J A K E

Looking more worn out than ever, Hunt began speaking as soon as he entered the compound. "The governments of Russia, Romania and Ukraine are still in shambles. But,"—he looked to Delphinium—"your killing Orion resulted in the deaths of the controlled leaders he put into place."

"They're weak." Jaxon trailed off. "What if someone like Orion tries to take advantage of that fact?"

"They won't. We have countless soldiers guarding the new government members. There will no longer be any room for an empire like Imperium to rise."

"And their agents all around the world?" Benton leaned forward. "What about them?"

Hunt gestured to Arezo, who sat quietly with her hands folded. "With her knowledge of Imperium's inner workings, we've caught three top war leaders already. They stand trial soon. More will fall as time goes on."

The room was silent before Hunt said softly, "It's not the same without him, is it?" I raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly what he was hinting towards. The director had always cared too much for us.

"No," Riley agreed, eyes on the floor. "Everything's different now."

Dark eyes flicking to the uncharacteristically silent boy next to him, the director began, "Arlo—"

"I'd rather not talk about it now," he said, too loud, too casual.

Hunt instantly leaned back. "Of course. You need time. We all do."

He stood. "Arezo." The soldier followed him to the doorway, going back to the ONNT headquarters for more interrogation. The director murmured a farewell to us all before leaving.

I listened as the sound of the car's engine started up and promptly disappeared. When I was sure he was long gone, I stood and prepared to leave myself.

I figured it was finally time to pay Hundsen that visit I promised.

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Standing in the shadows of dusk, I watched the entryway of Hundsen's new lair. He had employed several more guards to stand before the doors day and night. That meant he was getting nervous that I would stride into the place and take the Club from him any one of these days.

That day was today.

I let the shadows fall from my body as I marched forward. The guards barely had time to raise their guns before all six were frozen solid. It did expel a large amount of my power at once, but it hardly mattered. My time for fighting Hundsen was over. It was time to take back what was rightfully mine.

The place was exactly as I remembered it, with its ornate wooden carved walls, high ceilings, and long hallway that branched off into smaller rooms to either side. The members sat around the long table, some crowded around the back of the room. Hundsen sat at the end, his back to me. But as soon as I stepped into the room, all eyes were on me.

No one moved but Hundsen, who stood. "You're back."

I took a step forward. "You remember the promise I made before I left."

His eye narrowed, but he said nothing to me. Instead, he threw over his shoulder at the Club, "You remember what the bastard said. He's here to take you under his control. Will you stand for that kind of mockery? Or will you fight?"

Still, none of them dared say a word. Their eyes darted between the two of us, knowing this was not their battle. They were only caught in between.

When I took another step, Hundsen growled, "Give up, Emerson. You're a lunatic. You're unhinged. You're weak. That's why you will never be their king."

"I already am."

His face screwed up into a snarl, already turning red with rage. "They fight for me. They're under my reign."

To the others, he ordered, "Get rid of this piece of filth. Show him what we do to traitors."

No one moved. My lips began to pull upwards into a cruel leer.

"Do as I commanded!" He yelled, only growing angrier with their inaction. "Show him who your true leader is!"

"They are." One more step. I could see the white scars littering his face, the gleam of his bared teeth, the fabric of the patch over his eye. "In your ridiculous show of power during the fight, you gave up all the men loyal to you. Why do you think I agreed to it? Because I knew your rage would weaken you. Now, all that are left are the ones who see through your cowardly bullshit."

That was it. He lunged for me, trying to get a blow into my abdomen to stun me into submission.

But I knew it was coming. Ducking to the side, I moved from his path and shot out to wrap a hand around his throat. Shoving him backwards—taking every punch he threw into me like they were nothing—I slammed his head backward on the table.

Holding him down hard enough to make his face begin to turn purple, I formed a razor-sharp piece of ice in my free hand. Knowing what I was about to attempt, he began to thrash harder than ever.

It was no use.

I drove the icicle down into his remaining eye, so far that the base of it became as wide as his eye socket. Blood, melted ice and chunks of flesh flowed freely from the edges. Hundsen howled.

When I figured any more would kill him, I let go, letting him crumple to the floor in agony. Where his remaining eye had been was only a gaping hole of glistening black flesh. I relished in the sight of it.

I stood over his broken body. "Beg for your life."

At first, he was completely silent. It wasn't as I wanted. So I slashed through his arm, cutting it at the elbow. Just as he'd done to Jaxon. His scream was just as I'd imagined. No, better.

"Please," he said, "Please, Emerson, I-"

Even halfway to death, he mocked me with that name. I landed a sharp kick to his side. "That's not my name any longer. I was never who you thought I was."

"Evans, please." His severed forearm pooled blood around him. "Kill me. Stop this. Please."

"I said beg," I snarled, watching his arm and ruined face continue to drip. "Tell me you're nothing."

"I'm nothing," he dragged out, the pain making his voice hoarse. "I beg you to kill me. Please." Coward.

"Tell me the Club is mine."

"The Club is yours." He shuddered, as if even that admission gave him physical pain. "It's all yours. You can have it. You won it." He babbled on, trying to tell me what I wanted to hear. "Just stop this agony and kill me, I beg of you."

I stepped back. "No. I don't think I will."

Looking down at him as he shuddered again, rage and anguish mixing within his damaged body, I said, "I promised to do exactly as you did to me. And you couldn't kill me."

He gave another rage-filled howl. I silenced him with another kick. "Get up."

Hundsen did as I asked, clutching at the stump of his arm to staunch the blood flow. "Now run out those doors," I commanded. "Before I give you something to run from."

He did as I told him, unfortunately running straight out the doors and not blindly running into walls as I would have liked. The entirety of the Club watched him go.

Not saying another word, I turned and began to march up the stairs to see out the high-up window. Looking down, I saw the cop cars far down the street, surrounding Hundsen with guns out as he kneeled before them.

I had made a deal with the ONNT: I would hand over Hundsen to them and they wouldn't interfere with the Club as long as we kept our heads down. That would never happen, but I knew how to escape being caught.

I watched as the cops dragged Hundsen away, satisfaction burning through me. This was what I'd planned for years. And it was just as sweet as I dreamed.

Of course, I wasn't finished with him. I had taken everything from him, yes. But not his life. Not yet.

I would let him stew his agony and loss in prison for a few months, and then I would come back to finish him off when I figured he was finally broken enough. I would put an icicle through his black heart just as my dream had prophesied so long ago.

Slowly, I descended the stairs, as the Club watched my every movement. I reveled in the awe shining in their eyes.

"Well?" I asked the crowd, already knowing the answer. "Will you take me as your king?"

At once, they began chanting and hollering with joy and throwing their fists in the air like the bloodthirsty criminals they were. The sight was almost enough to make me smile. Almost.