Page 4 of London Has Fallen

“Bring it, old man, I’ll break your fucking hip.” Before this can go any further, I cut in and put an end to the bickering.

“Grandpa, Dad wants to lock me up here at school while he tries to play hero and meet with Costa. I don’t want to be here.” I can hear the whine in my own voice and I can’t find it within myself to care. I hate this place, it’s so dull and boring. I have no fucking friends–not that I need them but still, having someone to talk to every once in a while would be nice. My whole life I have known that because of who my parents and grandparents are that others would try to use me to get closer to them. I chose to separate myself from everyone so no one could get close enough to hurt me.

Grandpa sighs and runs a hand through his salt and pepper colored hair. “I know you don’t want to be there, Sweetheart.” Dad snorts and mutters about how he was never that nice or caring to him when he was younger but we ignore his moaning. “At this stage, until we can get a meeting set with Costa, Blackwood is the safest place for you.”

“I’m safer at home with Dad, Uncle Chaos and Aunty Nell.” An idea hits me just as Grandpa opens his mouth to reply so I cut in before he can. “I mean, if you think the Memento Mori isn’t equipped to keep me safe, I could always come stay with you and Grandma?” Dad’s brows leap to his hairline as he scowls at me.

“Take that back now, you little demon! I have managed to keep your ungrateful ass alive and out of harm despite your best efforts to try and kill me over the years!” I roll my eyes at my father’s over dramatic spiel, he’s so sensitive in his old age.

“Shut up, Royal!” Grandpa scolds before turning his gaze back to me. “I would start a fucking war for you, my beautiful granddaughter, you know that. I would love nothing more than to have you here with me and your grandmother, but given the fact you took the life of the white rabbit, that is something we cannot run from. The Greeks may be lenient with a lot, but when it comes to how their society is run, they will never bend the rules. The rabbit you took out was meant for the triplets, Costa’s last hope of keeping the Argyros name alive and at the top.”

Frowning down at my phone I ask. “But Dad said that his oldest son was the youngest to ever kill the white rabbit, wouldn’t he be the one taking the lead?”

Dad answers me. “Artemis was supposed to succeed his father and take over, but for reasons unknown to us, Artemis refused the crown and so did Costa’s second born son so the mantle fell to the triplets. Thanks to your reckless driving, the triplets may now have to wait another five years before they have a shot at taking over.”

“Why five years?” I ask.

“Because the Greeks believe that only the strongest can rule so every five years they set the heirs out to hunt the white rabbit. If they do not succeed, then their fathers are forced out of the family and shunned,” Grandpa says.

I blow out a breath and shake my head. “Well, that sucks to be them.”

“Costa Argyros, is the longest to ever head the Greeks, most only lasting roughly five years.” I gape at my father.

“Seriously? How long has he been leading them?”

“Forty years,” Grandpa answers solemnly. There is a glint in Grandpa’s eyes that has a cold shiver of dread working its way down my spine.

“Dad, don’t,” my father warns but of course that only prompts me to drill my grandfather for more information.

“I need to know.” The slight hitch in my voice has my father’s features contorting, I know he wishes he could be here with me but what I don’t understand is why? My dad isn’t afraid of anything yet he sent me back here to hide.

“We believe he has led this long because he takes out his opposition by any means necessary and we believe he uses his sons to do it. Artemis was supposed to take the throne five years ago but he still hasn’t. There are the other four–.”

“Four?” I question my grandfather.

“Yea, Costa has five sons, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Adonis and Cronos.” I balk at the phone screen.

“He seriously named all his sons after Greek Gods?” My dad laughs while my grandfather scowls at the screen.

“I mean, your grandfather and his brothers are named after chess pieces so…” I can’t help the laughter that bursts from me, Dad laughs with me while Grandpa just scowls at the screen and mutters about me being too much like my father.

“You both done yet?” Grandpa snaps. Dad and I manage to get ourselves under control and I nod. “You need to steer clear of the Argyros siblings while you are at Blackwood, London.” My brows raise.

“They go here?”

Both of them frown at me. “You’ve never run into them at school?” Dad asks, I shake my head.

“No.”

“Keep it that way,” Dad growls.

I scoff. “Pretty hard to do since you told me that Artemis is going to be the new headmaster of my school!”

“If you didn’t run the last fucking one off then we wouldn’t have needed someone else to fill her shoes!” Dad shouts.

I roll my eyes. “It was a joke,” I defend.

“You burnt Pussy Ass Mofo into the front lawn of the fucking school, London.” I flinch and shoot them a sheepish smile.

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