Page 60 of London Has Fallen

“I don’t think I have ever thanked you and Mom for giving me this extraordinary life.” I feel his gaze on the side of my head but I keep mine ahead. “I never knew what it felt like to be a part of something until Mom brought me back here. I found a home, people who cared for me and most of all, I found my family.”

“London—”

I push on needing to get this out or I never will. “That was all I needed. I never wanted for anything else until him. At first I wanted to ruin him and send him packing like all the rest, but he wasn’t like the others. He was sure and confident in who he was. He didn't bend to my will and run scared when he learned what my last name was.” I slowly turn to my dad and see I have his full attention. “He didn’t see me as Royal Murdoch’s daughter, he saw me as London, just London nothing more, nothing less. For the first time in my life I felt seen. I toyed with him and fucked with his head for a while and even stabbed his best friend.”

Dad’s brows raise. “London?—”

I wave him off. “The whore is fine, she’ll have a little scar to tell her friends about, but she’ll be fine.” He quirks a brow at me. “What?”

“You can’t stab people because you get jealous.”

I scoff. “Coming from the guy who threatens his guards for saying hi to his wife.”

He shrugs. “I don’t stab them though.”

“Mmhmm. You keep telling yourself that, old man.” He scowls at me and I smile, some of the tension between us eases.

“You liked him didn’t you?” he asks after a moment.

“I… I loved him, still do honestly, and I hate that I can’t stop it because it fucking hurts. Seeing Nos every day makes it harder and better at the same time.”

Dad nods as if he understands. “Chaos hated that.” I cringe, I didn’t even think about my uncle. “He knew we all saw Hav through him and for a while he allowed us to until we laid him to rest. Chaos forced us to see him and not his brother and that was the best thing he could have done because without Havoc by his side, we didn’t really know who Chaos was on his own.”

“Cronos is avoiding me.”

“Because he can’t be who you want him to be.” My brows draw in, Dad scoffs and rolls his eyes. “You see him as your bestie,” he tries to say in a voice meant to mimic mine.

“I don’t sound like that!”

“You really do.” I nudge him with my shoulder. “He doesn’t see you in a friendly way.”

“He does, he knows we’re besties and he can’t get rid of me.”

Dad looks serious suddenly. “London, you may view him that way but he doesn’t look at you like a friend should. Your bestie wants more than… friendship.” My face contorts in disgust.

“No, he knows?—”

“He knows his brother is dead and that you're grieving that loss but believe me, daughter, he is waiting in the wings for you to move on and he plans to swoop in.” I stare at him with my mouth open, my mind reeling, could that be true?

I shake my head. “I can’t think about any of that until the Greeks are dealt with. I want them gone and these fucking barbaric trials abolished.”

He nods. “I get that but we also need to talk about Blackwood.”

“I’m not going back!” I snap.

He sighs. “Well, you’re in luck because the families agree it’s better for the school and other students if my daughter doesn’t return.” I roll my lips over my teeth to keep from smiling. “Don’t look so fucking smug, you little shit.” Laughter burst out of me. Dad sits there smiling at me with love in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” My laughter dies out as I frown at him.

“For what?”

Sadness fills his blue eyes. “For not being there when you needed me. When I heard your scream through the phone when you crashed, I knew something was wrong and got on the first plane out. I know you have struggled with being adopted and wondering if I would come for you or wage a war in your name.” My breath hitches. “The answer to that question, London, is I would burn alive for you if it meant you got to survive. You may find a man that loves you but he will never love you like I do. You gave my life a purpose I never knew it needed. This thing with the Greeks will cost us lives on both sides but you have my word, daughter, that Costa Argyros will fucking die slowly.”

“I want to be the one to do it.” He looks at me intently for a second trying to gauge if I mean it or not.

“Can you handle that?”

“I loved Artemis, Dad, and he forced me to take his life. I want to drive a fucking knife through Costa’s heart and watch him die slowly as I cut off the finger he used to touch me.” His eyes darken. “I know you don’t want to hear it but he really did protect me, Dad. He was beaten and cut open by his own father for not killing me. He protected me even when I didn’t know he was doing it.”

“Jesus, he isn’t a fucking saint, you know, and that fucker was only a couple years younger than me! He’s also a whiny bitch and ungrateful as fuck?—”