Page 56 of Broken Discipline

“Have fun,” I said. Then she disappeared out the front door. I quickly glanced out the window, making sure the tires had been replaced, and then checked the tracking device on my phone to make sure it was working. A blue light flashed on the screen. I dialed one of my guards, giving him and his partner the order to follow her, then I turned back to the kids. Their big round eyes blinked up at me, just like their mother’s.

“Now,” I said. I pointed to Larkin. “Tester Number One?” She nodded. I pointed to Leon. “Tester Number Two?”

“Please,” he said.

Soon, we were covered in brown and white powder. Right as the three of us were pouring the batter into the pan, Chip showed up in the kitchen doorway.

“Code Nine,” he said. “Two of them.”

My heart stopped.Right now?

The twins stilled, reading the tension surging through my body.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” Larkin asked.

“What’s going on?” Leon said, putting a chocolaty hand on his sister’s shoulder.

I nodded to Chip, then motioned to the kids. “Bunker,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Chip said.

“What’s a bunker?” Larkin asked.

“Mr. Chip, do you like brownies?” Leon asked.

Chip swooped each of them into his arms, and they both flailed as if Chip had clipped their wings.

“Hey!” Larkin shouted.

“I can walk by myself! I’m a big kid!” Leon said.

The three of them disappeared into the nursery. Underneath one of the rugs, there was a hatch for a bunker for situations like this. Once the hatch clicked closed, I quickly covered it up with the rug. One of my men came to my side, signaling that the other three men were in place. We headed to the weapons room.

A shot ricocheted through the house. I leaned around the corner to catch a glimpse, but another bullet whizzed by my head. My guard stayed posted at the main entrance, shooting off automatic rounds while I used the other door, letting myself out into the opposite hallway.

“Where is he?” an unknown male voice said.

“Shut up,” a woman’s voice said. “He’s—”

I nailed a bullet in the man’s head. The woman aimed, shooting at me, but my guard shot her in the neck. For a moment, her blank eyes held mine, full of unease. I stared at her, not letting my gaze lift until she fell to the ground.

It had been easy—too easy to kill them. Like someone wanted to get a rise out of me by forcing me to kill amateurs.

But it was close—too fucking close to my kids.

Two more guards appeared at my side. “All clear, sir,” the third guard said. He stepped into the hallway.

“Two targets?” I asked. “That’s it?”

The fourth guard nodded. “Two, sir.”

I double checked the security footage and surveyed the Compound myself, but they were right; there were no other assassins. Before we took their bodies to the acid vats, we checked their pockets. There was no identification or any information that we could use. I had gathered plenty of enemies since I started contract killing with my father, but this enemy had waited until I was disarmed. With my kids. Baking fucking brownies.

A few seconds later, and the twins could have been hurt. Or even dead.

I had no proof that it was Upchurch, but I knew—I fuckingknewit was him. This wasn’t over. And it wouldn’t be over until one of us was dead.

CHAPTER 14