Marcus POV
I clenched my jaw as the call ended, my grip on the phone tightening until my knuckles turned white. That woman. Diane had just laughed in my face, dismissing me like I was nothing. As if she had never owed me a damn thing.
Jacob sat across from me, watching with mild curiosity. “What’s wrong?” he asked, arms crossed over his chest. “What did Diane say?”
I exhaled sharply, shoving my phone into my pocket. “Forget Diane,” I said. “You should be more concerned about how we’re going to get your daughter away from that man.”
Jacob snorted, an amused smirk playing on his lips. “Do you really think I’m bothered about that?”
I frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Jacob leaned back, shaking his head. “I don’t care, Marcus. Damon can do whatever he wants with Reyna. It’s none of my business.”
My stomach twisted in disbelief. I took a step toward him, trying to read his expression, but there was nothing-just a blank, indifferent stare. “What the hell are you saying?” I demanded.
Jacob finally met my eyes, his lips curling into something between a smile and a sneer. “She’s not my daughter, Marcus,” he said flatly. “If Damon wants to take her away, then so be it. It makes no difference to me.”
For a moment, I was speechless. Then anger flared inside me like a wildfire. “You’re out of your damn mind,” I snapped.
Jacob let out a bitter laugh. “Maybe I am. Maybe I lost it the moment my wife decided to cheat on me and thought I wouldn’t find out about it.” His voice was cold, detached, as if he had already made peace with something I couldn’t even begin to understand.
I shook my head, staring at him like he had grown two heads. “You don’t mean that.”
“Oh, but I do.” Jacob stood up, dusting off his jacket like this conversation was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. “I have better things to do, Marcus. I need to leave now. At least now, I can finally live in peace, knowing I fulfilled my part of the bargain.”
With that, he turned on his heel and walked out, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.
I exchanged a glance with Sally, who had been quiet throughout the exchange. She sighed, shaking her head. “That man is broken.”
I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “No,” I muttered. “He’s worse than broken. He’s given up.”
I turned to Sally, frustration burning in my chest. “Jacob is running mad,” I muttered. “It looks like we’ll have to go through with this alone.”
Sally sighed but didn’t argue. He probably knew as well as I did that Jacob was beyond reasoning now. The man had snapped, and there was no bringing him back.
Just then, my right-hand man stepped into the room. “It’s done,” he announced. “I’ve informed every guard about the plan. They know what to do.”
I nodded. “Good.”
Sally shifted beside me, arms crossed. “Marcus, you do realize how big Damon’s clan is, don’t you? If we go in without a proper strategy, it’ll be a massacre.”
I turned my gaze to him, my expression unreadable. “I don’t care about Diane. I don’t care about Reyna. Let them rot with Damon for all I care. The only ones I want dead are Stephanie and Sarah.” My voice was cold, void of any hesitation. “They refused to stand with me. They made their choice.”
Sally watched me closely. “I understand.”
“Good,” I said, eyes narrowing. “Because we attack tomorrow. Jake and John will be too busy planning their own assault on Damon, which means they won’t see ours coming.”
Sally exhaled slowly but gave a firm nod. “Then we move at dawn.”
____
Jake’s POV
Frustration burned through me like wildfire. Every step I took felt heavy, every breath sharp. I had been lashing out at any guard foolish enough to get too close, my patience hanging by a fragile thread.
John had stopped me more times than I could count, stepping in before I did something irreversible. A few other fearless guards had tried as well, though none dared push too far. They knew better than to get between me and my rage.
The door creaked open, and my eyes snapped toward it. Stephanie stepped inside, but she wasn’t alone.
Sarah.
I knew it was her the moment I saw her. She looked like hell-dirty, unkempt, like she had been on the run for God knows how long. Her clothes were torn in places, and her hair was a tangled mess.
John was the first to stand, his expression unreadable as he looked them over.
“Hi,” Sarah said, her voice hoarse.
Silence. None of us responded.
She sighed, shifting her weight. “I get it. I know how you feel about me being here. But I didn’t come to make things worse. I just want to help. That’s all.”
Stephanie gave a small nod beside her, but I wasn’t convinced.
I narrowed my eyes at Sarah. “And how exactly do we know we can trust you?”
Her lips pressed together. “I have nothing to gain from betraying you,” she said evenly. “If I wanted to, I could take my sister and disappear. Leave you all to deal with your mess while I move on with my life.”
“But you didn’t,” John murmured, watching her closely.
Sarah shook her head. “No. Because I know that would be wrong. And whether you believe me or not, I do want to help.”
I exhaled sharply, crossing my arms. “And what makes you think you’re even useful to us?”
She lifted her chin slightly. “Because I’m the only one who can lead you to Damon. I know where he is, how he moves. And I know his weaknesses.”
I frowned. “How?”
Her jaw tensed before she spoke. “Because he was once head over heels for me.”
That made me freeze.
“He wanted me,” she continued, her voice steady. “But I didn’t want him. He didn’t take it well, so he made it his life’s mission to make mine miserable. If there’s one thing I know about Damon, it’s that he’s obsessed with control. He doesn’t handle rejection well.”
John exhaled, rubbing his temple. “Look, we’re not here to fight about the past. We just need to get Reyna back. That’s all that matters.”
Sarah nodded. “Then let me help. But I need to know one thing.”
I raised a brow. “And what’s that?”
She turned to me, eyes sharp. “That you won’t murder me in my sleep.”
John gave me a pointed look before turning back to her. “You have my word.”
That seemed to be enough for her. Stephanie gently touched her arm and led her upstairs to rest.
I watched them disappear, my fists clenched.
I still didn’t trust her. Not yet.