"We need an update on the girl."
The room stills.
He does not say her name. He doesn’t need to.
I don’t answer immediately. Instead, I pause, understanding that what I say next could change the course of my entire plan, and I need to be cautious of my words.
Creekmore's voice sharpens. "Because of your hesitation and delay of your assignment, the Chosen Ceremony had to be pushed back."
"She was never a threat," I say flatly.
"That is irrelevant," he snaps, stepping toward the flame. "She was supposed to be eliminated."
The word lands like a blow.
It echoes through the stone chamber and seems to cling to the walls. No one reacts. Not yet. Not visibly. But every man in the room shifts slightly, as if the temperature had just changed.
Hudson frowns. "Wait, that was Hayden’s directive?"
"Three weeks ago," Creekmore says. "After the Huntington-Russell murder breach. Her name came up twice in our investigation. Once through her uncle. Once on the Belmont trail. She became a liability because of her parentage."
"She is not a liability," I say, my voice low.
Creekmore turns toward me. "She is a loose end. We do not let those live."
"I’ll have to formally request that we do," I reply.
Saxton gives a quiet laugh, dragging his thumb across his bottom lip. "Careful, Herron. Sounds like you're getting sentimental."
I keep my eyes forward, voice even. "She stays."
Hudson blinks. "Why? What changed?"
The room holds its breath.
I look up, letting it hit. The other guys are so interested in my pushback that they forget they’re interrupting the Chairman.
"She is my wife."
Saxton lets out a low whistle. "No one told me this was going to be an interesting meeting."
Hudson just stares at me. "Youmarriedher?"
"The assignment started with her mother. But the girl became central. Then things changed, and she became important to me."
"You do not control something like her," Creekmore growls. "You eliminate it. You do not go against orders."
"I made a call," I say. "And by the rules of the Society, now that she’s my wife, she remains alive."
The Chairman finally speaks. His voice is calm, but beneath it lies something colder.
"You should have come to us."
"I acted in the interest of the Brotherhood, and I had to act quickly. This doesn’t change the outcome of my assignment," I reply.
The Chairman steps forward, placing one hand on the altar. His ring catches the firelight. "Then she is yours to manage. If she falters, you will be held accountable for her. Alone. You don’t get to make your own choices like this and be sloppy. She was already assigned to someone else, and you fucked that up. If this becomes a mess, it’s your job alone to clean up."
"I understand."
