The following morning, the Montgomery estate awoke to tension hanging thick in the air. Though Austin's mission had been a success, everyone inside the mansion could feel the ripple effect. Retaliation was inevitable.
Clair was in the sunroom, curled on the chaise with a blanket over her legs. She was sipping warm ginger tea and rereading one of her prenatal books when Elias burst in through the double doors. His expression was thunderous.
"Austin!" he barked toward the hallway, then caught himself and looked apologetically at Clair. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."
Clair sat up straighter, alarmed. "What happened?"
Before Elias could answer, Austin entered the room, shirtless and fresh from the gym, sweat glistening on his chest. He grabbed a towel from a chair and slung it over his shoulder.
"Elias?"
"They hit one of our shipping lines. Dock 6 in Miami. Set the warehouse on fire and left a message behind. In blood."
Austin's jaw clenched. "What message?"
Elias held up a phone and showed a photo. On a scorched steel beam was smeared red writing:
"We're coming for the queen."
Clair's heart nearly stopped. She dropped her cup, and it shattered on the tile. Austin was beside her in a second, catching her as she swayed.
"Hey, look at me. You're safe," he said fiercely. "No one is getting near you."
But Clair's hands trembled. Her babies kicked wildly inside her. They sensed her fear.
Austin turned to Elias. "Double her guards. No one comes in or out unless I've personally cleared them. Call Julian and have his snipers at the north post. I want eyes everywhere."
Clair stared at the broken teacup. "They're not stopping. Are they?"
Austin's voice dropped to a vow. "They will. I'm ending this. Tonight."
---
Later That Night
Clair was soaking in a lavender bath while Maria massaged her shoulders gently. The water eased some of her tension, but her mind still replayed those words: We're coming for the queen.
"I never thought being married to him would mean this," she said quietly.
Maria smiled gently. "And yet, you are the strongest queen I've ever seen. The kind who doesn't break—only bends and rises stronger."
Clair closed her eyes. She needed to believe that.
---
Elsewhere, in the Depths of the City
Austin met Elias and their top enforcers at an abandoned casino now used as a hideout. Maps were spread out across a long table, red circles marking known cartel locations.
"We hit their supplier. Tonight," Austin said. "Without ammo, they're finished. We cut the bloodline."
Elias looked up. "And if they anticipate it?"
Austin grinned, cold and sharp. "Then we give them a reason to regret living."
---
Back at the Estate
Clair was journaling again when a cramp seized her lower abdomen. She gasped and dropped the pen. For a moment, she froze—unsure if it was real or just the stress.
Another sharp pain followed, and her legs buckled. She grabbed her phone and called the private doctor on standby. Maria burst in moments later after hearing Clair's cry.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. Something's wrong. The babies—" Clair whimpered.
Within minutes, the in-house doctor arrived and began checking her vitals. The contractions were irregular but real.
"It could be stress-induced," the doctor said. "But we need to monitor her closely for the next 24 hours. If it escalates, we may need to transfer her."
Clair looked terrified. "Not now. It's too early."
"We'll do everything to keep them in," the doctor reassured her.
---
Midnight. Montgomery's Private War Room.
Austin's phone buzzed. A message from home. He froze as he read it.
"Clair's having contractions. Mild for now, but early. She's on bed rest under monitoring."
His blood ran cold.
"I need to get back," he told Elias. "Now."
Elias stood. "I'll lead this raid myself. Go. Take the helicopter."
Austin didn't argue. He was in the air within fifteen minutes.
---
Clair's Bedroom
She lay in bed, eyes fluttering between sleep and wakefulness. Her hand clutched a small onesie she'd held onto all day—a reminder of the life inside her.
The door opened. Austin strode in, still dressed in all black from the mission, eyes fierce with worry.
"I'm here," he said, rushing to her side.
Clair turned her head, eyes watering. "I thought I'd lose them. I got so scared."
Austin pulled her into his arms. "You won't. You won't lose them. You won't lose me. I swear it."
She rested her head against his chest. The steadiness of his heartbeat was the only thing that finally let her fall asleep.
And as Austin held her, staring out into the dark window, his mind sharpened into ice. They wanted war. He was about to bring hell.
Morning broke with no mercy.
Despite her exhaustion, Clair refused to sleep longer than a few hours. She insisted on getting up to use the bathroom on her own, though Austin tried to carry her every time. The doctor eventually placed her on strict rest, warning that any increase in stress could bring the babies earlier than expected. They needed a few more weeks at least.
In the next room, Austin stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of his study, watching his men re-secure the outer gates and check the newly installed perimeter drones. His phone buzzed on the table behind him. A private message from Elias lit up the screen:
"Supplier raid successful. Two major players down. Intel found—sending now."
