Chapter 118 Stepping Stones
Briar's POV
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Lucian's name flashed across the screen and I answered immediately.
"Hey," I said, settling back against the pillows.
There was a pause on the other end, long enough that I sat up straighter. When Lucian finally spoke, his voice was tight with barely controlled tension. "Briar, I need you to stay calm. Neon Nights was vandalized tonight. The place is completely trashed and I'm heading back there now to assess the damage."
My heart lurched. "What? When did this happen? Was anyone hurt?"
Another pause, this one heavier than the first. I heard him take a breath and my stomach dropped.
"Lucian," I said slowly, gripping the phone tighter. "Where's Ash?"
The silence stretched between us like a physical thing. "He's at the hospital," Lucian said finally, his voice low and strained.
I was on my feet before I consciously decided to move, my hand already reaching for the jacket I'd thrown over the chair. "Ash is hurt. He's hurt, isn't he? What happened to him?"
"Briar, I need you to listen to me—"
"Which hospital?" I demanded, shoving my feet into sneakers without bothering to tie them. "Tell me which hospital, Lucian."
"You need to stay home. It's late and there's nothing you can do right now."
I grabbed my keys and headed for the door, my heart hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat. "If you don't tell me where he is right now, I swear to God I will call every hospital in Seattle until I find him."
"Briar—"
"Every single one, Lucian. Starting with the trauma centers and working my way down."
The line went quiet except for the sound of Lucian's breathing. When he spoke again, his voice was resigned. "I'm sending you the address. But Briar, you need to prepare yourself. He's in bad shape."
My phone buzzed with an incoming text. I pulled it away from my ear long enough to read the address and my knees nearly buckled when I saw the words "Intensive Care Unit" in Lucian's message.
The elevator doors opened and I stumbled inside, barely managing to stay upright as the car descended. This was my fault. Julian had done this because of me, because I'd chosen Lucian over him.
The lobby was empty when I rushed through it and I burst through the front doors into the cool night air, immediately scanning the street for a taxi. I'd barely made it three steps from the building when a hand closed around my wrist and yanked me backward.
I spun around, hand raised to strike, and found myself staring into Julian's bloodshot eyes. He looked terrible—worse than I'd ever seen him. His white shirt was wrinkled and stained, buttons undone, dark stubble shadowing his jaw, hair sticking up at odd angles. The sharp smell of whiskey rolled off him in waves.
"Let go of me," I said, trying to jerk my arm free.
His grip tightened and he pulled harder, throwing me off balance. My knees hit the concrete sidewalk with a crack that sent pain shooting up my legs. I gasped and tried to scramble away from him, but he followed me down, crouching so we were at eye level.
"You're in such a hurry to see him," Julian said, his words slightly slurred. "Can't even wait until morning. Just have to run to him right now, don't you?"
The whiskey fumes were overwhelming this close and I turned my head to the side, fighting the urge to gag. "Get away from me, Julian. I don't have time for this."
"You never have time for me anymore." He reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His pupils were dilated and unfocused, the gold of his wolf flickering in and out. "But you have plenty of time for him."
I slapped his hand away and pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the throbbing in my knees. "You're drunk. Go home and sleep it off."
"Answer my question first." He stood as well, swaying slightly. "Are you fucking him?"
"That's none of your business."
"You're mine, Briar. Mine."
I shoved at his chest but he didn't budge. "I was never yours, Julian. That contract you forced my father to sign doesn't make me your property."
"Then why did you let me touch you if you were just going to run to someone else?" His voice dropped to something ugly and raw.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides. "Was it you? Did you trash Neon Nights tonight? Did you hurt Ash?"
For a moment, his expression went blank. Then a slow, cruel smile spread across his face. "Yeah. It was me."
The admission hit me like a physical blow. I'd suspected, but hearing him say it out loud made it real in a way that twisted something vital in my chest. "Why? What did Ash ever do to you?"
"He's close to you." Julian leaned in until his lips were nearly touching my ear. "He matters to you. And I'm going to destroy everything and everyone you care about until you understand what it feels like to lose something that matters."
Something snapped inside me. I brought my hand up and slapped him across the face as hard as I could, the crack of palm against skin echoing in the empty street. His head snapped to the side.
"You're a coward," I said, my voice shaking with rage. "If you have a problem with me, then come after me. Leave everyone else out of it."
"But that wouldn't hurt you enough." He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "You don't care what happens to you. But watching the people you love suffer? That destroys you."
My breath was coming in short, angry gasps and before I could think better of it, the words tumbled out. "Fine. You want to hurt me? Then hurt me. I care about you, Julian. So if you really want to destroy something I care about, why don't you start with yourself?"
His eyes went wide and the gold in them solidified into something almost tender. He straightened slowly, his hand coming up to touch his bleeding lip. "You care about me."
I forced my expression into something cold and calculating. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm a businesswoman, Julian. Everything I do is calculated."
His expression flickered with confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"You really thought I chose you because I wanted you?" I let out a harsh laugh. "I chose you because you were offering me immediate capital with no strings attached. Or at least, that's what I thought at the time."
"Briar—"
"And Lucian? He's offering me something much more valuable. Technology, connections, long-term partnership. From a business perspective, it's obvious which option makes more sense."
Julian's face had gone pale beneath the stubble. "You're lying."
"Am I?" I raised an eyebrow. "I came to you when I needed money fast. I went to him when I needed sustainable growth. It's simple economics."
"Then why did you—" He stopped, swallowing hard.
"I've learned a lot about what men want over the years, Julian. It's not that hard to give them what they need to hear, what they need to feel. Especially when there's money on the line."
He stumbled backward until his shoulders hit the trunk of a nearby tree. "I don't believe you."
"Believe whatever you want." I straightened my jacket, trying to ignore the way my hands were shaking. "But here's the truth: my ambition will never allow me to be controlled by anyone. Not by you, not by Lucian, not by anyone."
"Stop." His voice was barely audible.
"You and Lucian," I said, delivering the final blow. "You're nothing but stepping stones to me."
Julian's legs seemed to give out and he slid down the tree trunk until he was sitting on the ground, his head tilted back against the bark. His eyes were unfocused and empty, staring at nothing. The gold had faded completely.
I watched him for a moment, making sure he'd bought the performance, then turned and walked away on shaking legs. My knees throbbed where I'd hit the pavement and I could feel bruises forming, but I forced myself to maintain a steady pace until I reached the next block.
I flagged down a taxi and gave the driver the hospital address. As we pulled away, I glanced in the side mirror—a shadow detached itself from a doorway half a block back. Someone had been watching.
It wasn't the first time. That day I'd smashed Julian's car windows, I'd felt eyes on me from the darkness. And now here they were again, a silent witness to everything.
I tightened my grip on my phone, making a mental note to track down my stalker once I'd dealt with Ash.