Lethal Temptation (by Michelle Ray) novel Chapter 280

280 The Day of Reckoning

280 The Day of Reckoning

Lucian

The day of reckoning had come.

Glent

Despite not being the one stepping onto the battlefield, a knot twisted deep in my gut. I’d learned to trust that feeling. Something was off. I couldn’t afford overconfidence-not today. Arrogance was a luxury fools indulged in before getting themselves killed.

We were still in the suite, going over final preparations before moving out. I had called for a private strategy meeting-nothing left to chance. The television was already broadcasting live footage from the battleground, though the field remained empty. Just the wind and silence.

Darian reached for the remote and hit mute. The room quieted further as he sank into the couch across

from me.

“It’s finally here, big brother,” he said.

We both looked toward our father.

He sat still, arms relaxed, legs slightly apart, staring at nothing in particular. To anyone else, he looked serene. But I could see it-the way his fingers tapped the armrest, the subtle clench of his jaw.

“I’ve waited twenty-three years for this,” he said finally, his voice low. “And now that it’s here… I really don’t

know how to feel.”

I smiled faintly. “You’ll win. One-on-one, you have him. But don’t drop your guard. That bastard’s full of tricks. He’s not coming for a fair fight. He’s coming for blood.”

I paused, then switched to the mind link.

-From this moment on, all strategy talk stays in the link. This room might be bugged.

Three heads nodded in unison. No one questioned it.

I turned my attention to my father, then reached out to Denis and Rowan through the link.

-Time to lock in. Check security, fallback positions, and be ready for interference. I want eyes on every

possible angle Alaric could exploit. No assumptions.

The pressure in the room was heavy, but controlled. Focused.

This wasn’t just a fight.

It was the end of something that had ruled our lives for far too long.

“Call and confirm that the three hundred men are on standby,” I said, my tone sharp. “If Alaric decides to get clever, they move in-no hesitation. As for the rest of us, we stay visible. We observe the fight in plain

sight.”

280 The Day of Reckoning

I looked around the room, meeting every gaze.

“I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a wife to go home to. None of us are dying here today. And we damn

sure aren’t letting Alaric win.”

Everyone nodded, voices overlapping in agreement. A single rhythm. United.

Then I turned to my father. His eyes were calm, but I knew what simmered beneath. Twenty-three years of

rage. Of betrayal. Of grief.

“Father,” I said, stepping closer, “I need you to fight him with a clear mind. Don’t let anger drive you-it’ll cloud everything. You’re not doing this for revenge. You’re doing this for peace. For safety. For our family.

For the island.”

He was still, listening.

“I know you want revenge-we all do. But if you let that fuel you, it’ll blind you. My mother is proud of you. Wherever she is, I know it. You’ve done right by me. And Martha… she loves you with everything she’s got. If it were up to her, you wouldn’t even be out there.”

I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady.

“You don’t have anything left to prove, Father. Not to any of us.”

He nodded slowly, then stood. Darian and I moved in and wrapped our arms around him. It was instinctive. Natural. Strong men clinging to the one person none of us could afford to lose.

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