Free Dangerous Beauty: Part Three: This is War by Michelle Hardin Page B

get us out of here.”
    “What will you do?” he asked with a confused frown.
    A sinister smile spread across her lips before she gripped the front of his white shirt. “This.”
    Before Gabriel asked another question, Silas’s voice rang out in the hallway. “Cecilia!”
    Carter turned Gabriel away from the door and shoved him into the middle of the hallway. Gabriel turned to face Silas—who had just become silent at the sight of his son—and said nothing.
    “Ga–Gabriel …” Silas sounded shaken, as if the sight of his son had caught him off guard.
    Like a lioness on a hunt, Carter slowly came from behind the large door with deadly fire in her hazel eyes. Carter was positive that she’d never experienced rage such as this before. It was a quiet, unshaken rage, and it was new to her. Even looking at the face of a man completely identical to her deceased father had little effect on her. Even though the man resembled her father right down to the nose, Carter had no doubt that he was a different man. Those eyes were not her father’s eyes.
    Silence fell over the hallways as Carter stood in front of her brother and faced off with the three large men. Carter instantly sized each of them up. They were bigger, and probably stronger, but if they didn’t run they would die by her hand. The only thing that would make this moment better was a weapon.
    Silas took a cautious step toward her. Carter cocked her head to the side while she watched him approach her like one would an animal. “Stop,” she said, and immediately he did as instructed. “If you come any closer to me, I’ll break your neck.”
    Something flashed through his eyes, but it wasn’t what Carter had expected, which was to see disbelief. She was small, and a woman. She figured he’d give her the same reaction many men gave her when she threatened him, yet the look in his eyes was different. He … believed her, and most importantly he believed she could and would do exactly what she’d said.
    “I’m serious, Silas,” Carter pressed on. “Unless you are prepared to defend yourself with the skill your brother had, do not approach me. If you can’t beat Robert, don’t even think of fighting me. I’ll kill you within the first five seconds. Back up.”
    Silas looked at her with an impassive expression and took a few steps back from her. Suddenly, anger filled his eyes. “Robbie made you this monster.”
    “Me, a monster?”
    “Yes, monster,” Silas snapped. “You are a little girl! Instead of buying you dolls like he should have, he let you play with knives. I disapprove.”
    A humorless laugh escaped her lips. “So if I’m a monster, than what are you, Silas?” she asked.
    “Your father!” he yelled. “The man that gave you life. The man that gave the world that pretty little face. You’re a little too much like daddy, sweetheart. Your mother will never admit it to you, but you are. Good luck getting your brother to fucking listen to you!”
    Carter didn’t respond. Really, what the hell could she say to that? Although she didn’t want it to be true, it was. Silas had a hand in creating her and Gabriel. She hated the fact, but she wasn’t a child, she wasn’t going to cry about it. She was an adult, and she accepted the truth. Now, while she did accept that fact when it came to that sucky ass truth, she refused— refused —to accept his insinuation that she was anything like him. He was not her fucking daddy. And what the hell did he mean about her brother?
    Silas’s eyes cut behind her to Gabriel. Carter wasn’t sure what Gabriel did, but Silas’s eyes moved away from him and back to her.
    His jaw ticked and he took another step forward. “You need to calm down, Cecilia. Not only that, but you need to put your brother back in his area. You don’t know him, you can’t control him. You’ll both grow to love it here. If you want to room with your brother then fine,” he shrugged, “you two can share a room. Soon your mother