Plan in Motion

Derek felt a sense of urgency as he gathered his followers in a secret warehouse to go over his plan. He knew that it was now or never. When Chase arrived with a concerned look in his eyes, his heart started racing. He had a few moments before he had to start the meeting so he met his friend in a quiet corner and asked him, "What happened?"

Chase met his friend's eyes and saw the fear and concern in them, "He knows about them, Derek." The words fell like stones in his ears. His father knew? How? They had been so careful in keeping them a secret until now.

Derek's eyes hardened and his face settled into a cool resolve, as his heart raced and the fear over his family's lives wracked over him. "We need to move now!" His voice bellowed at the men gathered, they didn't know why their leader had suddenly became outwardly aggressive, but their loyalty to him had them move quickly. Everyone's ear pieces in place, and Derek's orders rang out as they moved at lightening speed and with an efficiency that formed from many jobs done together.

Half of them went with Chase to Casey's home to see if they were still there or not and to find clues to where they would be if they were gone. The others followed Derek to his father's estate, hopefully to confront him and finish what they've started.

Chase's anger was barely contained as he stood in the open doorway to Casey's home. The place was trashed and there was no sign of them being there at all. It had barely been a whole day since Derek had left them and he knew that Derek had been careful in concealing everything revolving around his family. He didn't know how Derek's father found out unless the man had followed his son here. He spoke into his ear piece, deadly calm but burning with anger inside, "They're gone, Derek, I assume he's got them with him. We'll be heading your way shortly."

Derek's growl came over the speaker seconds later, "We'll wait to go in until you get here. Everyone to their positions and wait for my go before movement."

Chase's convoy sped to the estate, lessening the minutes to mere seconds as no one dared to interfere with the platoon of black SUVs barrelling down the street.

Derek stood silently, battling his emotions as he knew Casey was probably terrified at the hands of his father and for their five year old son's safety. He was going to rip his father's head off if he had harmed a single hair on either of his family's heads. He felt extremely murderous in this moment and there would be nothing and no one stopping him once this all started.

He had about thirty men behind him, and last time he checked, his father's resources and followers had dropped significantly. There would soon be no one to back the man up once they reached him.

Chase and his men moved silently to their positions and Chase let Derek know that they were ready. "Let's move," Derek gave the order and pulled his gun out. The storming of the castle began and Derek let his usual calm indifference slip into place as he led the charge.

Casey didn't know what happened. All was calm and peaceful once Derek had left and then all of a sudden, her door had been busted open and a man with dark eyes and a full head of silver hair stood with a gun pointed at her head. "Come with me, darling, or you'll be seeing that little boy's brains all over the walls." She'd tightened her grip on Colton but had obeyed, she wouldn't risk her son's life by trying to run. The chances of her getting hit were better than her chances of escaping as she'd heard her back door and several of her windows crash as more men piled into her house to surround her.

They'd left her untied and ungagged so she could still hold her son against her, but many guns on her had kept her from moving the wrong way lest she would anger them. She didn't dare ask questions or speak because she was so scared. The old man had kept his dark, unflinching eyes on her the whole way, staying silent the entire ride. The ride was quick but had felt like ages until they pulled up to a large mansion and she was grabbed roughly and pulled into the building.

She was brought to a room with a large desk and several lounge chairs that were situated around a large fireplace but facing the desk as if this was some sort of meeting room. She was pushed into a chair and her legs and wrists were ziptied together and her arms were locked around Colton protectively, so neither of them could make a move. Colton had stayed very still the whole time, somehow sensing the tension in his mom and knowing that this wasn't the time or place to play. Casey kept pressing kisses to his head, silently reassuring him that she was with him and seeking that comfort that these men were nice enough that they hadn't split them up.

The old man sat in his plush chair, his cold dark eyes watching the woman and child like a hawk. Casey stared back, trying not to show her fear outwardly towards him and tried to keep her body from trembling. This man must be Derek's father, she thought, those cold and calculating eyes were so similar to Derek's and yet so different, there was no warmth whatsoever in this man and she could see why Derek had kept them away. The man just looked terrifying and ruthless, like nothing or no one dared to ever stand in his way or go against him.

She wasn't going to show him how scared she was though, she met his eyes unflinchingly and set her small jaw in defiance. She had faith that Derek would come to save her, it was only a matter of time.

"How did you meet my son," Xavier asked the woman, who stared back at him as if she was challenging him. He found her strength admiral, even as it irked him that she would dare to look at him without fear. He could see why his son was so fascinated by this woman, she was an enchanting creature and had the guts to stand up to him. He knew he was intimidating and installed fear into the eyes of anyone who was in his presence.

"I met him at a bar," she finally answered him, not wanting to anger him too much. She needed to buy time until Derek came and got them.

"Interesting. My son has always been infatuated with the ladies and this is a place he would go to to have his one night stands," he looked at her pointedly, trying to unnerve her, but what he didn't know was that Derek actually loved Casey and had kept them secret for years without Xavier knowing. She stayed quiet though, as if his words had hurt her and she couldn't find a comeback. "How long have you known Derek?" He said, eyeing little Colton in speculation. He assumed the child was his grandson, as he took after Derek's looks, but he wasn't quite sure if his assumptions were correct.

