Page 58 of Allegiance

Here came the rage. It was the second step. There was mourning, rage, denial, and then someone handing this man his ass.

He hoped he’d get to see that.

“They set me up,” Dakota said. “They knew and sent me here.”

Yep.

The blame was flowing.

Only, Ethan warned him.

“They were doing what they could for you. If you throw them away, you’ll have absolutely nothing left. You won’t even have anyone who cares when you eat your gun, Dakota, because that’s what you plan on doing. That’s why you’re leaving them, so you don’t have to think about what they’ll feel. Coward.”

He stood.

“It’s not my plan.”

“Liar. I was the man you are. I know what the plans are, Dakota. If you can leave your family, and leave Elizabeth’s life, then ask yourself what that says about you—not them.”

It was done.

There was nothing more he could do to help this man. He’d given him the direction, and now, it was about how fast Dakota could come to the point where he put Eve over himself.

The baby over himself.

The family over himself.

When Ethan nodded, Saint and Raphael flanked him because it was time to go.

“You know the truth. Now, it’s going to depend on what you plan on doing with it. Remember, Dakota. You only get one chance to do this right. You get countless chances to do it wrong.”

He started walking away with one last sentence to the man he had very little faith in when it came to doing the right thing.

“Think about it, Dakota.”

Then, like he appeared, Ethan Blackhawk disappeared into the crowd that had been in the park, leaving Dakota behind.

Dakota just stood there.

He had two choices.

Go and knock on the door, or go home to fucking lose his mind.

And he made the predictable choice.

He started toward the townhouse to knock, but then the anger won. He turned to walk home. His family had done him dirty.

And he was not amused.

Not.

At.

All.

Chapter Four

Four Twenty-Five Chartres Street