DEVOTED

Chapter one

Nathan

I am Nathan—the only and the beloved son of Mr and Mrs Grant. I wouldn’t be the only one if he was still here.

All my life I always got whatever I wanted. I did things that others could only imagine, turning every impossible wish into a reality. But life has a way of humbling even the most powerful, wealthiest and untouchable people. My brother’s death changed the script, my life took a backseat to something bigger—my family’s happiness.

After Zade’s death, my father was diagnosed with a heart disease. The blow was too much to take for him. So he retired from the family business. I was forced to take over as the president of the Thornes group. Managing industries operated by the group from finance, construction, pharmaceuticals and hospitality wasn’t my ideal way of life,but there was no escaping even if I wanted to.

The city blurred past, sleek and indifferent. My car hummed along the road, the engine barely audible over the hum of my thoughts. The convoy moved in perfect rhythm—one car ahead, one behind, both filled with armed guards. A necessary evil. In my world, trust was rare, and enemies were as common as rain in spring.

I leaned back in my seat, checking my watch. Time was money, and I hated wasting either. Today was just like any other, until we slowed. Then stopped.

My eyes flicked up. The convoy had come to an unexpected halt. I didn’t like surprises, and this one smelled like trouble. The driver exchanged a glance with me, tension rippling through the car.

I straightened, already feeling the shift in the air. My hand hovered over the door handle as I spotted them—Lawar’s men. The sucker has some guts after what he did to my brother. I didn’t have the evidence. Yet. But my paranoia was too strong. Blocking the road, stepping out of their cars with guns drawn, trying to make a statement. How typical. Lawar always did have a flair for the dramatic.

“Stay here, Mr. Grant,” my driver muttered, but I shot him a look that made his words die in his throat. I don’t hide behind glass and steel.

One of my men opened my door with precision, his eyes scanning the situation like a predator searching for threats. I stepped out calmly, slowly. Not because I wasn’t aware of the danger, but because I owned the danger. The street might have been swarming with armed men, but the real power stood on my side of the line.

The sun was glaring, but I didn’t bother to remove my sunglasses. I strode forward, my shoes clicking against the asphalt like gunshots in the silence. Ahead of me, Lawar stood, his smug grin barely concealed behind his ego. His men were lined up, matching my guards move for move. Guns pointed, fingers itching, but no one would fire without a command.

“Do you know the consequences of stopping me in the way, Lawar?” I asked, my voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. I didn’t raise my voice; I didn’t need to. My tone alone was enough to make most men sweat.

But Lawar wasn’t most men. He chuckled, his hand resting on his waist like he was some sort of kingpin. His smile was as arrogant as ever. “Hey, I have to talk to you.”

I arched a brow, my gaze raking over him like he was an annoying insect. “Like this? On the road?” I didn’t even bother hiding my disgust. This wasn’t a meeting; it was an insult.

His grin widened, and I had to fight the urge to knock it off his face. “Whether it’s on the road or mountains, I have to talk right now,” he replied, like he had any say in when and where we’d meet.

I stepped closer, my posture loose, but every inch of me was poised to strike if needed. “Nathan Grant decides who and when he talks to.”

The air between us was electric, charged with a thousand unspoken threats. Before Lawar could spit out another self-righteous remark, the screech of tires pierced the tension. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was—Jasper, my right-hand man, the one person who never took his eyes off me. His car skidded to a stop, and in one smooth motion, he was out, gun cocked and aimed at Lawar before the dust even settled.

“You have one minute,” I said coldly, my gaze never leaving Lawar. “After one minute, my guards will pull the trigger. Then you can go ahead and blame yourself.”

Jasper advanced, gun drawn, and his eyes glinted with a fierce loyalty. “Did you not hear what Mr. Grant said to you?” Jasper’s voice was low, menacing, as he came to a stop beside me. His finger hovered over the trigger, and I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.

Lawar, to his credit, didn’t flinch. His smile remained, though it had lost some of its cockiness. “If bullets are fired from that side, they’ll be fired from this side too,” he said, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. “There will be bloodshed, and I don’t want that.” His eyes met mine, the smile fading altogether now. “So, I’ll leave now and allow you to leave too. The next meeting will be at my home. You’ll come find me yourself.”

I laughed—just a short, sharp chuckle as I shook my head, looking down for a moment. Lawar had no idea what he was playing with. “Lawar,” I said, locking eyes with him again, “you have no idea how calling me without my will has consequences.”

The smile returned to his face, but it was tighter now. He gave a curt nod to his men, signaling them to back off. I watched as he slipped back into his car, his convoy moving with less confidence than when they’d arrived.

They thought they could walk away unscathed. They didn’t know what was coming.

As their cars disappeared down the road, I felt Jasper step up beside me. His gun was still at his side, though his eyes were fixed on me, tense. “Sir, I told you not to go alone, but you didn’t listen.”

I glanced at him, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. “When has that ever stopped you, Jasper? You followed me anyway.”

He holstered his gun, his usual composed demeanor cracking just a little. “What could I do, sir? If something happened to you today, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself.”

For a moment, I said nothing. His words hung in the air like an unspoken vow. Jasper was the closest guard of all the guards I had, and he knew better than anyone that I didn’t believe in mistakes. In my world, there was no room for error—only results.

Without another word, I turned on my heel and headed back to the car, Jasper falling into step behind me. Deep down I knew whatever Lawar wanted to say must be important. I mean he hasn’t reached out since Zade’s death. I’ll soon find out what he knows.