Chapter 4 - the raven's ring
Cole closed the sketchbook slowly, making sure his face remained completely unreadable so as not to scare Owen.
"Good job, Owen," Cole whispered, patting the boy's head gently. "Go back to sleep now. Your mom and I have some work to do."
Hannah looked at Cole's pale face as Owen climbed back into bed. Once they stepped out into the hallway, she grabbed Cole's arm. "What did he draw?"
"Julian," Cole said flatly. "My head of security. He's been reporting to the council behind my back."
"Cole, don't do anything rash—"
"Julian has been with me for ten years," Cole interrupted, his voice dropping into a lethal register. "He knows every security code to this house. He knows every safehouse I own. If he's working for the board, he brought us here to pin us down."
Cole pulled out his encrypted comms unit and keyed in a private frequency that bypassed the main estate server. "Marcus," he called to his old loyal captain stationed at the harbor. "Bring four men to the cliff house through the sea tunnel entrance. Silent approach. Do not alert Julian's perimeter team."
"Understood, boss," Marcus replied instantly.
Cole turned back to Hannah. "Lock this door from the inside. Do not open it for anyone except me. If you hear shots, take the emergency stairs behind the wardrobe down to the cove boat."
Hannah grabbed his lapels, pulling him down until their faces were inches apart. Her eyes burned with a mixture of terror and fierce devotion. "Don't you dare die tonight, Cole Mercer. You have seven years to make up for."
Cole looked at her lips, feeling the heavy ache of eight lost years crashing down on him. He placed a hand behind her neck, pulled her close, and kissed her deeply—a hard, desperate kiss filled with memory, regret, and unspoken promises.
"Lock the door," he whispered against her mouth, then pulled away.
Cole walked down the long carpeted hallway toward his private office. As he expected, Julian was standing near the desk, pretending to inspect the window locks.
"Anything unusual on the perimeter, Julian?" Cole asked casually, pouring himself two fingers of bourbon from the crystal decanter.
"All clear, boss," Julian replied, turning around with an easy, practiced smile. "The rain is keeping everyone indoors. Should I double the guard on the boy's room?"
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Cole took a sip of his drink, staring through the glass at his former friend. "Tell me, Julian... how long did my grandfather pay you to spy on me?"
Julian's smile instantly vanished. His hand twitched toward his shoulder holster, but before his fingers could touch leather, Cole raised his revolver beneath the desk and fired once.
