Page 41 of The Vicious Defender

"No," Rain interrupts, pushing herself between us. "Heath. Think about this. You know the truth now. Why he wants him. If we give him up, he will die. It's all we've ever wanted."

Heath looks up at me. "Actually, there's something I want more."

"And what's that?" I ask.

"An eye for an eye," Heath smirks. "The deal you had us make. I want the same one from you, in exchange for protection and two hundred men to help you end your brother once and for all."

"What?" Rain gasps.

"I want your firstborn child with my daughter," Heath says. "If and when that happens, he will belong to me."

"No," I spit. "Never."

"Then no deal. And if I hear so much as a whisper of your name, I will kill you. I'll take the risk that it'll hurt my daughter. Do we have a deal?"

"You can't be serious," Rain says, her face growing pale.

"I am. Deadly. I want your firstborn son."

I put my palms on his desk and spit out my answer at him. "Fuck no."

"Fine," Heath shrugs, putting away the gun. He clicks his fingers and the room is suddenly filled with guards. "Take him away."

"Where?" Rain gasps.

"Outside."

"Fine. Have it your way," I nod, heading towards the door. I stop right next to Rain and put a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to mine. "Too bad you've always been such a pain in my ass."

"Xavier," she hisses, but the guards are already pulling me away. I shrug them off and head outside.

"Let me guess," I sigh as I walk forward, feeling guns pointed at me. "I have no choice."

"That's correct," Heath's old friend, Liberato tells me. "You have forty-eight hours to figure out your next move, Xavier. Don't waste them."

"And until then?" I demand.

"Until then, you can enjoy our prison cells in the basement," he smirks with cruel delight at my misfortune.

"Fine," I shrug. "Let's go."

"No," someone hisses, and suddenly, my wife is between me and the guards, her face angry and determined. "Let him go. He's a guest here."

"A guest who will soon be a prisoner," Liberato tells her.

"No," Tallulah argues. "He will not. I'm his wife, and he's staying with me."

"Stay back, Tallulah," Heath says, coming down the staircase. "He's dangerous. He'll hurt you."

"I'd never hurt her," I growl.

"I'm sure," Heath sighs. "But we can't trust that."

"Daddy," Tallulah turns her angry eyes onto him. "I will not be denied. Not anymore. Now, get your guards the fuck out of my sight. I won't tell you again."

Heath stares at her, and then his gaze flickers to me. The look is murderous, and he walks up to his daughter, pushing her behind him.

"Get your hands off her," I hiss and jump forward, but three guards grab me and hold me back.

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