Charlotte had seen enough.
She was sick of watching this never-ending human greed. Tugging her father's sleeve, she said, "I know what I have to do."
The Dream Lord waved his hand, and they returned into the kitchen of her grandmother's farmhouse. He stroked his daughter's hair lovingly. "As much as I want our little family to be together again, now is not the time."
Charlotte nodded. "I understand. But for you, a human lifespan must feel like the blink of an eye."
"You could say that. I'll be waiting, Princess."
Charlotte hugged her father tight. "I love you, Dad. I have to go now."
He saw her in the very spot where they'd first met. Only Daniel wasn't in his car, and she wasn't riding her bike. She appeared to be waiting for someone. Daniel broke into a run.
"Charlotte!" He grabbed her in his arms and held her until she protested from lack of air. "I've missed you." He released her and scanned their surroundings. "Am I dreaming?"
"Yes, you are."
The words made him uneasy. What did this mean? Had her soul departed from her corporeal body? No. It couldn't be. "This isn't a goodbye, is it? Please tell me. It's not supposed to end this way. I'm doing everything I can to get you better."
"I know. I thought you might need a little help."
"Oh?"
Charlotte smiled prettily. "I want to show you something, Daniel." She went upon tiptoes and kissed him on the lips.
The world around him melted into a kaleidoscope of color and turned into something else …
Daniel woke up with a start.
His first instinct was to check on Charlotte. He stared blankly at the frail body of the woman he loved as he gathered his thoughts.
What just happened? He must have dozed off. Then he dreamed about Charlotte. It felt so real.
"Babe," Daniel called her hoarsely. "That wasn't a goodbye, was it?"
In his dream, Charlotte had shown him who was responsible for her accident. His suspicion was confirmed. It was Jeremy all along. He'd paid some thugs to make it look like an accident. One thing Jeremy didn't anticipate was that Charlotte would survive the attempt on her life.
One way or another, Jeremy would pay. Their agreement was off.
Daniel grabbed his phone and called Liam Ruska. He briefly explained the situation and ordered him to find out Jeremy's whereabouts. Twenty-minutes later, Ruska reported that Jeremy was still in New York, but he heard rumor that Jeremy was planning to take a yacht to the Bahamas for an extended vacation. Daniel called his chief of staff to prepare his jet for a flight to New York. He planned to confront Jeremy and punish him in person.
What his stepbrother had done to Charlotte was unforgiveable.
Anika flounced in just as Daniel was about to leave the hospital room.
"I have something to tell you. It's very important, and it can't wait. This wasn't an easy decision for me," she explained.
"What is it?"
Anika gave him a folder.
Daniel sat back on the chair and read the documents carefully. He furrowed his brows as he scrutinized the contents. He didn't utter a word after he'd finished it. He stared at his stepsister accusingly.
Anika went fidgety.
The documents he'd just read were the results of Anika and Jeremy's paternity test. It stated that Anika shared the same genetic material from his father and stepmother. Jeremy didn't. It could only mean one thing: his stepmother was carrying another man's child when she married his father. Jeremy didn't have a drop of Addington blood.
"When did you find out about this?" asked Daniel coldly.
Anika didn't answer immediately. "Eight months ago. It was my insurance agent who discovered it. I was due to renew the policy, and it was an added clause about organ donors that led me to find out that Jeremy has a different father."
Daniel's father had type O blood. His stepmother had type B blood. Jeremy had AB negative.
Coincidentally, Jeremy had the same blood type as Charlotte.
"Why did you bring this up just now?"
"I thought Jeremy could save Charlotte's life." Anika hesitated for a second. "Also, I beg you to spare his life. And my mother's."
"Your mother is an adulterer. She knew very well what she was doing when she married into the pride."
Anika dropped on her knees. "Have mercy, Alpha. I hope you weigh this revelation as my token of loyalty. I wouldn't dream of betraying you. I held on to this evidence for my amusement. You know … to see how things played out."
"That's so very ‘you'. Stand up."
His sister scrambled up from the floor. Her face was pale.
