Chapter 29
The second Raven said it, the already hushed scene got downright silent.
Pretty much everyone swung their eyes to where she was looking.
Now they were starting to buy whatever Raven said.
Still, it stunned them for a bit–Vyrdenia’s top military guy was just hanging out there, watching them.
With all those eyes on it, an older man–straight–backed despite his age–strolled out from behind the tree.
The instant Rex recognized him, his eyes widened just a bit.
A quiet “damn” slipped out before he could catch it.
Then he pulled himself together, all respect. “Sir.”
But the old man walking over didn’t even spare Rex a glance–he just grinned at Raven and started talking.
“Well, kid,” he said, all warm and easy, “your instincts are still spot–on. Thought I was sneaky, but you sniffed me out anyway.”
Everyone went still at Lorne’s words.
That tone? It wasn’t Vyrdenia’s military bigwig talking to some underling.
It was straight–up an old guy chatting with his favorite kid–just pure fondness.
Raven cracked a small smile.
“Didn’t take you for a peeping Tom,” she said, smooth and unfazed.
Rex’s jaw practically dropped.
Raven just called a general a “peeping Tom“? She’d lost her mind.
But right when he thought Lorne would scowl and rip into her for the disrespect, the old man just coughed, brushing off her cheeky remark like it was
nothing.
Then he turned his head toward Rex.
Rex snapped out of his shock over Raven’s word choice the moment Lorne’s eyes hit him.
He stood tall, gave a sharp salute, and boomed out a greeting.
“General Drakon!” he said, full of energy.
Lorne nodded slightly.
But that friendly vibe he’d had with Raven? Gone when he looked at Rex.
His eyes were cool, his voice carrying a hint of annoyance.
“Letting your family run loose, and now talking back to a superior in public,” he said, low and steady. “Brigadier General Grayson, this isn’t how a general should behave!”
Rex caught the stark difference in how Lorne treated Raven versus him, and his stomach knotted up.
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Chapter 29
A second later, he pulled it together and rushed to explain.
“You’re right, sir,” he said, all respect. “I’ve been too easy on my family.”
But then, Rex switched gears fast.
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“Sure, my family screwed up, but it’s not like they deserve to die for it. And even if it came to that, it shouldn’t be Lieutenant General Valor calling the shots,” he pushed back.
Raven let out a quick, sharp laugh at how Rex twisted it.
“Not deserve to die?” she said, her voice cold. “Brigadier General Grayson’s never heard of ‘an eye for an eye,‘ I guess?”
“What, you think your son sucking my brother’s blood dry calls for a pat on the back and a party?” she threw in, sarcasm oozing.
Rex caught the frost in Lorne’s eyes after Raven’s dig and hurried to respond.
“Dane just needed some blood to save somebody,” he stammered, thrown off. “He didn’t mean to kill your brother–and he didn’t, did he? Your brother’s okay!”
Raven gave him a look so cold it shut down his excuses.
She turned to Lorne instead.
“Whether Dane meant to drain my brother or not, the hospital security footage will clear it up,” she said, cool and steady.
Rex went stiff, then mumbled something under his breath, out of moves.
With Raven laying it out like that, he was stuck.
He clenched his jaw and stepped back.
“Fine!” he snapped. “I’ll own it–Dane panicked about his fiancée and messed up big time.”
“But Jax? I heard you order his death myself–that wasn’t an accident, was it?” he shot back.
Raven just smiled.
She said flatly, “I showed up here today because Jax said he’d apologize face–to–face. I dragged myself halfway across the country to smooth things over with your family.”
Then she went on, “But it turns out your brother, the one running Bastion’s sketchy underworld, had no plans to say sorry. Instead, he rolled up with two hundred thugs to take me out.”
“If my friends hadn’t been close by, I might not be here right now,” she added, almost casual.
Rex nearly gagged on his own spit hearing Raven play the helpless victim.
She seriously claimed she’d crossed the country just to patch things up with the Grayson family.
Even an idiot could tell a spot like this wasn’t picked for peace talks.
Raven wasn’t stupid–honestly, she was probably the sharpest one here.
Then she had the guts to act all pitiful, saying her friends being nearby saved her, like she was some picked–on kid.
Truth was, she was a military general, at least Elite Warrior level–the Grayson family’s whole crew couldn’t touch her, even if they all rushed her at once.
But in her version, she’d almost gone down. Way over the top.
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Chapter 29
Rex knew if she’d gone full force, both sides would’ve been a pile of busted–up bodies.
Worst part? She’d just “slipped” into the chat that Jax ran Bastion’s shady underworld–the military’s archenemy–like it was no big deal.
Raven’s little spiel was a masterclass in venom. She’d played the victim card hard while dragging Lorne’s view of him even deeper into the dirt.
After a couple deep breaths, Rex forced down his frustration and pulled himself together.
“You’re dodging me,” he said, keeping his voice steady. “What gives you the right to say Dane and Jax have to die?”
Raven looked at Rex–his face all red–and stared at him like he was a complete idiot.
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“Brigadier General Grayson, you’re a military guy. You know the deal: anyone who tries to kill a general can be dropped right then and there,” she said, calm and firm.
“Forget them still breathing–even if they were already gone, they’d have earned it!” she added, her words solid as steel.
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