Page 30 of Dust to Dust

He's with us, Nova,Ghost assured me.

Titan shut the door to the office and locked it. I watched as Lucas raised a brow but remained calm. Then retaking my hand, Titan walked forward and towards the empty seats across from Lucas. Nerves made my feet stumble, but I quickly corrected my balance. Titan squeezed my hand with added reassurance.

I sat on the buttery leather armchair but didn't relax my posture. I remained perched forward like a cheetah, ready to pounce. Titan positioned the heavy chair in front of mine.The simple movement assured Titan's loyalty to me. Lucas might have thought it was a romantic move to make me look submissive to Titan. But I knew what Titan was doing. He was my shield.

I eyed the gun strapped to Titan's thigh, the strap was off, and it would only take Titan a moment to grab it. The safety on all our weapons had been clicked off also. I licked my lips tasting my raspberry gloss.

"My son and daughter-in-law," Lucas grinned as he opened his hands. "Please join me." He joked since we had already taken the liberty to sit down. Impatience took over my body as I twisted my hand around and grabbed my gun. Titan didn't move or react. He leaned forward on his thighs. Using his left hand, he rested his chin under it. He kept his right hand close to his gun.

Lucas kept his mask on and eyed my gun without fear. He still had confidence covering his shoulders like a fur-lined king's cloak. His blue eyes that looked like twins of Titan's, only older, finally looked towards Titan and then back to mine.

"I thought you'd choose something more painful. A bullet is hardly fitting for a man like me, don't you think?" Lucas shifted his hand, which alerted me. I aimed my gun at his head. Titan reacted and stood with supernatural speed, grabbed his gun, and aimed it at his father.

Lucas laughed, "I'm not going to kill you, Nova." He reached for a thick crystal glass that looked like scotch or whiskey. "Son, after all I have done to ensure you got the woman you loved. Do you think I'm so heartless that I'd kill her in front of you?" I couldn't tell by his tone if he was joking or not. I glanced at Titan. What did Lucas mean, after all, he had done?

Lucas didn't take a sip of his amber liquid but swung back the entire glass. He adjusted the sleeves of his pitch-black tailored suit that fit him like a glove. He had one ankle crossed over his knee in a comfortable stance.

Lucas pointed to the chair again, ordering Titan like a dog to sit. My thumb rubbed the texture on my gun. "You'll need to sit for this, son. We need to talk before I die today." His choice of words stuck out to me. Lucas wasn't shocked we were here. As a matter of fact, he had accepted everything. That had every sense my body could muster on alert because Lucas wasn't a man that quickly gave up or dug his own grave.

"Yet again, you surprise me, Lucas," I admitted.

His blue eyes shifted to gaze into the fire, "You're both going to keep quiet and let me speak," he glanced at the watch on his wrist, "I don't have much time."

"As of this moment," Titan began, his voice was deep and rumbled like thunder, "my men have overtaken yours. Whatever you have planned isn't going to work, father. It ends here."

Lucas nodded, "Yes, my boy, it does." His voice was sullen but proud. "You think I killed your parents, Nova? I allowed you to believe that because it gave you fuel in that jail. You were too young to know the real truth back then. My son was too. I had to make sure you both would be strong and wise before you were welcomed into power. You each had to earn it. We learned from our past what happened to the heirs who were given power without a trial," Lucas snorted, "It didn't end well."

My brows furrowed in confusion, "You killed my parents." My mind shouted at me to pull the trigger. To finally shut him up. Stomp on the spider, so it can't spin more webs of lies.

"You are a smart girl. I kept you alive and tailor-made you for my son." Lucas looked away from the fire and at me. Titan shifted in his seat. He nudged his right foot forward, ready to pounce. "Ask yourself this, Nova, why would I leave you alive if I truly killed your parents? I don't leave bread crumbs." He let his question sink in as he grabbed the weighted crystal glass filled with amber alcohol and poured himself another glass. Lucas sipped his drink and sat back in his chair, "I'd do anything to protect my child Nova, as I'm sure you will do one day."

"You won't be alive to see those children." Titan hissed.

Lucas grinned, "I know, but I'll die knowing you and Titan will be strong enough to protect our family name and the cause." Lucas seemed to be lost in a daze. Whatcausewas he referring to? King Corporations?

Lucas shifted in his seat, finally giving Titan his attention, "That is what a father's mission in life is meant to be. Unfortunately, my father, your grandfather, didn't realize that. He tried to damn us all. Not me, not my son." Lucas shook his head, "I was your protector Titan. I ensured you would be strong enough to continue our family name and take your seat in life." His chest inhaled deeply, "Let me try to confess to you as much as I can. I knew you fell for Elsa or Nova," He glanced at me as if he wanted a thank you for addressing me by my chosen name. "My son gave his soul to you, just as my brother, Marcus, gave his soul to his wife Kate. I realized too late that when a man can love, he is much stronger but also more susceptible. Love can save and destroy. It did both for my family. I needed to make sure it didn't destroy my son." His eyes darken with what seemed to be regret. "I thought I'd first use Elsa like bait to keep control of Titan. But then I watched Titan grow. I changed my mind. I wanted Titan to have a strong woman by his side. Elsa Stepanov wasn't that girl, but my son didn't seem to notice. So I recruited Anton and used him as my puppet. Anton had to make Elsa stronger, so he convinced your uncle to send you to that prison. You're first test, Nova." He beamed as his eyes locked with mine.

Before I could speak, Titan punched Lucas square in the jaw. Bloody hell, the punch was so hard, I thought it would break his jaw, and I'd be unable to get answers. "Titan!" I roared as I jumped forward and pulled him off of his father.

"I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you again and again! You told me you found her once she was in Russia. You planned this all!" Titan roared so loud even the thick bulletproof windows raddled.

"Let me hear this," I begged Titan. For the first time, I sensed Lucas was telling the truth. The confession of a dying man.

Lucas held up his hand as he rubbed his jaw. Lucky for me, he was able to continue. He hunched back in his chair and drank another shot of alcohol before he continued. I grabbed Titan's hand and urged him to let me take control of this situation.

"So you knew all along I was alive." It was a statement that Lucas nodded to.

"And my uncle?"

"Was merely a pawn my enemy tried to get a hold of." Lucas waved his hand.

"And Anton?" I asked again, needing clarity. It made sense now why Anton was always there to save me from the brink of death. It was all Lucas's doing.

Lucas rubbed his jaw. Pain laced his brow. He reached into his mouth, and with a grunt, he pulled out a tooth. Lucas held his tooth between his fingers and then grinned. He was proud of Titan's hit. He set the tooth down as if he was setting down an unwanted object. "Anton is a whole different kind of pawn, Nova. One not solely of my controlling either." He warned.

"But you just said he worked for you." I snapped.

"You have to let me finish the story, daughter-in-law. If I skip ahead, you'll jump to conclusions."

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