Page 37 of The Villain
“I’m done here. Get Allegra. Let’s go.”
Enzo nods and heads back down the hall. Michael hisses something at Malek and the two of them follow me. I wait at the bottom of the stairs as Allegra appearswith a backpack over one shoulder and a duffel over the other. She stops when the little boy, Malek’s son, tugs at her hand.
She sets her bags on the floor and crouches down so she’s at eye level with him. “I’ll be back soon,” she tells him then hugs him tight. Amal, Malek’s daughter, takes his hand when Allegra stands and gathers her bags. Amal is shooting daggers at me with her eyes, but I notice she looks at her father in the same way.
Allegra descends the stairs. She’s wearing combat boots. Appropriate and very different to the little ballet slippers. Once she gets downstairs, I take the duffel and hand it to the soldier. When I reach for the backpack, she stops me.
“I’m fine.”
I take it anyway and raise my eyebrow at the weight of it. “Bricks?”
“Books. If they’re too heavy for you, I can carry them,” she says with a smirk.
“Books better be all I find in here,” I say low enough so only she can hear. “Take this,” I hand the backpack to another soldier. She is irritated, but lets it go. She has to know I’m going to search what she packed. I wrap a hand around the back of her neck and take a step toward the door.
“Cassian,” Malek says. “Be reasonable. The world has changed.”
I stop, turn to face him.
“I am reasonable, Malek. Giving you a week is reasonable.” I look to Michael. “One fucking week.”
“Or what?” Michael asks, tone taunting. I ignore itand keep walking. “You’ll do to my sister what you did to your brother? Reaper?”
Allegra must feel me stiffen at her side. Or maybe she feels the tightening of my hand around the back of her neck.
“We all know, Cassian. We all know what you did,” Michael calls out.
I know I should keep walking. I know he’s baiting me. I know. And yet, I bite.
I’m aware everyone thinks I had something to do with Seth’s disappearance. He’s assumed dead. It’s why they call me Reaper. It’s why I hate the name.
I release Allegra and turn to face Michael.
He grins. He knows he’s hit his mark.
“Take Allegra to the house,” I hand Allegra off to the nearest soldier while keeping my eyes on Michael. “Enzo, you’re with me.”
“What?” Allegra asks as the man walks her out. “Wait!”
Michael’s grin falters when I take a step toward him. He must finally see what he’s unleashed. But it’s the look on his face when I wrap my hand around his throat and slam him against the wall that’s priceless.
“Cassian stop!” Allegra cries out, sounding farther away.
“You want me to break your other arm or just go ahead and snap your neck?” I ask him, noticing in my periphery Malek’s subtle gesture for the soldier who takes a step toward us to stand down.
“Stop! Let me go!” Allegra calls before a car door is slammed shut and I hear the SUV drive her away.
I squeeze, watching Michael’s face redden, his eyes bulge as he claws at my forearm with his one good hand.
“You aren’t your father, Mikey,” I say, leaning in close. Only when his arm falls away and his body begins to sag do I release him. I toss him aside and watch him land on all fours, choking, gasping for air. Malek simply steps backward, watching too.
I shove Micheal’s side with my foot, so he falls over. He looks up at me.
“Tread very lightly going forward or the next time, I won’t stop.”
A cry comes from the top of the stairs, and I turn to find Amal watching, holding her little brother who is crying in her arms now.
“Amal! Get him out of here for Christ’s sake!” Malek barks at his daughter.
