Briar: He’s dead.
My shoulders sag, as I drop my head back. And just like that, my nightmares are eased and I’m on my way to being second.
40
COLLINS
Struggling to keep up with Hayes’ footsteps, I trudge through the dirty back alleys of Boston’s downtown area. The scent of ammonia and exhaust cover up the fresh, clean smell of rain that downpours around us.
“You shouldn’t have brought her,” Killian comments, tossing a spent butt to the side. His bomber jacket is light in the cold as I hunker into my soaked brown wool coat, side stepping something gross.
“And leave her at the house?” Hayes fires back, hand firmly wrapped around mine.
This is normal—natural.
Hayes fits into a spot in my life like it’s been carved for him. Maybe it was. He’s always been at my back, holding me when things get tough.
I still haven’t told him how I feel. After the dining room, it’s been business as usual. My clinicals have been intense as we near the end, and with Roman’s threat hanging over our heads, we’ve had little time but to say goodnight before sleep.
That will change soon once the trials are over. When he wins, I can tell him that he’s accepted, tamed the monster inside of me and I want him.Forever and a day.
Such a silly promise and yet, it’s my life preserver. Something I cling to as this ordeal continues. And I’ll continue to hold on to it—because it’s the promise for a future together.
Killian groans, glancing back at me, annoyed.
“She’s the only doctor we have. Bringing her to a gun sale doesn’t seem smart, Prince.”
“And leaving her behind when there’s a leak,” he counters, “seems pretty stupid too. Especially when they want her.”
“Andshe’sright here,” I mumble, jumping over a puddle. “Shecan hear you.”
“Sheneeds to stay quiet,” Killian demands, pushing ahead of us. I see his gun in the back of his pants, Hayes’ on his side. Both have knives and various other weapons hidden on their person. And here I am—no weapons, in a pair of heeled boots, traveling to an illegal activity.
Not the best choice, but Hayes is right. Killian and him had to meet buyers and Maeve was gone doing God knows what. With a leak in the mansion and Roman pursuing me, I needed to stay as close to my fiancé as possible.
Hayes looks back at me, winking. “Whatever happens, stay silent. You don’t want their attention.”
“Fuck,” Killian swears, running a hand through his dark wet locks. Rain pelts into us, dripping down his chin and slicking Hayes’ hair to his neck. We stop at the mouth of an alley, the harbor in the far distance covered by fog as the lighthouse spotlight makes its round. This area is full of abandoned warehouses with very little foot traffic, sheets of rain cutting across the parking lot.
Across the open lot is a running sedan, all black, with tinted windows. The lights act like beacons, drawing us through the darkness.
“At least they’re timely,” Hayes retorts, earning a hard look from the reaper.
“Don’t let her out of your sight,” he instructs. Then after a moment, shakes his head. “She’s not going to like this.”
“Shedoesn’t have a choice,” Hayes reminds him. “It’s her directive.”
“Your funeral, Prince.” Together, we walk across the pavement, both men shielding me from the lights. We stop a few feet away before the doors open and two hulking men, dressed in tailored suits, step out of the car.
Hayes shifts, looking from the men to Killian, eyebrow raises. Killian’s jaw is tight and his shoulders back as if he’s ready to charge. Elbowing him, Hayes asks, “Know them?”
“Who vetted this?” His teeth grind, a muscle by his ear bouncing.
“I assume Maeve.”
Vet?My anxiety kicks up as I scan the grounds. Killian would only be worried about vetting someone if he thought this wasn’t a legitimate deal. And I can’t be arrested this close to the board exam.
Exhaling, the reaper pushes forward as we meet the security duo. Both Korean Americans, they stand tall, with cropped hair and no umbrellas. The thunder cracks overhead as they look down at us, twin faces of irritation.
