Chapter 59 Goose
They were halfway back to the estate when Reese's phone rang and her expression went grim as she listened.
"When? How many? Understood," she ended the call. "There's been another attack on the estate."
"Adrian isn't there," Elara said immediately.
"They don't know that," Reese said. "Apparently they breached during the hearing thinking everyone would be at the council building."
"How bad?" Kai asked.
"Two guards injured, multiple intruders still on property," Reese said. "Local authorities are responding."
They arrived to find police and pack security engaged in what looked like a small war, gunfire echoing from the northern section of the grounds.
"Stay in the vehicle," Reese ordered and got out with a rifle.
Through the windows Elara watched Reese move with military precision toward the fighting, and within minutes the gunfire stopped.
Reese returned looking satisfied. "Three intruders dead, two captured, no critical injuries to our people."
"Who were they?" Kai asked.
"Checking IDs now," Reese said. "But preliminary assessment suggests they're the remaining assassins from Darius's list."
"Both of them?" Elara asked.
"All five of them," Reese corrected. "Turns out I was wrong about neutralizing three, they just went underground and coordinated with the other two."
"So all five attacked at once," Kai said.
"They thought you'd be exposed at the hearing," Reese said. "When that didn't work they hit the estate hoping to find Adrian."
"What happens to the two who survived?" Elara asked.
"Federal custody," Reese said. "They'll be charged with attempted murder and terrorism."
Police cleared the scene and medical teams treated the injured guards while Elara stood in the driveway feeling emotionally exhausted.
"Is it over?" she asked Kai. "Are there more people trying to kill us?"
"I don't know," Kai admitted. "Reese?"
"The active contracts are fulfilled or cancelled," Reese said. "Whether Darius can activate more from prison remains to be seen."
"I want him completely isolated," Kai said. "No communication with anyone except his lawyer under monitored conditions."
"Already working on it," Reese said. "Federal authorities are implementing full communications blackout starting tomorrow."
"And the territories?" Elara asked. "When do I take possession?"
"Formal transfer happens in thirty days," Kai said. "But you can start planning development immediately."
"Development," Elara repeated. "I don't know anything about managing territories."
"Then you learn," Kai said. "Or you hire people who know."
"With what money?" Elara asked.
"The territories generate revenue," Kai said. "Timber rights, mineral rights, agricultural leases, once they're formally yours you'll have income."
"Assuming Derek doesn't sabotage everything," Elara said.
"He won't," Kai said with certainty. "Because he knows if he tries anything I'll destroy him."
They went inside where Elara immediately called Maya to check on Adrian.
"He's fine," Maya said. "Completely unaware of everything that happened today, he built a fort out of couch cushions and declared himself king."
"Can I talk to him?" Elara asked.
"He's sleeping," Maya said. "But I'll have him call you when he wakes up."
Elara felt tears building because she'd won her bloodline claim and survived another assassination attempt but her son was still hundreds of miles away being protected by someone else.
"When can he come home?" she asked Kai.
"When it's safe," Kai said. "Which hopefully is soon."
"Define soon," Elara said.
"After Darius's trial," Kai said. "After we're sure there are no more active threats."
"His trial could take months," Elara said.
"Then we visit Adrian regularly," Kai said. "And we make sure he knows we're fighting for his future."
"I want my son back," Elara said.
"So do I," Kai said quietly. "But I want him alive more."
Elara knew he was right but that didn't make the ache of separation any less painful.
That night she lay in bed staring at the ceiling and trying to feel victorious about reclaiming Whitmore territories.
Instead she just felt tired and lonely and desperate for her child.
Her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number: "Congratulations on your victory. Now the real game begins."
She stared at it wondering who was messaging her now and what new threat was emerging.
Before she could respond, another text came: "Check your email. Someone wants to make you an offer you can't refuse."
Elara opened her email to find a message from a legal firm she didn't recognize offering to purchase her newly claimed territories for ten million dollars.
"They're trying to buy me out already," she told Kai who'd appeared in her doorway.
"Who is?" he asked.
"I don't know," she showed him the email. "But ten million is a lot of money."
"It's also a trap," Kai said. "Once you sell, you lose all legal claim to Whitmore lands forever."
"Maybe that's not a bad thing," Elara said. "Ten million would set up Adrian for life."
"Territories worth ten million now will be worth fifty million in twenty years," Kai said. "This is generational wealth, don't throw it away for quick cash."
"I'm not throwing anything away," Elara said. "I'm considering options."
"Consider this," Kai said. "Whoever's offering ten million wants those territories badly enough to pay premium price immediately, which means they're worth more than they're offering."
"Or they're just being generous," Elara said.
"Nobody in pack politics is generous without ulterior motives," Kai said.
He was probably right but Elara was too exhausted to think about ulterior motives and hidden agendas.
"I'll decide tomorrow," she said.
"Don't decide anything without sleeping on it first," Kai said.
He left and Elara closed her eyes but sleep wouldn't come, her mind spinning through everything that had happened and everything still to come.
Somewhere out there new threats were forming and new enemies were plotting.
But tonight she'd won a victory for her family's legacy and that had to be enough.