Casey wasn't sure if she should give the right answer or not, after all, Derek had hid her and Colton's existence from this man for five years because he hadn't wanted his father to use them against him in some way. But, she didn't know if she could lie well enough for him to believe her. So, she said nothing.

"I assume that the child is his and he's been keeping that information from me. I wonder how he'd react if I were to kill you and take your son to raise as my own," he pondered aloud and watched as her eyes widened in fear. There it is, he thought sadistically, the fear he had been waiting for. The malicious grin crept over his lips had Casey's heart pounding loudly in her ears. She wasn't afraid for her own life, she was afraid for Colton's and for him being taken from her under this evil man's rule.

Casey clamped a hold on her fear and hardened her resolve, she wasn't going to let him take him easily. Even tied, she was a force to be reckoned with as her motherly instinct roared within her. "He will kill you," her voice a low growl as her anger got the best of her, "and I'll be waiting to stand over your dead body when he does."

Xavier was surprised at this little woman's guts, nevertheless, he didn't tolerate back talkers and he stalked over to her to land a harsh slap on her pretty little face. Her gasp of surprise as she nearly toppled off the chair with the toddler satisfied him as well as watching the red hand-shaped mark reveal itself on her face.

"I'll look forward to seeing the look on his face when he sees that I marked your sweet face."

Casey was stunned, she'd never been hit in the face before, and the burning sensation wasn't pleasant. Still, she straightened up and glared at him, "You have no idea how wrong you are about your son," she said in a voice shaky with her anger.

Xavier was tempted to rip the child from this insane woman to watch her beg for mercy. A mother's love was a strong thing and he knew that he could bend her to his will if he took the child from her. "I believe that there's a lot I don't know about my son, as he's so recently revealed that he's been keeping an entirely different life from me for a long time." He leaned down to her height, his face inches from hers and sneered at her, "But he will not win this fight against me. He's never beaten me before, why would he suddenly do it now?"

His egotistical manner was higher than the clouds, Casey thought as she stared at him silently. He made her angry enough to let all sane thoughts fly out the window as she gathered saliva up and spat in his face. He was too close to her son as it was, and the satisfaction she gained from watching him reel back was worth the pain of getting hit again.

Xavier chuckled darkly as he pulled out a hankerchief from his pocket and calmly wiped her spit from his face. "You will soon regret that," he grabbed her hair as he stood, tilting her head at an awkward and painful angle and put the barrel of his gun under her chin roughly. He noticed that there was no fear in her eyes, but only satisfaction and some pain. "Do you wish to die before Derek gets here, is that it? I can make that happen for you, but then you wouldn't be around to watch as he dies painfully," he raised his voice as his temper got the best of him. She didn't budge and that set him off, on impulse he let go of her only to slam him gun into the side of her face. Seeing the blood that trickled from the wound he made and watching her lips finally tremble, made him smile triumphantly.

Derek heard his father's voice raise as they neared his office. They had already taken down all lookouts and guards leading into the estate without difficulty, his men reacting silent and deadly. He held back, even as he heard the sound of flesh being hit. He had to have all points covered before he stormed in for the show down with his father. Chase stood by him, his cool gaze fixed on the door to the office, while they waited for Derek's next orders.

There were men at each point of entry to his father's office and they moved as one when Derek gave the go ahead.

Him and Chase barged through door, guns raised and pointed straight at Xavier, who had a gun to Casey's head as she sat in front of him with a terrified Colton. Derek took in the blood on her face and her look of determination as she met his eyes before setting his sights on his father.

"Hello Derek," his father's cold voice rang out through the silent tension of the room.

Derek inclined his head regally, keeping his dark eyes locked on his father's, "Father. Time to let them go now," he spoke calmly and with forced indifference. Xavier smiled menacingly back before taking a handful of Casey's long locks and tilting her head back forcefully.

"I think not, son," he sneered at Derek and pulled sharply on Casey's hair causing her to let out a sharp breath. "You've found yourself a tough one, she's been giving me trouble the whole time they've been here. Feisty one, she is. She's incredibly lucky she's still in one piece. I just had to wait for you to get here before I started."

Derek's eyes hardened, his father thought he had the upper hand but he was so very wrong. "You don't have a choice," Derek said in a level voice, "release them or pay the consequences. Your time is done," as he spoke, his men filed into the room with their weapons drawn and all of them aimed at Xavier.

His father glanced around the room, realizing that every single one of them had turned on him but he wasn't going to give up that easily. He shifted his gun to the little boy's head, drawing a whimper from Casey, "Anybody moves and his blood will be on your hands!"

Derek's eyes found Casey's once more, seeing the petrified look in her eyes and the tears flowing freely down her face. He sent her a reassuring look, noticing out of the corner of his eye, one of his men moving slightly behind his father, silently and deadly so as not to alert the old man and decided to throw a curve ball for his father.

"Alright," he said, lifting his hands and feigning his surrender to keep his old man's eyes firmly on him. "I'm setting my gun down," he moved slowly, placing his gun on the floor. His father's eyes shone triumphantly before shifting his gun towards his son, hoping to pull the trigger before he could retaliate.

A shot rang out, startling Casey and she saw Derek's body jerk suddenly.