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Kian’s smile widens. “Oh, yeah. We’ve already set most of our plans in motion, so it won’t be long until we’ve brought about the downfall of The Aristocracy.”

Jacob’s devilish smile no doubt matches my own, and I’m relieved that we’ve been a part of this. Although we have selfish reasons for taking out The Count—to keep Indie safe—we don’t agree with what The Aristocracy is about, and we’re happy to play at least a small part in their downfall.

“So we can kill him and be done with it?” Jake turns his gaze to Kian, eager to hear his answer.

“You can do whatever the hell you want with him. Bree says you can keep him alive for as long as you want, or you can end him straight away…the choice is yours.

“But I should tell you, our doctor doesn’t believe he’ll survive much more. So if you have a specific way you want him to die, I would get on with it, or you risk killing him by accident.” Kian’s nose wrinkles at the end, like him dying when he’s not supposed to repulses him.

Honestly, this is something Jacob and I have struggled to agree on. We both agree that he has to die, or Indie will never feel safe again, but that’s where our similarities end.

As far as I’m concerned, The Count never laid a finger on Indie, and that’s the only thing stopping me from unleashing my full rage on him. Yes, he was a threat to her, and he tasked Gregg with finding her, but he never actually touched her, so that’s his one saving grace in my eyes.

Jacob, on the other hand, couldn’t agree less. He doesn’t care that The Count has never touched Indie, it’s that he would have if he’d found her. Jacob claims that The Count wouldn’t have hesitated to kill Indie if Gregg had handed her over to him when he had her, and for that alone, he wants to make him pay.

I think there’s a good chance he’s right, but I’ve always been someone who punishes people based on their actions, rather than their intent. There are many people who throw threats around like they’re nothing, saying they’re going to kill someone, but very few actually have the balls to go through with it.

If we punished everyone based on what they say they’re going to do, we’d be killing a lot of people. Unfortunately, I love Jacob very much, and he’s a possessive, protective arsehole, so if he wants to hold The Count’s intent against him, there’s no way in hell I’m going to stop him.

“I say we get on with it then,” Jake says with his dark, hungry gaze fixed on me.

“I will leave you to it. I promised Freya I’d test wedding cakes with her, and she’ll have my balls if I’m late. My security team is in the office next door, so just let them know when you’re done, and they’ll take care of everything,” Kian says as he pulls on his coat and starts heading towards the door.

“I didn’t know you were getting married,” Jacob replies.

Kian’s face lights up, his dimples making an appearance as his smile grows wider. “Yes, to Liam’s sister, Freya. I’ll have to introduce you some day, she’s the best person I’ve ever met. Certainly too good for me.”

“We’d like that. I’m sure once Indie feels more settled, she’d like to make some friends. She gets on really well with Teigan already,” I tell him.

“Teigan’s great, though I question her sanity for putting up with Evan. Then again, people probably say that about Freya.” He chuckles as he shrugs, turning to leave. “Have fun,” he shouts over his shoulder, slamming the door behind him.

Jacob turns to me, his expression fierce. “I know I said I want to drag this out and make him pay, and I still want this to be painful for him, but now that I’m here, I just want to get back home to Indie.”

I lean closer and press a soft kiss against his lips, before pulling back with a smile. “Let’s end this and go home.”

We walk into the room together, but even when Jake slams the heavy door behind us, the loud noise still doesn’t wake The Count up. I’m relieved to see his chest rising and falling, even if it’s at a ridiculously slow pace.

I stop just in front of him, almost feeling a little sorry for the pale, gaunt-looking man who is barely holding on to life in front of me. Still, he deserves everything he gets, which is why I don’t hesitate to slap him across the face, startling him awake.

He lets out a yelp, his eyes fluttering as he tries to get his bearings. It takes him a few seconds of blinking before he’s able to focus, and he has the good sense to recoil when he sees me and Jacob standing in front of him.

“Who are you?” he spits, his voice hoarse, no doubt from all the screaming he’s done over the last couple of weeks.

Jacob crouches down, so he’s face-to-face with The Count, which clearly catches him off-guard, as he tries to lean backwards, to put some distance between them, but he has nowhere to go.

“Do you know how you ended up here? How you were caught after all these years?”

The Count’s eyes widen as they darken, his lips twisting into a scowl, and it’s clear this is something he’s thought about a lot over the last few days. “I’ve heard them mention Gregg a few times.”

He’s not giving much away, but I can tell by the way he’s studying Jake’s facial expressions, he’s trying to get a read on him. So when Jake smiles, his scowl deepens.

I clear my throat to get his attention. “Gregg helped us find you, but he’s not the main reason you’re here,” I tell him, somewhat cryptically. I can see how much I’m drawing him in, even though he tries to look uninterested.

“Gregg gave me up?” he snarls.

Jake’s smirk grows as he nods, amusement written across his face. “Yes, he did, but he can’t take all the credit. You made a big mistake around nine years ago, and now you’re paying for it.”

Now The Count looks confused, his brow furrowing as he frowns. “What mistake?”