Page 38 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Emir.

I stood in front of the closet, pulling on a black T-shirt and jeans before I sat on the edge of the bed, lacing up my boots.

My mind was already miles away from the night I just had with Baylyn.

I glanced over my shoulder, taking her in before I stood, moving to the safe tucked into the corner of the closet.

I keyed the code and yanked the door open, retrieving the gun and silencer I’d prepped earlier.

The weight was familiar and grounding. I checked the chamber, the magazine, assembled it, and placed it at the small of my back.

After closing the safe I headed back to the bedroom, stopping where Baylyn was curled up on my side of the bed.

The sheets were tangled around her waist, leaving her bare shoulder exposed while her breathing was deep and even.

Loose strands of hair hid her face, making me smile at how wild her ass slept.

She was all over the damn place which was how she’d ended up on my side.

I stood there for a moment, just watching her.

This woman had no fucking clue how much she changed the game.

She controlled every layer of my life and I didn’t fucking mind.

I moved closer, leaning down, brushing my lips against her temple.

The warmth of her skin settled me, the familiar pull and the way she was the only one who grounded me, crept up my spine.

“I love you,” I whispered against her ear with my voice barely audible.

She stirred and a soft sigh escaped as she shifted under the covers but then she mumbled, “I love you too, Mir.”

My fucking chest tightened.

That was all I needed. Satisfied, I grabbed my keys before slipping out of the room.

I moved through the house without a sound, my body already adjusting to the mindset I needed to be in. Cold and detached.

When I stepped into the garage, I slid into the driver’s seat of my Maserati MC20 and dialed my brother. Kades answered on the first ring.

“I’m heading out.”

“I’m tracking you.”

I ended the call because there was nothing else that needed to be discussed.

It took me an hour to get to the property.

The estate was massive. A billion-dollar fortress owned by an arms dealer, Orlando Malcom, currently out of town, according to Yair’s research.

At least Trent had enough sense to make the details align.

Malcom was under suspicion for fucking over one of his clients and they weren’t happy but he got a pass tonight.

This was about Trent needing me to believe I had an easy come up.

I moved up the private driveway in silence and parked before Kades’ voice came through my earpiece. “You’re clear. All exterior cameras are looped. No movement on infrared inside or out.”

I stepped out of the car, adjusting the gun at my back before heading to the door. My boots crunched lightly against the stone path leading to the entrance, but I wasn’t worried about being heard. Trent was waiting for me.

The front doors weren’t locked. He was either arrogant or stupid.

Maybe both. I pushed inside with a confident stride, checking out the space.

Even if I knew the plan, I refused to get caught slipping.

The house was as extravagant as expected, open concept, high ceilings, priceless artwork hanging on the walls.

A place designed for someone with an ego.

I found Trent in the living room, standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows with a drink in hand and his back to me as he looked out over the estate grounds.

He was dressed like he belonged in another man’s house.

Black slacks, button-down rolled at the sleeves, an expensive watch on his wrist, and…

Unarmed.

“It’s disrespectful to drink another man’s liquor without an invitation. Malcom might not appreciate that.”

“You’re here to kill him. I don’t think he’ll mind considering he gets to live another day.”

Trent turned, smirking as he lifted the glass to his lips.

“No gun. You really that damn cocky?”

“Didn’t see a need to be armed. Figured you’d bring enough for the both of us.”

I didn’t return the smile. “I’m here but my time is valuable. Go ahead and get that shit off your chest.”

His eyes were distant as fuck. Like he was detached or fucking delusional. Trent nodded toward the room.

“You like this house?”

“It’s just a fucking house.”

“It’s more than just a house. It was my house.

I designed it, was supposed to live here, but when you started fucking with my name I couldn’t afford to pay the builders.

Malcom came behind me, made an offer. Changed every fucking thing about it.

Thought you’d appreciate the irony considering you’re going to kill me here. ”

“You that confident that I’ll do it?”

Trent chuckled, moving toward the leather sofa, settling in like we were just two men discussing business. “You always were predictable when it came to your jobs.” He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, keeping his eyes on me. “I knew fucking Baylyn would bring you to me.”

