May 6, 2023

Syn

I took in Queen's shocked face and grimaced at the thought of what must've been running through her mind. I could lie and tell her this was purely coincidental and I was just in the neighborhood, but that would be a white lie. Granted I heard that she would be at dinner with Aiden's parents...and granted I happened to know where they lived, but I wasn't here to crash some date.

I heard that Drake was in New York a few days ago and knowing how persistent he was to speak to me by any means necessary, I took some precautions. Along with a tracker on the car on a few of his and his workers' cars, I had men following him at all times. He was too unpredictable and knowing the people I loved were in the city, I wasn't keen on leaving him out of my sight. As big of a ruse he put up, there was no way him being in New York was by chance.

When I saw that he was here and I knew Queen was in the same place, I decided to come...only to make sure nothing happened to her. That's all.

"What are you doing here?" She mouthed behind Drake.

I ignored her and looked at Drake who was grinning from ear to ear as he looked at me. "I suppose it would be fair to assume that the security is dead if you're in here...correct?"

"I have more decorum than that," I scoffed, taking a drink off the tray of a server passing by. "They're in the bushes out back. They'll wake up...eventually."

"Oh wow," he replied sarcastically. "The growth."

I took a sip of the sweet drink, inwardly cringing as I kept my face and composure collected. If I were to act on my instincts, I'd rip Drake's head off for being so close to what belonged to me, but this wasn't Hell. The humans in here would go bat shit crazy, not to mention Queen would say something to further piss me off.

I could just imagine it already...'You're so impulsive, Aiden would never do this'. Well, obviously the fuck not. From the bullshit I'd seen in the media, the man had the patience of a saint and the calmness of a dilapidated bull.

"I've been trying to reach you," he said.

"I'm aware," I muttered before turning back to him. "Let's take this outside, yeah?"

He snickered. "Do you think I'm stupid? I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm staying right here in front of all of these people and most importantly...your girl. You wouldn't lay a finger on me, not here, not right now."

I sighed, shoving my free hand into my pocket. "I'm flattered by the amount of faith you have in me, but I have no problem with killing everyone in here if it means you die with them," I said, "With that being said, you don't have much of a choice now, do you? Either you and I leave, or everyone here...including you dies right now."

He loosened his tie, looking around nervously and I laughed to myself inwardly. There was no way he thought this through. "Wait, what the fuck?" Queen cursed lowly as she stepped up to me. "No one is dying, okay?"

I kept my eyes on Drake and sighed. "That's not really up to me, Princess." I glanced down at her briefly. "But your concern for the people here is quite touching."

"Touching enough for you to leave?" She pleaded.

"Mmm." I thought. "Nope."

"Fuck me," she whispered under her breath as she turned away from me. My eyes floated down the thin material of her dress and I tapped my finger against the glass.

"Don't tempt me."

She shot me an annoyed look over her shoulder and I looked back at Drake who was looking a bit too confident given the circumstances. "I'm not positive you're in the position to be making such demands, Syn."

"Oh, enlighten me on how not."

"You're both here..." he said, taking the drink from my hand and downing it. "But are you sure the people you've left your son with are capable of protecting him against a legion of vampires?" The words slipping out of his mouth made me freeze and I could hear Queen's heart racing out of control. "See, as handsome as I may be, I have a brain. And you, Mr. SinClaire, are quite predictable when it comes to your family. You thought trackers would go unnoticed by me?"

Before I could react, Queen grabbed a steak knife from a cutting board nearby and stabbed him in the stomach. Drake hunched over with a low groan as she placed a hand on his shoulder and I looked around the room, making sure no one was watching.

She stepped closer to him, twisting the knife as Drake winced in pain. "I don't take kindly to threats against my children. I don't know who the fuck you are, but if my son is harmed in any way, shape, or form, I'll use every weapon in my arsenal to make sure that your bloodline ends with you. Got it?" She whispered into his ear.

"Instead of trying to kill me," he said in a hoarse voice. "I suggest you go to him. Who knows how much time you have left?"

Immediately turning around, I pushed through the crowd and rushed towards the front door. I stormed down the steps and headed to my car, my mind filled with every negative that could happen. I knew Saint more than likely could kill anyone that represented a threat to him, but he was a child. I didn't know the bounds or limits to his abilities and that was terrifying. My body shook with anger as I got into the car and started it. Almost immediately I started to pull out of the driveway, but before I could, I heard someone hit the hood of my car.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Open the door!" Queen yelled in front of me. I rolled my eyes, reaching over to the passenger to open it and she rushed inside. "Are you fucking insane?" She snapped as she closed the door. "Were you just going to leave me here?"