Daniel folded the report neatly and stowed it inside his suit jacket.
"Where are you going?" asked Anika.
"To deal with Jeremy. Do you know he paid someone to stage Charlotte's accident?"
"He mentioned it jokingly a few days ago. I didn't think he was serious. When I learned about the accident, I was surprised that he'd gone through with it. I wanted to tell you, but I had no concrete evidence. That's why I brought you that report."
Daniel grabbed his attaché case and his coat. "Watch over Charlotte until I return. Show your true loyalty to me. Those who are loyal will be greatly rewarded. Those who aren't," Daniel sneered, "will be crushed beneath my feet-including your mother. Not even my father can protect her now."
His stepsister tried to put on a brave front, but he could see that she was silently shivering.
Forty-five minutes before dawn, Daniel and his entourage arrived at the marina in Riverside Park. Since he'd issued an order to detain Jeremy and anyone from his old pride, his whole Netherworlder network had been on high alert as they tracked and captured people associated with his stepbrother.
Jeremy himself had been intercepted as he was about to set sail on the family's luxury yacht. He and the crewmembers were put on hold; they couldn't sail or step onto dry land without Daniel's permission. Daniel's private line had been ringing off the hook since he left Seattle, flooded by Jeremy's calls. He didn't answer it. He intended to deliver the message in person-face to face.
The dock where the yacht was moored had been secured by Daniel's men. The security cameras were turned off, and all human personnel had been sent home. What would happen this morning was a private affair for the Manhattan lions.
Ruska signaled his men to fetch Jeremy from the yacht. Daniel's stepbrother strode into the boathouse twenty minutes later, looking harangued. His usual crisp suit was wrinkled, and his hair tousled.
"What's the meaning of this?" Jeremy demanded of Daniel. "What the hell is going on?"
Daniel stared at him coldly. "Going somewhere?"
"I was going to if Ruska's goons hadn't ruined my fun." Jeremy cast a dark stare at the lawyer. "Mind telling me what this is all about?"
"Where do you plan to go?"
"The Bahamas is nice at this time of the year. I want to party and celebrate my good fortune," Jeremy sneered back. "Did you order Ruska to do this? Don't tell me, you've changed your mind. You want to take back what you've given to me."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "Our agreement was that I gave you everything you wanted as long as you weren't involved in Charlotte's accident."
"I wasn't!"
"You're the one who ordered it."
Jeremy laughed dryly. "Can you believe this guy?" he said to everyone present. "My own brother accusing me of running over his fiancée. I would never do such a heinous thing."
"Of course not. You just paid someone to do your dirty work."
"That's ridiculous. What proof do you have?"
Daniel fisted his hands. The urge to shift was unbearable. "John Bettuci. Raymond Vargas." He stepped closer. "Antoine Fielding? Oh yes, I know all about it. It's only a matter of time before I make all of them talk."
Jeremy started to sweat. "Look, this is all a big misunderstanding. I'd never-"
"Ten thousand dollars."
Jeremy blinked. "What?"
"That was how much Vargas paid Bettuci to run over my woman. Ten. Thousand. Fucking dollars!" Daniel grabbed Jeremy by his lapels and hurled him off across the boathouse.
Jeremy crashed on a stack of boxes.
Daniel began to change. Fury had overcome his senses as he gave way to his inner beast and fully shifted into his lion form. He closed the distance between them in several leaps and swung his sharp claws at Jeremy's midsection. His jacket suit was torn and his skin began to bleed.
Jeremy growled and shifted too, trying to defend himself, but Daniel was far more aggressive and consumed by rage. He bit, clawed and thrashed the lion Jeremy until Jeremy was battered and bloody.
"Alpha, please don't, I'm sorry … " Jeremy pleaded in mindspeak.
Daniel ripped Jeremy's ear with his claw.
"Alpha, forgive me. We're brothers!"
Daniel froze just when he was about to deliver a final blow. He quickly regained his composure. Halfheartedly, he let Jeremy go. He brandished his tail and shifted back into his human form.