Page 99 of Broken Crown

“Now, Captain!”Silas barks, his gruff tone snapping me out of my thoughts.He tightens his grip on the knife, a few droplets of blood seeping down Esme’s throat.

I hesitate for another moment as I search for a clear shot.But Silas knows exactly what he’s doing.Knows I won’t do anything that could bring any harm to Esme.

“Okay.”I hold up my hands in surrender, slowly bending down to place the gun onto the floor.

“Kick it over.”

I do as he requests, sending the gun skittering several feet away from him.If I can’t use it, neither of us can.

“Any other accessories I should know about?I’d get rid of them now because if I find them later, it won’t end well for your little princess here.”

I lift my shirt so he can see I’m not hiding any other weapons anywhere on my body.

“Good.”

He relaxes his grip on Esme, but still keeps the knife against her throat.Then he reaches into his back pocket and tosses a thick, black zip tie onto the floor in front of me.

“Put that on your wrists and kneel on the floor.”

I grab it, eyes not leaving Esme’s as I secure the plastic restraint to my wrists, using my teeth to tighten it.

Once I’m kneeling, he pushes Esme to her knees, as well.As much as I hate how roughly he’s handling her, at least he no longer has a knife to her throat.

And I’ll do everything in my power to keep it that way.

“This is about the video, isn’t it?”I ask.“The one that Warren Clark shot?That Jack Sloane discovered?”

Silas steps away from Esme, shoving his knife into the inside pocket of his suit jacket as he moves toward me, slowly clapping.

“Bravo, Captain.You figured it out.It just took you ten years longer than your brother.But we all can’t be the favorite.Can we?”

“What’s on that video?What are you willing to kill people over?”I sneer, stomach churning.

“I was simply doing my job and protecting the monarchy.”

“My uncle didn’t die in an avalanche,” Esme interjects frantically.“He was murdered.They all were.And that video proves it.”She glances at Kane’s body.“Proves he did it, along with Henry Gates.And Silas paid them to do it.”She shoots daggers at him.“When he learned Warren Clark caught it all on video and that his son found it, he had Jack killed, but not before learning he’d made a copy.”

“So that’s what this is all about?Proof that you conspired to assassinate an entire branch of the royal family?”

“That’s not even the worse part,” Esme continues.“He did so under a direct order from my grandfather.”

I blink repeatedly, her words like a punch to the gut.“Your...grandfather?”

“I’m sure you can see why I can’t allow something like that to get out,” Silas interrupts with a smirk.“So…” He stalks toward Esme.“Where is it?”

“Like I’ve already said,” she retorts, discreetly scooting back against the wall.A hint of pride fills me when I notice her rub her restraint against the hard corner of the doorjamb, taking care not to draw too much attention to what she’s doing.“I have absolutely no intention of telling you.And without me, you’ll never find it.”

“Thatiswhat you said.”He strolls away from her, stopping in front of Kane’s gun and picking it up, despite the blood on the handle.“But perhaps you haven’t been sufficiently motivated.”

He rushes toward me, pressing the barrel of the gun against my temple.

Adrenaline skyrockets through me, my heart pounding a thunderous rhythm.It doesn’t matter how many dangerous situations you’ve been in.Having a gun pressed against your head will always send fear spiraling through you.

“What’s it going to be, princess?You give me what I need and you don’t have to watch me blow a hole through your boyfriend’s head.”

Her eyes wide with terror, she parts her lips, uncertainty flickering in her expression.

“Don’t do it, Esme,” I implore, wordlessly encouraging her to keep trying to weaken her restraints enough to break free.“As long as you keep it to yourself, you’re valuable to him.”

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