THE BASTARD THEY FEARED

CHAPTER 5: THE KEY

Kael’s POV

The call ended, and rain continued crashing around us beneath the train bridge, but it seemed like I couldn’t hear any of it as Lucien’s final words echoed through my skull over and over again.

Did your mother ever mention the key? I slowly lowered the phone, and Raven was already watching me carefully. “What did he say?” My throat felt strangely tight. “He asked about a key.” For the first time since meeting her, Raven’s expression actually shifted into real shock. “What kind of key?” “I don’t know.” “That’s impossible," I snapped. “Well, welcome to my night because apparently everything is impossible!”

My voice echoed beneath the bridge as I dragged both hands through my wet hair, trying to breathe through the chaos destroying my mind.

This couldn’t be real; there was no way any of this could be real. Yesterday I was worried about hospital bills and Selena cheating on me. Now armed killers were hunting me because of some underground empire connected to a father I never knew existed. It felt insane, like I’d fallen into someone else’s life.

Raven stepped closer slightly. “Think carefully. Did your mother ever give you anything unusual?” “No.” “A necklace? A code or a safe deposit box.” “No.” Her jaw tightened. “That key matters.” “How do you know?” She looked away briefly. “That’s what people have been killing each other over.” Cold fear slid through me again, and I stared at her. “What exactly did Alessandro leave behind?” “No one knows.”

Rainwater dripped from the edge of the bridge while distant sirens echoed across Blackthorn City. Raven crossed her arms. “All we know is this: before Alessandro died, he changed his will.” My pulse slowed slightly. “And?” “He removed several people from succession.” Something dark flickered across her face. “People who are now very angry.”

I thought about Lucien’s calm, controlled, and terrifying voice and thought that he didn’t sound angry. He sounded patient, like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and a dangerous realization hit me. “If Alessandro really was my father," I swallowed hard. “Why didn’t he ever come for me?”

Raven studied me silently and answered in the coldest possible way. “Maybe he didn’t want you.” That shouldn’t have hurt, but it did because deep down, some pathetic part of me had already started wondering why my mother hid me, why a man powerful enough to control an entire city never once appeared in my life. No birthdays or visits, just silence. My chest tightened painfully, and Raven must’ve noticed because her expression shifted slightly, less sharp.

“Or maybe,” she said quietly, “he was protecting you.” I laughed bitterly. “Great job.” Before she could answer, headlights suddenly flashed beneath the bridge, and both of us froze as a black sedan rolled slowly toward us. Raven instantly pulled her gun, and my pulse exploded again. The car stopped ten feet away, and the windows were tinted too dark to see inside.

For several seconds, nobody moved before the driver’s door opened and an older man stepped out calmly holding an umbrella. He wore a grey suit and an expensive watch and had silver hair. He looked more like a politician than a criminal, but the way Raven immediately aimed at his head told me otherwise.

“Easy,” the man said smoothly.

Raven’s voice turned ice cold. “You shouldn’t be here, Marcus.” So they knew each other; great, another secret. Marcus looked at me carefully like he was inspecting something valuable and smiled. That was when I understood why rich, powerful men terrified people: his smile contained absolutely no warmth.

“So,” he murmured. “The rumors are true.” I stepped backward instinctively. “Who are you?”

“Marcus Vale.” He inclined his head slightly. “Your father’s lawyer.” My stomach twisted violently. Lawyer? This was getting worse by the second, and Raven didn’t lower her weapon. “You led them here?” Marcus looked offended. “If I had, you would already be dead.” He turned back toward me.

“Mr. Varez, you need to come with me immediately.” Mr. Varez? Not Kael? The name hit strangely, like my old identity was already disappearing. “I’m not going anywhere,” I said. Marcus sighed tiredly. “You truly are his son.”

Raven moved slightly in front of me. “He’s not leaving with you.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “And since when are assassins giving protective services?” My head snapped toward Raven. Assassin? She glared at Marcus. “Careful.” “No,” I interrupted sharply. “Actually, explain that part.” There was dead silence, and Raven looked deeply annoyed now.

Marcus chuckled softly. “You haven’t told him?” “Told me what?” Raven muttered something under her breath before finally meeting my gaze. “I was hired to kill you.” The world went still, and for a second, I genuinely thought I misheard her. “What?” “It was a contract.” My stomach dropped. A contract? Like my life was just another job. “You.” “I didn’t take it personally.” I stared at her in disbelief.

“You pointed a gun at me because you were literally trying to murder me!” Her expression remained irritatingly calm. “And yet you’re alive.” “That doesn’t make me feel better!”

Marcus watched the argument with visible amusement, and I suddenly felt sick. Everyone around me lied, manipulated, and killed, and apparently my survival depended on trusting a woman who originally planned to put a bullet in my head.

Fantastic! Raven crossed her arms and said, “I changed my mind.” “Why?” She hesitated slightly and couldn't answer. “That’s the interesting part,” Marcus answered for her.

Raven shot him a dangerous glare, but it was too late because now I was suspicious as hell. “What does that mean?” Marcus slowly approached me. “Alessandro believed blood mattered.” Lightning flashed overhead. “He believed heirs should be tested under pressure.” I frowned. “Tested?”

Marcus nodded calmly. “Your father knew many people would try to kill you after his death.” “No.” “He planned this.” The words hit like a punch to the ribs. My father? No, Alessandro?  Actually expected this? Expected me to be hunted?

Marcus reached into his coat and removed a black envelope as rain tapped softly against it. “He left instructions.” I stared at the envelope without touching it. “What instructions?” Marcus extended it toward me. “To decide whether you are worthy.” Sharp and violent anger shifted inside me then. “My mother almost died tonight.” “Several people already have.” I stepped closer. “And he planned that?”

“No.” Marcus’s expression didn't change, but his voice hardened slightly. “But Alessandro Varez understood one rule better than anyone in this city.” Thunder exploded overhead before Marcus said quietly, “Power only belongs to those strong enough to survive it.”

Silence swallowed the bridge as I looked down at the envelope again and my hands slowly curled into fists. All my life I thought being poor was the worst thing that could happen to someone, but turned out I was wrong. Being connected to power was much worse because power turned human lives into games and somehow I had become one of the pieces.

Marcus held the envelope out farther. “You need to open it.” I grabbed it slowly, and the paper felt heavier than it should. Inside was a single black card with no name or numbers, just a silver wolf symbol engraved into the center.

Raven went completely still beside me, and Marcus watched my reaction carefully. “What is this?” Neither of them answered immediately, and that silence made fear creep through me again. Finally, Raven spoke quietly. “That card doesn’t exist.” I looked at her. “What does that mean?”

Marcus smiled faintly. “It means your father just declared war from the grave.” Before I could demand another explanation, gunshots exploded nearby, and all three of us reacted instantly.

Marcus cursed sharply. “They found us.” Raven grabbed my arm. “Move!” Black SUVs stormed beneath the bridge from both directions, and men poured out holding assault rifles. There were way too many.

One of them shouted,

“TAKE THE HEIR ALIVE!”

My pulse slammed violently against my ribs as a familiar, cold, calm, and terrifying voice echoed from one of the SUVs.

“Bring my brother to me.”