Page 64 of Owned

Justice that I would be tasked with carrying out.

The slam of the front door of the mansion echoed in the darkness and I sneered in its direction before I set my hands on the handles of my motorcycle and pushed it into the garage.

“What the fuck was that about?” Valen’s voice pulled a startled breath from my lips.

He leaned against a workbench, but nothing about his posture was casual. He was tense.

We all were.

I ignored his question. “What did you find?” I asked instead.

He shrugged. “Dead ends. Something’s up, but no one’s talking.”

Not to you, brother.

“Is that what you’re going to tell father?”

His lips twitched. “He said I should report if I hear anything… interesting.”

“Then you’ll have nothing to say.”

“Same as you?” he asked, watching me with a calm that set my teeth on edge.

“Maybe.” I moved toward the workbench and glanced at the maps and notes scattered over its surface. Valen had marked the locations of potential conspirators, but there were more crossed out than circled. “He’s going toloveyour progress.” I dragged out my words and felt the vague flex of Valen’s magic—just once I wished he would fight me.

Justonce.

Valen’s eyes darkened, and he pushed away from the bench with a fluid motion. For a moment, I thought he might actually say something interesting, but he nodded toward the house. “Do you think he’ll want to see us tonight?”

I rolled my shoulders. “I don’t plan on being available for a few days.”

“What are you planning?”

I didn’t like his tone.

“Nothing that concerns you, brother,” I said. I gestured vaguely at his maps and then leaned over and feigned interest in the symbols he’d scribbled on the margins of the page. “It looks like you have enough to keep you busy—” Then something caught my eye. “Isn’t that—”

Valen reached past me and snatched the maps off the workbench. “Get the fuck out of here,” he snarled.

“Fine by me,” I said casually. I shoved my hands in my pockets and sauntered toward the open garage door. “See to my bike, will you? I think I’m out of gas—”

“Asshole,” Valen muttered.

I chuckled in response, but didn’t look back.

Valen was taking a strange approach to our father’s demands. Whatever he was looking for, it wasn’t going to work out well for him.

If things continued at this pace, Lucian would look to one of us for answers very soon.

If I wanted to stay ahead of my brothers, I’d have to be smart about how I played this—and careful that neither Titus nor Valen got their hands on my prize before I did.

I didn’t need them ruining my fun.

But something else nagged at my thoughts.

What was the council really planning?

Lucian’s purge had shredded their ranks until only the most loyal, and the most zealous, remained—but if they were looking for a way out…

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