War Doesn't Stop For Love

Chapter 20- Bentley's POV

1 day until the war.

It's been four days since the party. My sister is dead by my hand. No news has spread, yet. I have to make up a public story to the press as to why she died. I pace around the villa and watch soldiers train on the field. I stand against the window and look out onto the horizon. Tomorrow will be it. The day the West and the East go to war. My capes and uniform are ready and all of the soldiers are ready. We have a head count of 100,000 soldiers. Statistics show that the West have ¼ percent of soldiers compared to our numbers but having the Blood Goddess in control they probably have more.

I dress in my mourning suit, everything is black except the vest is white. I tug at the arm sleeve and smooth it down. Here we go. Ready to lie to your people? I exhale a deep breath and lay my hand on my wooden desk. I check the time and the clock reads 11:52. Time to go. I grab my overcoat and rush out the door. My butler, Ryan is standing outside my door.

"Sir, the press are in the conference room waiting for your statement on Farrens sudden disappearance." My butler says.

I walk down the hallway and no one looks me in the eyes. The guards adored Farren but couldn't get to her under my authority. They saw that I killed her. They saw me kill my sister. I get to the conference room and find a group of press seated in chairs. I walk up to the podium and start the show.

"My sister was found murdered and thrown into a small lake on the edge of Northern Ohio." A tear slides down my face. "We recovered the body last night. She suffered a sword to the heart."

The press mutters to each other and their cameras flash. Some people write down notes and others type on their laptops. I look over and Ryan is standing in the corner of the room. He looks at me and does a quick circle with his fingers. They need more.

"My nephew." I choke back a sob. "Grahm Jackson, is missing. I saw Farren leave with him from my birthday party. Did she kill him and then kill herself? Or did Grahms father kidnap him and kill Farren. Nan Moore, if you killed my sister and took my nephew I will not hold back. Give me the only family that I have back! It's not Grahms fault that Farren intentionally got you drunk and herself knocked up! He is just a child!" I look straight into a camera. My eyes flash bright red. "Nan Moore if I find you, I will kill you."

I walk off the stage and out of the coffrence room. Ryan comes behind me clapping.

"Nice job sir, no one will suspect you." He applauds.

"Find Grahm." I tell him.

He nods at me and rushes off to the navigation room. I walk to the cells and scan the cards until I find him. John. I grab the keys and open his cell. He is sitting on the cot with his prison uniform on. He looks up at me in disgust.

"What do you want?" He asks, spitting at me.

"Your wife, no ex-wife is dead." I say.

He looks up in shock. The blue veins in his forehead are pulsing. "Who did it?"

I pace around the cell and think hard about my answer.

"I killed her, and Grahm is missing." I announce.

"What! I'll kill you!" He screams. He goes to run at me but his shackles keep him against the wall. His face has gone pale.

"You dare threaten me?" I snicker. I pull out my gun and he looks startled.

"You were never like this before." He mutters.

"Things have changed. Life itself has become one big blur. Nightmares are about to come and I have to eliminate anyone that could stands in my way."

At my last word I raise my gun and fire. Blood splatters against the wall and his limp body falls onto the cot. I put my gun in my holster and wipe the blood off of my shoes.

"Just doing business John." I say. "Now you can see Farren once more."

I walk out of his cell and down the cold dark hallway. I see the prisoners all on their cots, sleeping. Moans come from some cells and I see the whip marks. Veronica. I think of how she told me how the Crudes used to beat her.

"What I do, I do for you." I mutter.

I recall her falling into the river, guns firing at her. I saw her funeral from across the river. I saw the casket be lowered into the grave. Dead. Never coming back.

I walk out of the cell station and back to my room. A couple hours later Ryan knocks on my door with piles of papers in his hands.

"I've dispatched units across the East to look for the young master and we have gotten a report." Ryan says.

I take the papers and rummage through them. There are pictures of Nan and Grahm throughout the city in New York.

"Nan!" I scream. The papers crumple in my hands. I grab a whiskey glass and throw it at the wall. It shatters into a million pieces.

"I'll get someone to clean it up." Ryan says.

He rushes off to get the cleaning maids. I rush off to my pilot garage with my planes. Soldiers follow me in formation.

"We will get Grahm Jackson back by any means necessary." I announce.

"Yes sir!" The soldiers reply in unison.

I take a seat on the plane and we lift off. Nan here I come. About two hours later we touched ground in New York City. As I exit the plan two men in suits approach me.

"Master Nan wishes to see you." One man says.

I extended my arm for them to lead the way. I wink at Thorn to make sure they stay with me. The men lead me to a town car and open the door to the backseat. I sit down and they close the door. They stay silent as we drive off. The windows are tinted so I can't see outside. Suddenly we come to a stop and they open my door. A white tall building stands lean in front of us.

They lead me through the glass doors and into the foyer. Nan is sitting on a couch with his hands folded in his lap. He is nursing a glass of whiskey. His eyes are bloodshot and red from crying.

"Ah! Hello old friend!" He exclaims. I look around trying to find Grahm and he catches me snooping. "Grahm is up in his room. Farren gave him to me at your birthday party... before she died."

I take a seat on the couch in front of him. "Give him back to me." I announce.

"Not so fast. He is my son not yours and he is the rightful heir to the Moore family business. He knows I am his father so if you take him away from me then he will hate you. But you can still see him of course. Burt tell Grahm that his uncle is here to see him."

Nans bodyguard, Burt, goes up the stairs and disappears in the hallway.

"So you are the one who killed my girlfriend." Nan bitterly says. He takes another swig of whiskey.

"Girlfriend?" I skeptically ask.

"Of course. We had been seeing each other for about a month."

That hits me like a truck. Farren never told me about this. She was dating this fool. What a disappointment to the family. Before I can respond Grahm comes running down the stairs with Burt walking behind him. I get ready for Grahm to blast me with a hug but it never comes. I blink and I watch as Grahm runs to hug Nan.

"Look Grahm your uncle is here." Nan points at me.

Grahm runs behind Nan and tears start falling down his face. My heart aches in my chest as I see a tear hit the floor. I feel my hand clunch up in a fist as I squeeze it. I look down at my palms to see the blood pooling the surface.

"Y-you killed my mother!" Grahm screams.

He hates me. This is what you did to yourself. I stifle as his screams fill the room and feel my eyes tense. I am about to break.

"Soldiers, let's move out." I announced.

I walk out of the room and glance at Grahm. He stares at me with the cold intent to kill. Let the wars begin.