Page 97 of Peaceful Chaos

Best Laid Plans

Sin

In the morning,Raven and I make our way to the dining room. This isn't the first time we will spend time with my family, but it is the first time we've been welcomed together in this house. I didn't think it would matter to me for them to accept my marriage, but it does.

There's a lot to discuss. I'm not looking forward to sharing with Raven the plan to use her to draw out her father. I refuse to see it as using her as bait. She's not a pawn, and I won't let her be used as one.

My mother has an entire breakfast buffet set up on a sideboard. Lucien and Javier are already digging into plates piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, and large fluffy waffles. My mother sits with a cup of fruit and her tea while my father mostly ignores his plate for the newspaper. Natalie vacantly stares at the warming trays full of food without putting anything on her plate.

The doorbell rings through the house, and Arthur sets his paper aside while he waits for his house manager to get the door. Holbrook is shown into the dining room. I can see my father clench his fork but otherwise remain still.

He clears his throat, and his voice booms out. "Grant, I'm giving you one chance to explain what happened yesterday. If I'm not pleased with what you have to say, if you try and take my son into custody again, I will personally set out to ruin you."

Holbrook nods, expecting this reception. "I didn't figure they'd have had a chance to fill you in last night."

He moves to his sister's side and takes her plate from her trembling hands. "Let me fill this for you. Go sit."

Natalie takes the seat next to my mother. She wears a look of disappointment, the first sign of her being mentally present with us. When she speaks, her voice is raspy, like she's struggling to find her voice. "I'm not actually hungry. I think I need to hear your explanation as well."

Holbrook takes a deep breath and sets her plate down on the stack at the end of the table. "The DA has issued a warrant for Sin's arrest."

Arthur jumps up, his chair clattering against the hardwood floor, and he slams his hands on the table. His finger jabs in Holbrook's direction. "I don't give a flying fuck who the order has come from. I'm not losing my son again."

"Agreed," Holbrook says. "That's part of the reason I did what I did last night. When Javier left, Sin was concealed in the rear cargo area. As far as the DA is concerned, Sin is locked up in the interview room where Lucien and Javier met me. I've only been able to buy us a couple days. After that DA Pierce will demand Sin be charged with multiple counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and whatever other charges she can construct."

Arthur grunts. "Let me work on that problem. What are we doing about Damien?"

Javier and Holbrook share a look, and I force myself to swallow. Sensing he will be better received, Javier starts to explain. "Damien is down, but he’s not defeated yet. He's broke, and thanks to Raven, he doesn’t have his compound to hide out in. That doesn't mean he's completely without resources."

"We still need to flush him out," Holbrook agrees.

"Then why didn't we take advantage of his appearance at the fundraiser?" Arthur demands.

"Because, if any of us had done so, it would have appeared you were trying to take out a political rival. Just as we used the media present against him, he could have turned it against us. The first thing we had to do was ruin his chances to get elected." Javier points to the paper Arthur set aside when Holbrook arrived.

"The headline on the paper says it all," he continues.

Arthur shakes the paper open and holds it so everyone can see what Javier is referring to. The top headline reads, "King of Crime: The Rise and Fall of Damien Blackthorne's Bid to be Governor of Illinois."

"This doesn't mean he won't try and turn this around," Arthur warns. Unlike Holbrook, he's had years of experience to know not to underestimate Damien.

"And that's where the DA comes into play. The move was to pin all of his crimes on Sin, but that won't be possible thanks to Lucien," Javier continues.

Arthur cocks a thick black eyebrow and waits for Lucien to fill him in. Luce quickly explains what they recovered on their raid of Blackthorne Manor.

"That explains why the foyer smelled like a campfire this morning." A smile threatens Arthur’s stoic demeanor. "What I wouldn't have given to watch that monstrosity burn to the ground."

He clears his throat and shakes off the passing fantasy of watching Damien's kingdom literally burn to the ground. "I'm assuming the plan is to release the footage through the media?"

Holbrook shakes his head. "I'd really rather not bring that kind of exposure to Lucien and Sin."

Arthur nods in agreement. "Good, because even though they would escape legal consequences, there would still be the court of public opinion left to try them."

He smiles, and this time there isn't a hint of amusement or affection lighting up his face. This is the expression of a man preparing for battle, and relishing the fight. "Let me handle that aspect. I might not be good with guns and fists—"

"Or arrows and knives," I chime in, and wink at Raven.

"Or those," he continues, "but I'm pretty good at these Machiavellian political wars. I'll take care of Pierce. But first I'll need some help figuring out what her motives are in helping Damien."

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