Page 73 of Temptation and Tyranny

“First, let her go. Get your lying daughter out of my sight. Then we’ll talk terms.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then by morning, every major player in Europe knows you’re weak. And we both know what happens to weak men in our business.”

Rousseau looked at his daughter one last time, something almost like regret crossing his features. Then he nodded to his men, who cut her bonds.

As she stumbled to her feet, I kept my eyes on Rousseau but spoke to her. “Go.” My voice was cold now, all tenderness gone. “Live your life, Allegra. Just...live it far away from me.”

“Cooper, no, you don’t understand. I never told him anything about you. I ran away from him years ago. Please—”

That’s when I heard it—the soft thud of bodieshitting concrete behind me. I spun around to see my security team crumpling to the ground one by one, red dots appearing on their chests. Snipers. We’d been so focused on the men in front of us, we’d missed Rousseau’s backup in the rafters.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t have contingencies of my own, Mr. Moreau?” Rousseau’s voice was almost gentle. “One last thing.”

The flash illuminated his face for a split second, casting demonic shadows across his features. The bullet slammed into my chest with the force of a sledgehammer, the impact spinning me halfway around. My legs buckled as white-hot pain blazed through my torso. Blood filled my mouth, and each breath became a desperate struggle. Between the bullet wound in my chest and my newly aggravated leg injury, every movement was agony. I forced myself forward, each step a battle of will over body.

Through the encroaching darkness, I heard the sharp click of Rousseau’s shoes on concrete, saw his polished wingtips step into my narrowing field of vision. Beyond them lay the still forms of my men—good men who’d trusted me, died for me. Above it all, Allegra’s scream echoed off the warehouse walls, the sound full of genuine anguish—or maybe that was just what I wanted to believe as consciousness slipped away.

My last thought before the darkness took me wasn’t of the empire I’d built, or the deals I’d made. It wasn’t even of the loyal men I’d led to their deaths. It was of Allegra’s sweet smile, and the bitter truth that I’d never know if it had been real between us or just an act.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Allegra

“Cooper!” My scream echoed through the warehouse as I watched him fall to the ground, blood blossoming on his chest. Everything seemed to move in slow motion—my father’s cruel smile, the gun still smoking in his hand, Cooper’s body hitting the concrete floor with a sickening thud.

I lunged forward, but strong arms held me back. “Let me go!” I shouted, struggling against my captor. “Cooper! Cooper, please!”

My father’s voice cut through my panic. “Take her away. Put her under lock and key at her apartment. Make sure she doesn’t do anything...foolish.”

As I was dragged out of the warehouse, my eyes remained fixed on Cooper’s motionless form. Was he still breathing? How badly was he hurt? The questions swirled in my mind, mixing with a potent cocktail of fear, guilt, and rage.

The cool night air hit me as we exited the building, but I barely felt it. My entire being was focused on one thought: I had to save Cooper. Somehow, some way, I had to get back to him.

“Get in the car, Miss Rousseau,” one of my father’s men growled, shoving me towards a waitingSUV.

“It’s Prescott,” I snarled, trying to kick one of the men in the shins. I missed, and they laughed at my pathetic attempt.

As they pushed me into the backseat, an idea began to form. It was risky, possibly suicidal, but it was the only chance I had. I needed help, and there was only one person I could think of who might be able to pull off the impossible.

Steele.

I’d met him at the hospital gala, and though our interaction had been brief, I remembered the intensity in his eyes, the way he carried himself with an air of absolute control. If anyone could outmaneuver my father and rescue Cooper, it would be him.

As the car pulled away from the warehouse, I forced myself to take a deep breath.Think, Allegra. How can you get to Steele?

Then it hit me. His office. I remembered Cooper pointing out the impressive high-rise in the heart of the city that Steele now ran his legitimate businesses out of. If I could get there, maybe I could convince him to help.

But first, I had to get away from my father’s men.

I studied my surroundings, trying to formulate a plan. We were heading towards the city center, the streets becoming busier as we approached more populated areas. If I was going to make a move, it had to be soon.

As we stopped at a red light, I made my decision. In one fluid motion, I unclipped my seatbelt, threw open the car door, and bolted.

“Hey!” I heard shouts behind me, but I didn’t look back. I ran as fast as I could, darting between startledpedestrians and weaving through alleyways. My lungs burned and my legs ached, but I pushed on, driven by the image of Cooper lying in a pool of his own blood.

After ten minutes, I finally slowed, gasping for air. I’d lost my pursuers, at least for now. But I couldn’t stop. I had to get to Steele.

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