Page 89 of Serpent King's Revenge

"And the baby? Are you both comfortable?"

"Yep, the baby's fine," Abby reassured me, patting her belly tenderly. It still wasn’t visible at all, but every time she was in danger I worried something would happen. She’d been precious to me before—now, she was everything.

Owen's expression remained tense as he glanced over at me. "I'm glad you got out, Nathan," he said gruffly.

"Are you?" I couldn't help but ask, my eyes narrowing.

"Of course I am," Owen snapped, his grip tightening on the helm.

"Really?" I pressed, my anger rising. "Because it seems like you've been keeping secrets from me, Owen. Important ones, like my own child."

“Nathan,” Abby chastised, glaring at me. “Now isn’t the time.”

I took a deep breath, trying to rein in my emotions. She was right—we had bigger issues at hand. But that didn't mean I'd forget Owen's betrayal.

The fog swirled around us, obscuring the boat's surroundings and leaving us with just the sound of water gently lapping against its hull. I could feel the tension crackling in the air between Owen and me, as sharp and dangerous as a live wire.

"Let me ask you something, Nathan," Owen said, breaking the silence. "Do you remember the conversation we had before you got put away?"

I hesitated; memories of that time were overshadowed by my mother's death. "Not exactly," I admitted. "There was a lot going on back then."

"Right," Owen said, nodding. He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. "We talked about Abby's safety, about what would happen if something went wrong for you." His voice was steady, but there was an underlying edge to it that I couldn't quite place.

"Sure," I said, trying to recall the specifics of that conversation. But before I could say anything else, Owen continued.

"During that conversation, we agreed that our priority was to keep Abby safe. I promised you that I would do whatever I could to get her away if something happened to you." He looked me straight in the eye, his gaze unwavering. "And when something did happen, I tried my best to keep her safe. But I failed."

I clenched my jaw, feeling the urge to argue rise in my chest. But as much as I wanted to fight back, I knew he was right. We had made that agreement, even though it seemed like a lifetime ago. And with everything that had happened since then…

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, that makes sense," I admitted.

Abby flashed me a grateful smile, her eyes softening the tension that had been building between Owen and me. She reached over and squeezed my hand, her touch warm and reassuring.

Even in the midst of this chaos, she managed to ground me.

"Look," I said, turning to face Owen, "I know we've had our differences, but we need to work together now, more than ever. Our family's safety is all that matters."

"Agreed," Owen replied, his voice carrying the weight of our shared responsibility. "So…where to next? What's the plan?"

I rubbed a hand over my face, feeling the rough stubble that had grown since my imprisonment and being on the run. I hadn’t had a chance to shave. I probably looked like a wildman.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Any ideas?"

Abby and her dad exchanged a look, their faces betraying signs of a shared secret. Owen cleared his throat before speaking. "Abby told me about Diane Hayes being on the wrong side. We can get your family to a safehouse while everything goes down, but Abby's got a plan."

“Why does that sound like a bad thing?” I muttered.

Taking a deep breath, Abby turned to face me. "We need to take confront your father."

“I think we all agree on that front,” I said. “Unfortunately, he’ll almost definitely be barricaded into his office in Chinatown. The tunnels alone are a bitch to navigate, and security—”

“We’re not going to his office,” she replied. “We’re going to his house.”

I cocked my head, narrowed my eyes. “And how do you suggest we get him there when he’s on high alert?”

Abby bit her lip. “Well…we use me as bait.”

I had to stop.

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