The Wrong BattleAshton had a name. All he wanted was a face and a location. Elijah Voss. He was the fixer. The one who made people disappear for Marcel and clearly he was in charge of the dirty job. “It's only a matter of time before I find him. And when I do, he'll have a lot of talking to do." It was afternoon and Ashton had just arrived back at the company. Seeing Lily made him feel at ease. She was safe. She was protected and Celeste had stationed good men to guard him. They were slightly weak and he'd taken them down but still, it was worth something. As soon as he arrived, he could see that the car was still parked at the lot of the company. “Peter is still waiting," he whispered to himself.Ashton pushed through the revolving doors and stepped into the sleek, polished lobby. His secretary, Amanda, rushed toward him the moment he entered. She looked a little pale and anxious.“I told you to cancel all the morning meetings,” Ashton said, eyes narrowing as he noticed the

Amongst Us “I think Marcel is onto us,” Augustine muttered under his breath the moment they stepped out of the dining room.Veronica didn’t reply immediately. Her face was set, her lips parted slightly as though trying to process something unspeakable. She wiped her eyes and then sniffled. Ashton trailed behind, his fingers twitching at his sides, Marcel’s accusation was enough to make dinner feel like sand in his stomach. They had tried to look composed at dinner, pretending to be ignorant when Marcel spoke of a missing diamond. But all three of them knew the truth. Lily was the diamond. And Marcel’s lie had only confirmed their growing suspicion that he wasn’t just a liar, he was a monster.They reached the hallway leading to their respective rooms when a maid stepped closer. She glanced left and right as though the walls might grow eyes.“Master Ashton,” she whispered, “what really happened? I heard Master Marcel yelling, saying someone tampered with his property.”“When did y

The Brother I knew It was getting dark and Ashton was waiting at the entrance of the Green Estate. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he continued to glance at his wrist watch. “He's still not back, huh?" He mumbled restlessly and shoved his hands in his pocket. As if on cue, there was a sudden rumbling sound and the gate slid open. Ashton's eyes locked on the black SUV weaving its way up the curved drive. As it stopped and the door opened, Augustine stepped out and was visibly surprised to see his brother waiting."You went to see Frederick," Ashton said flatly before Augustine could greet him.Augustine's brows furrowed in disbelief. "What? You followed me?"Ashton scoffed. "Why would I have to follow you if you weren't such a sneaky bastard?"Augustine hissed. "I do not appreciate the tone of your voice. And what the fuck! Why are you keeping tabs on me?” Ashton stepped forward with a frown. "You shouldn't care about the tone of my voice. You should care that you went to see t

One More Confession The next day, Ashton was invited to Marcel's study early in the morning. The study smelled like cedarwood and tobacco. It was richly decorated and quiet, dimly lit by a long line of antique lamps. Marcel stood with his back to the window, arms clasped behind him as he looked out over the estate. Ashton entered silently, shutting the heavy oak door behind him.“You called for me, father,” he said with an even voice. Marcel didn’t turn. “Yes. Come in. Close the door.”Ashton stepped forward and shut the door behind him. His father’s silence wasn’t unusual, but today, it made him uncomfortable. Finally, Marcel turned. “You did well today.”Ashton blinked, slightly surprised. “Thank you.”“More than well,” Marcel said, now stepping closer. “You showed true concern for your father's properties and that's leadership, Ashton.” He paused. “It’s what this family needs.”Ashton tried to conceal the satisfaction he felt, but Marcel saw it anyway. “You may not have been

The Confession*How many men did you take out?” Ashton asked. Elijah scoffed, "I'm not telling you that." “Don't try me, I'm dead serious." Ashton knew the fight had drained out of the man. Still, the moment Elijah spoke again, it wasn't what Ashton expected."I can't give you an exact number," Elijah muttered.Ashton's brow creased. "What?""I said," Elijah repeated, raising his voice slightly, "I don’t remember how many people I've killed. I lost track years ago."Ashton stared. "How do you lose track of how many lives you've taken?"Elijah leaned back, letting his head fall against the wall. "Because it stops being about counting. When you do what I do long enough, you stop seeing faces. You stop hearing their names. It’s just another job. Another name. Another breath gone."Lancaster scoffed. "You're a damn sociopath.""No," Elijah said coolly. "I am efficient. I did what I was paid to do. I didn’t ask why. I didn’t pry, that’s what makes me valuable."Ashton shook his head. "Y