Austin picked up the phone and opened the document. It was a list—names, locations, codes. At the bottom, one line chilled his blood.
"Kadir Volkov: final buyer. U.S. target—Clair Johnson Montgomery."
Kadir.
The name alone was a curse. A rogue arms dealer from Russia with a vendetta against the Montgomery family. Years ago, Austin's father had betrayed him during a weapons exchange in Dubai, and Kadir had never forgiven them.
He was the endgame. The real monster behind the curtain.
Austin dialed Elias immediately. "We need eyes on Volkov. Now."
"I already sent a team. He's in L.A., using a gallery front."
Austin's voice dropped into a growl. "If he even breathes in Clair's direction, I'll bury him alive."
---
Back in the bedroom, Clair was awake again.
Maria gently massaged her feet while the doctor checked the babies' heartbeats. All three were strong.
"You're a warrior," the doctor said with a warm smile. "But warriors rest between battles."
Clair laughed softly, wincing at the tightness in her lower abdomen. "Tell that to my uterus."
Maria smiled. "I'll make you some warm herbal broth. And no arguing."
Clair nodded but her mind drifted. She thought of her life before all this. The quiet apartment, her nursing shifts, weekends with friends. She never thought she'd be sleeping in silk sheets guarded by armed men. Married to the most powerful man in the underground. Pregnant with not one, not two, but three children. And yet... she wouldn't trade it. Because she had Austin.
When he entered the room again, his expression was unreadable, but his presence instantly calmed her.
"You okay?" he asked, moving to her bedside.
She nodded. "Babies are stable. I'm holding on."
He kissed her forehead, then knelt beside her and rested his head on her belly. "They're strong, just like their mama."
Clair played with his hair. "You're scaring me, Austin. What is it?"
He lifted his head slowly. "We found the man orchestrating everything. Volkov."
Her stomach dropped. "The arms dealer?"
Austin nodded. "He's the one who funded the cartel. This isn't about money anymore. It's personal. He's coming for you."
Clair's lips parted. "Why me?"
"Because hurting you hurts me. And because he couldn't destroy my father, so he's coming for my family now."
She looked into his eyes and saw something deeper than rage. Determination. Obsession. Love. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to meet him."
---
Two Days Later – Los Angeles
Austin stepped into the art gallery disguised as a neutral buyer. The gallery was sleek, minimalist, and almost entirely white. Paintings lined the walls—each one a cover for deeper dealings in the back rooms.
Volkov stood near a sculpture, dressed in gray, silver hair combed back, face cold and sharp. His eyes locked on Austin the moment he entered.
"You made it. I wasn't sure you had the spine."
Austin approached slowly, hands in his coat pockets. "You've been real busy, Volkov. Burning docks, funding traitors. Threatening my wife."
Volkov smirked. "You Montgomerys always overvalue your women."
Austin's jaw flexed. "And you always underestimate them."
Volkov's guards subtly flanked him. Two. Possibly three more in the back.
"You came here for a deal, yes?" Volkov said. "Or just to posture?"
Austin's voice was razor-thin. "I came to give you one chance to disappear."
Volkov laughed, full and loud. "Or what? You'll burn down my gallery like you did the cartel's little compound?"
Austin smiled. "No. I'll take you apart in pieces."
Volkov's smile faded. The air shifted. One of his men reached under his jacket.
That was all it took.
Austin moved like a storm—disarming the first guard, using his own weapon to shoot the second. Chaos erupted. Screams from the gallery's main floor were muffled by silenced gunfire. Volkov fled to the back as Austin pursued, rage in every step.
He caught him at the emergency exit.
"You were warned," Austin growled.
Volkov raised a hand. "Wait. You kill me, you make more enemies."
"I don't care," Austin said.
And he pulled the trigger.
---
Back at the Mansion
Clair was watching the nursery's baby monitor cameras, making sure every detail was perfect. Her contractions had subsided completely. The doctor smiled and told her the rest had worked.
Austin returned just before midnight. This time, his steps were slower. Not tired—peaceful.
Clair looked up from the bed. "You saw him."
Austin walked over and sat down beside her, taking her hand.
"He's not a threat anymore."
She exhaled shakily. "You killed him."
He nodded. "It's done."
She touched his cheek. "So now what?"
"Now," he said quietly, "we live. We finally live."
Clair smiled softly and guided his hand back to her belly.
"Then feel them. All three. Because this is the life you fought for."
He closed his eyes and listened to the gentle movements under her skin. It was the sound of survival. Of love. Of legacy.