CHAPTER 20

Rain slicked the pavement beneath my boots as I stalked toward the abandoned warehouse, my pulse a steady drumbeat in my ears. Riley was three steps behind me, silent, her presence a shadow at my back.

I knew this was suicide.

Breaking into The Oath's headquarters was one thing. Confronting Julian inside it? That was a death wish wrapped in arrogance.

But there was no other way.

The questions burned too deep. This wasn't just about what Julian did. It was about what I did.

I had spent years running from my past. Now, I was about to rip it open like an old wound.

Riley's voice was quiet but sharp. "This is insane."

"I know."

"You're walking into the lion's den."

"I know."

She exhaled hard, then grabbed my arm. "Then tell me why."

I turned to face her, and for a moment, I saw something in her eyes—fear. Not for herself. For me.

Because she knew me well enough to understand one thing.

I wasn't coming back the same man.

Or at all.

I pulled my arm free. "Because I need to know."

Her jaw clenched. "Then let me come with you."

"No."

Riley crossed her arms. "Nathan—"

"This isn't your fight."

Her expression darkened. "You're an idiot if you think I care about that."

I sighed. "That's exactly why you need to stay out of it."

Riley shook her head, muttering something under her breath, but she didn't argue. She knew better.

This was personal.

I turned away, inhaling deeply. The air smelled like rain and asphalt, but beneath it, I could almost taste the past.

Julian had answers.

And I was going to rip them out of him, one way or another.

---

The Oath's headquarters loomed ahead—an old, converted hotel nestled in the heart of the city, its grandeur long since stripped away. Now, it was nothing but steel-reinforced windows, surveillance drones, and armed guards who shot first and didn't bother with questions.

I moved fast, scaling the fire escape, keeping to the shadows. A guard passed beneath me, his footsteps sharp against the pavement. I dropped behind him in complete silence, grabbed the back of his neck, and slammed him into the wall.

One down.

A dozen more to go.

I slipped inside through a maintenance entrance, my gun warm in my grip. The air was thick with tension, the kind that came from men who had been trained to expect death around every corner.

Good.

They wouldn't see me coming.

I moved fast, clearing hallways and slipping past cameras. The deeper I went, the heavier the weight in my chest grew.

Because of this place…

It felt familiar.

Too familiar.

Something flickered at the edge of my mind—a memory just out of reach.

This isn't the first time you've been here.

I shoved the thought aside and kept moving.

The closer I got to Julian's office, the more my instincts screamed at me.

Something wasn't right.

I pushed open the final door, gun raised—

And stopped cold.

Julian was waiting.

He was sitting behind an old wooden desk, calm as ever, with a single glass of whiskey in his hand. His gaze met mine without an ounce of surprise.

Like he had been expecting me.

"Hello, Nathan."

I stepped inside, my finger twitching against the trigger. "You knew I was coming."

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Of course I did."

I didn't lower the gun. "Then why are you still sitting there?"

Julian took a slow sip of whiskey, then set the glass down. "Because I'm not your enemy."

My grip tightened. "Try telling that to the men you sent after me."

His expression didn't change. "I never gave that order."

My stomach twisted.

Lies. They had to be.

"You expect me to believe that?"

Julian exhaled, leaning forward. "What if I told you that someone inside The Oath wants you dead more than I do?"

I stilled.

"Someone who wants you erased, Nathan. Someone who's been pulling the strings behind my back."

The room felt too small, the air too thin.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I growled.

Julian's gaze darkened. "You don't remember, do you?"

The back of my skull ached.

Flashes of something buried deep—blood on my hands, a mission gone wrong, Julian's voice screaming my name—

I clenched my jaw. "Remember what?"

Julian leaned back, watching me carefully.

"Who you are."

His words hit like a hammer to the chest.

For a second, I couldn't breathe.

And then—

The alarms blared.

Red lights flooded the room.

Julian's lips twitched into a smirk. "Looks like we're out of time."

The door behind me burst open.

Gunfire erupted.

I dove for cover as bullets ripped through the air, splintering wood and shattering glass. Julian moved fast, flipping the desk for cover and grabbing his weapon.

I snarled. "Was this part of your plan?"

Julian fired a shot, taking down one of the masked attackers. "Not mine."

I didn't have time to argue.

Three more gunmen stormed in.

I moved before they could react, dropping low and pulling the trigger. One went down, then another. Julian handled the last one, two precise shots to the chest.

Then, silence.

I stood slowly, breathing hard.

Julian looked at me.

"You feel that, Nathan?"

I wiped blood from my cheek. "Feel what?"

His smirk was gone now, his expression unreadable.

"The truth clawing its way out."

I wanted to deny it.

Wanted to say he was wrong.

But deep down, I knew he wasn't.

And that terrified me.