Page 68 of Draco's Defiance
“Draco!” It was Balthazar who came running from the other end of the hallway. “There you are! Monroe’s here and he’s got countless armed thugs with him.”
“Of course, he has.” Draco spat out the words through gritted teeth. “Where are the others?”
“I’m here.” Cole jogged behind Balthazar. “I was speaking to the guy in security when he was cut off by gunfire.”
“What happened to him?” Balthazar’s gloomy tone suggested he already knew the answer.
“The line went dead.” Cole pressed his lips together. “We have to assume the worst.”
“Shit!” Draco’s free hand balled into a fist. “We should have seen this coming. A turd like Monroe was never going to come alone. He’s a bloody coward.”
“It’s too late now.” Sebastian emerged behind him, peering out of the nearest window. “It looks like there’s a lot of them.”
“How many?” Draco snarled.
“It’s difficult to tell in the dark.” Sebastian’s brows knitted. “But at least five. Maybe more.”
“What do we do?” What was that in his eldest brother’s voice? Panic? If not, then it was the nearest Draco had ever heard from Balthazar.
“If they have guns, we’re fucked.” Sebastian kicked out at the paintwork. “We don’t have weapons like that.”
“For good reason,” Balthazar muttered.
“Then, we’re fucked,” Cole added. “I definitely heard gunshots.”
As though the attackers wanted to prove the point, a fresh round of bullets was fired from someone too close for comfort.
“I’d come away from the window, Seb.” Balthazar urged. “Just in case.”
“The solution’s obvious, isn’t it?” Draco’s gaze slid from Sebastian, to Balthazar and then Cole.
“Well, if it is, then tell us!” Sebastian flung his hands in the air as he backed away from the window. “We’re all fucking ears, Draco.”
“We lock this place up and take the fight out there.” Draco motioned to where Sebastian had been standing.
“How do we win, Draco?” Balthazar shook his head. “Even we can’t outrun bullets.”
“Isn’t it clear?” Draco couldn’t believe how stupid his brothers could be at times. For three guys with multiple skills and the best education their father’s money could buy, they could be dense. “We shift.” He laughed, imagining the impending carnage. “Take the throats out of the gun-wielding bastards and tear Monroe to pieces.”
“Shift?” Cole stepped toward him. “We can’t, Draco. Someone might see us.”
“See us?” Draco was baffled by their apparent reluctance. “Who’s going to see us? Those jerks are on our property. The only other people here are our staff and it sounds as though most of them are dead!”
He waited in silence as his three brothers absorbed his words.
“But what if they’re not?” Sebastian glanced back to the window. “How do we explain dragons?”
“And that’s what you’re worried about?” Draco couldn’t help his sardonic tone. “We’re about to be shot dead in our own home and you’re concerned about explaining the fallout to any staff who might happen to survive?”
“When you put it like that it sounds daft...” Cole frowned.
“Because it is.” Draco was starting to get a headache. “We should be out there, putting the unrest to bed before it spills in here and affects the women.” His heart rate accelerated at the thought of anything happening to Moira. He’d never forgive himself.
“Draco’s right.” Sebastian sounded resolved. “We shift, and damn the consequences.”
“Thank you.” Draco nodded at Sebastian. “Finally, some sense.”
“You might be right.” Balthazar blew out a breath. “But I just keep thinking about what Dad would say.”