"Watch your fucking mouth," I warned her, looking behind me as I sped out of the driveway.

"Suck my ass, Syn," she replied as she tied her hair into a ponytail and moved to open my glovebox. I furrowed my brows, trying to glance at her as I rushed through traffic.

"What are you looking for?"

"A gun, a knife, freaking anything!"

"You're not going to find it in there," I muttered.

She stopped rummaging and I looked over at her as she lifted a string of packaged condoms. "I'm sure that's not the protection you're searching for," I said. When she gave me a disgusted look I raised a brow and looked at the road. "What? Safe sex is the best sex."

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes, closing the compartment. "Do you have anything?"

"In the back," I tilted my head. "Under the seat behind yours." She twisted in the seat, bending over between our seats as she searched for the gun. I fought hard to keep my eyes on the road and after a few seconds, she sat back down and loaded the two guns I had. "Why do you even need them, Queen? Use your magic, vampires will be faster than you can be with the guns."

"Well," she started, placing her heel on my dashboard and letting her dress fall to expose a knife attached to a band around her thigh. "Some of us don't kill people for sport on a daily basis," she said as she placed the smaller of the guns beside the knife. "I haven't done this shit in a long time, I'm not going to risk my powers being rusty, okay? The guns are a precaution."

"Did you wear that for him?" I glanced at the exposed lingerie under her dress.

She lowered it, cocking the gun in her hand as she rolled her eyes at me. "That is the last thing that should be on your mind right now." I stayed quiet, knowing she was right, and she sighed. "No," she answered. "I just needed the band for the knife and it happened to come with the set. I always carry some sort of protection when I go places where I know nobody. Hence, me wearing it today."

"Hmm." I nodded. "Good girl."

She let out a huff of laughter, sitting back as she shook her head. "Syn, get me to my son." She crossed her legs and her dress lifted, exposing her thigh once again. I glanced at her, biting my lip and within the same second, I felt the cool metal barrel of the gun on the side of my head. "Take your eyes off the road again and I'll blow your brains out on this freeway."

I ignored her threat, looking straight at her, and scoffed as she sucked in a breath. "Do it."

She rolled her eyes, lowering the gun before looking away from me. "You're annoying."

"I'm driving as fast as the car will let me, Queen. Me looking at you won't change how soon we get there," I said. She sighed, crossing her arms as she leaned her head on the window. Her eyes closed and I let out a deep breath, knowing how she was feeling. She picked at her fingers anxiously, bouncing her knee and I placed my hand over hers, making her look back at me. "I'm worried too, okay? But we're his parents. There isn't anyone in the universe that could hurt him so long as we're here. Trust me."

She sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "I wish it were that simple. I really do." She took a deep breath before looking at me again. "I can't lose another child, Syn."

My heart lurched at the reminder of what happened with Xavia and my jaw clenched as I focused on the road. "I know," I replied lowly. "I think about her all the time too."

"Really?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" I looked at her, my brows furrowed in irritation. "She was my daughter too."

"I know," she said softly. "You just never talk about her so I just assumed..."

"That you were the only one in pain?" I asked. She raised a shoulder, silently answering my question and I shook my head. "Speaking isn't my method of coping, Queen. It's yours. Just because I don't talk about it, doesn't mean that I'm hurting any less than you."

"See that's what I can't seem to understand about you," she sighed, removing her hand from mine. "I'm not a mind reader, Syn. How am I supposed to know that you're hurting if you don't tell me?"

"Why would I tell you?" I looked at her. She gave me a confused look and I shook my head, driving past the underpass leading to her house. "What good does it do either of us? I'm content with being the one to care for you when shit goes left, and you've been fine with letting me do just that. Why mess that up if it works for us?"

"Because who takes care of you?"

"Me. I take care of myself."

"No." She shook her head, turning to me. "I'm not sure you do."

I didn't reply to her, my chest squeezing with discomfort at how close to the truth she was. I took care of myself when I had time...but these days it felt like I was losing just that.

I pulled into the driveway, parking the car and jumping out before another word could be exchanged between the two of us. Queen left the car right after me and we both looked at one another as we saw the front door wide open.

I nodded at her, signaling for her to get ready and she blew a curl out of her face, nodding in response. "If we get out of here with Saint, we'll do something extra special for his birthday..okay?"

"When we get out of here."

꧁꧂

Author's Note
Omggg...if something happens to Saint 😓

Queen and Syn better mf get him‼️
Chaos aside, in this chapter there was a brief moment of conversation🥺...love that for them, but they better save Saint😤 What do you think is Drake's vendetta and what will happen next?

Lmk your thoughts ✨