Chapter 1
XAVIER
Three Years Ago…
Who is she?
I squint at the grainy black and white screen, wanting to see the young woman better. Her brows snap together right before she walks up to my target, Benjamin McKenzie, and pokes him in the chest. Despite the fact that I was sent to watch him, my gaze narrows on her.
“You’re not giving up this opportunity for me.” She jabs her finger in his sternum one more time with him towering over her. Then the girl plants her hands on her jean-clad hips and glares up at him. Feisty little thing. “This scholarship is too important to throw away. I mean it.”
He reaches out to cup her cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you,” he whispers. “You’re everything to me, Lilah.”
Benjamin has a weakness. This girl could get him killed.
If the Obsidian Order ever found out about her…
I exhale, and the noise is lost in the stillness of the empty room. Soon, this part of his life—and this girl—will be gone andforgotten, similar to the abandoned house I’m in. The dingy, off-white paint is peeling in places, and the glass has cracks throughout, similar to a spider’s web. A death trap.
I’ve lived in one my entire life, except mine was opulent.
Although the girl rolls her eyes, her face softens. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. You’re the one who taught me to defend myself. Remember?”
Benjamin shakes his head. “It’s not enough. Come with me. I’ll find a way to?—”
“To what, Ben? To hide me in your dorm room for the next couple of years? Listen, I know you’re good with computers and all, but even that’s a stretch for you.” She pauses, and her gaze hardens with resolution. “You know I can’t leave the littles.”
My target goes rigid, the tautness of his muscles visible even through the tiny camera lens. “I know,” he whispers.
She pulls away from him with a wry smile and smooths out her faded blue tank top. “If that jerk downstairs tries anything, I’ll kick his ass. End of story.”
I run my gaze over her body. She’s petite with slightly rounded hips, little muscle tone, and barely over five feet in height. If she’s a threat, then I’m the fucking Tooth Fairy.
Benjamin grabs her shoulders and lightly shakes her. Her shocked expression quickly morphs into one of wariness, but it’s nothing compared to the desperate energy rolling off of him.
“Listen to me,” he says. “Frank is stupid, but he’s stronger than you.”
She jerks from his hold, causing her long hair to sway along her back. “Then I’ll be faster.”
“Damn it, Delilah!”
His shout is so loud I swear I hear it from across the street, as well as through the speakers of my laptop. He mutters to himself, and I catch him repeating her name. A frown tugs at my mouth.
I hope that’s not her real name. If so, Benjamin really should leave her behind.
He rakes a hand through his hair. “Don’t be so naïve. You know what Frank’s going to do to you the second I walk out that door tomorrow morning.”
“I won’t let it happen.” Her nostrils flare with disgust before her gaze narrows. I wish I knew what color her eyes are. “No one’s going to hurt me or the girls.”
“There’s no way you can avoid him for the next three years,” Benjamin says. “Don’t be stupid.”
Her bottom lip trembles, bringing my attention to her lush mouth. She can’t be more than fifteen, maybe sixteen, yet she looks like a full-grown woman. It’s easy to see why she’d attract attention, unwanted or not.
“Don’t talk to me like that,” Delilah says, her voice steady in spite of the heated exchange. “If Frank touches me or Emily or Sandra, I’ll kill him.”
Benjamin folds his arms. “Ishould kill him. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about you guys.”
That’s whatIwould do, but I’ve been trained for this. You’ll learn soon enough, recruit.