He hadn’t been with her but hearing him say it out loud took everything in me to not vent this muthafucker’s head. I managed to keep my cool and stared at his unstable ass.

He leaned back, spreading his arms along the back of the sofa, being too fucking smug and too damn confident.

“It would’ve been simple,” he continued.

“You walk in, put a bullet in my head, and just like that, you break The Code. You, of all people, violating the one rule that’s constitutionally forbidden?

They would have no choice but to end your existence.

Everything you built, everything you are, gone. Your entire fucking legacy.”

He smirked, shaking his head like he was almost impressed with himself.

“Yeah, I know, but that shit isn’t happening.”

His smug ass grin dropped.

I took a few steps closer, letting him feel the shift in energy.

“You were never good at this shit, Trent. You created this elaborate plan to get me to put a bullet in your head, thinking it would ruin me. You want that shit so badly you’re willing to die for it.

You knew fucking with my girl would make me come after you.

And for a minute, I couldn’t figure out why you waited all this time. You could’ve come for me years ago.”

I watched as unease shifted into his expression.

“But then it made sense. She’s the only person outside of my family who I cared enough about to risk it all for. You had to wait until I had a reason important enough not to give a damn about breaking code.”

Trent’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t speak.

“It probably would’ve worked. If you had been better at your job.”

His hand tightened around his glass. “I was good enough to get you here. You can thank Baylyn’s pussy for that. It was enjoyable too.”

I dropped my chin, leveling my eyes with his. “My girl wouldn’t fuck you with my dick. But I’m sure you know that because if you believed you could have made it happen, you would have tried. Instead you paid someone to copy and paste her face on Sea’an’s body to make me think you were with her.”

I watched Trent’s expression shift. The arrogance he was hanging onto faded and turned into rage. His jaw was tight and his eyes narrowed.

I reached into my pocket and removed the burner phone. Without a word, I tapped the screen, opening the files I’d shown Shadow Court.

“Here.” I tossed the device onto the sofa next to him. “You got half that shit right. I am going to kill you but I’m also going to walk away from all this untouched.”

His eyes flicked between me and the phone before he gave in and lifted it. He slowly scanned the device as he swiped through the files.

I watched as his face twisted and shoulders tensed every time his fingers moved across the screen. His breathing deepened and his grip on the phone tightened before he hurled it against the wall. I didn’t flinch but he fucking snapped.

"You think you’re better than me?" Trent’s voice rose with raw unfiltered anger. "You think you’re untouchable?"

I didn’t respond. Just kept watching him, which only fueled him more.

He wanted me to react. His face hardened and venom was laced in his tone.

“Corvidae fucking prodigy. Everything was handed to you. You didn’t have to work for shit.

You didn’t have to prove to yourself or fight to be seen.

I had to grind for every damn thing. You ruined every fucking thing. ”

I shrugged, speaking smugly. “There isn’t a damn thing wrong with nepotism.”

My father’s name and legacy didn’t have a thing to do with the legacy I built on my own but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to push this muthafucker over the edge. He was crashing the fuck out.

His eyes were all crazy and shit, nostrils flared and I swear I thought his damn head was going to explode.

I took a step closer. “But that doesn’t have shit to do with why we’re here.

You ruined yourself. You were greedy. Sloppy and incompetent.

If you’d been better at your job, I wouldn’t have had to come behind you and clean up your fucking messes. ”

Trent’s whole body vibrated with fury and his fists clenched at his sides.

I cocked my head. “That’s the difference between us, Trent. You wanted power. I am power.”

Something snapped in his eyes.

He lunged at me but I reached behind my back, grabbed the gun, flipped it in my hand, and rocked the fuck out of him.

His head snapped to the side so damn hard, he lost his footing and fell back over the coffee table.

I crossed the room with quick strides and dropped my foot on his neck, aiming the gun at his head.

“How fucked up is it that you couldn’t even plan your own death the right way?

This should have been simple. How much time did you spend on this shit? Planning and obsessing over me?”

“Stop fucking talking and just do it.” He sneered and I smirked.