“Yeah, shower.”
CHAPTER THIRTEENEshe
I stare down at the burner phone Malachi loaned me since mine is still buried under a pile of rubble somewhere at Elysian. Sighing, I sink down on top of the toilet lid in Malachi’s cavernous and surprisingly spotless bathroom. One thing I’ve learned about Malachi—he’s clean, organized. I assume it has more to do with a forensic mindset than acleanliness next to godlinessone, but I appreciate it, nonetheless. Just one more thing that has me itching to douncleanthings to him.
It’s easier to focus on my ever-present lust for him than what I have to do next.
Closing my eyes, I punch in the private number I know by heart, as it hasn’t changed in fifteen years.
“Yeah?” Tera answers, suspicion lacing her voice.
“It’s me,” I say.
“Eshe? What number are you calling from?” I can picture the frown that’s no doubt darkening her face.
“A burner. Listen, Tera.” I pause, swallowing past a throat gone tighter and tighter, a glass fist of guilt and shame gripping me. “I fucked up tonight.”
She goes quiet. “What happened, and what do you need me to do?”
No panic, no anger. No judgment. When I deserve so much judgment.
“I… I infiltrated the obodo tonight and went after Abena. I tried to take her out.”
I wait for the explosion—shit, bad choice of words—from Tera, and I don’t have long to wait.
“Gotdammit, Eshe,” she hisses. “What the hell were you thinking? Going in there without a plan? Withoutus? Anything could’ve happened. Anything. You could’ve been captured. Killed. Shit.” Her breath blasted in my ear. “We had a timeline. A fucking plan. Hell, we just discussed it. Why would you put your damn life on the line for some crazy-ass shit like that?”
“I know, I know.” There’s nothing else I can say but that. I fucked up. Bad. “Seeing Penn and then Sienna in that hospital hurt. Seeing Penn’s parents’ faces—the fear and pain there—that was all on me. And I couldn’t take it. I had to do something about it.”
“Nah, Eshe, that night was on the person who set that bomb, and it’s on Abena, not you. Same with Sienna being shot.”
“But she was after me. Everyone was hurt because Abena is after me.”
A beat of silence pulses over our connection so loud, it echoes in my head.
“Eshe, where are you? I’m on my way to come—”
“No.” I shake my head even though she can’t see the gesture. “I’m fine. I’m with… the Huntsman,” I admit on a murmur.
A long, loud beat of silence pulses in my ear.
“The Huntsman? What do you mean the Huntsman? Jesus be common sense the size of a gnat’s ass, Eshe,pleasetell me you didn’t just say what I think you just said?” When I remain silent, she huffs out a string of inventive and long profanity. “The fuuuuuuck. Are you crazy? Why? Just tell me why? Is he the one who convinced you to go on that stupid-ass mission? It sounds like something he’d do,” she mutters.
“No, Tera, it doesn’t, and he didn’t,” I snap, inexplicably irritated by her attack of Malachi. Well,attackis a strong word, but I don’t like her denigrating him. Inhaling a breath, I hold it, then slowly exhale, pinching the bridge of my nose. “And yes, I am with him. Going after Abena? That was all me. As a matter of fact,he tried to stop me, and when I wouldn’t listen, he had my back. Then later, when it all went to shit, he saved my life. He returned for me when he could’ve left me.”
I still don’t know why he did it. He was outta there, off scot-free. But he came back.
For me.
Tilting my head, I stare at the open doorway and the shadowed, empty bedroom beyond. Just when I believe I have that man nailed down, he does something selfless like rescue me or tells me to call him by the name he hates and had expressly forbidden me to even utter aloud.
Shaking my head, I refocus on Tera.
“Well, I’m thankful he didn’t let you take your stubborn, emotional ass into the obodo alone. But as grateful as I might be, he’s the Huntsman, Eshe. And that alone is good enough reason not to trust him. The only thing we know for sure about him is he’s a killer. No, two things for sure. He’s vowed to kill you and Abena. Tonight was delayed, not denied.” She huffs out a breath, and I don’t need to be in front of her to imagine the clench of her jaw or dip of her eyebrows over her nose. Of my Seven, Tera is the closest to me simply because she could be considered my second-in-command. Therefore, she has more freedom to speak to me than the others do. “You’re drawn to him. Fascinated by him. You have been for a while, that’s no secret. And I kind of get the appeal. But don’t let your pussy get you caught up. How do we know he isn’t working with this Poison woman—”
“Tera.” I softly but firmly cut her off, and she immediately goes quiet. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” Tera says without hesitation.
