room and stepped inside, planting myself between him and the counter. “Okay,” I said, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. “What’s going on?”
He barely reacted, just reached around me for his coffee. “Nothing.”
“Bullshit. You haven’t been the same since you went to meet your brothers a couple days ago. Don’t play with me.”
