I’ve begun to get used to the way people speak around here, all macho and technical terms, but we haven’t spoken much about the ins and outs of this. I assumed this was all simply to gather information on how the society works. Find outwho really runs in their circle, get the missing pieces of their structure, then take action.
The room falls eerily silent, until Saint’s deep voice cuts through it like a blade.
“We’re going to try and grab one of the Montgomerys. Not picky on which one.”
“I thought they went underground?” I ask, awareness prickling over my skin.
Regina and I had eyes on them for years, then they just…disappeared.
Saint holds my stare, walking towards me. “They have…but we have eyes on them. Always have.”
I flinch back at his admission.
How the hell have they managed that?
When my eyes glance around the room, reminding myself where we are, I suddenly understand.
Whilst Regina and I had a good setup for Egnever, it’s nothing compared to the operation Ultio has.
His dad gave him this kingdom; each individual that works under Saint has experience in either the military or intelligence.
All those alliances combined, they’ll have connections that can hand them illegal devices that blow ours out the water.
“Are you going to be okay with this?” Rex asks me softly, right at the moment Saint sits beside me on the sofa.
I nod, my answer firm. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
Whilst I only saw Conrad and George once when we tried to report them, I haven’t seen them since.
Not in person, anyway.
It was hard then, but everything was still raw; my mind wasn’t as strong as it is now.
My persona wasn’t as dark as the night, and I wasn’t as familiar as I am now when it comes to dancing with death.
I didn’t have the urge to endlessly torture them, the same way that their rape did to my mind.
Saint’s hand brushes along my shoulder blades, resting behind me as he fans his arm across the back of my chair.
“You can back out, darling. No one would think anything of it.Iwouldn’t think anything of it,” he says quietly, low enough that only I can hear his exact words.
My spine steels. “I’ve watched them before, Saint. I can handle this.”
My words come out as the verdict, but his eyes lack conviction. “Seeing them in the flesh might be different. Especially with what you know now.”
His gaze searches mine, looking for any hints that I’ve thrown on a mask, trying to peek for the peeling edges so he can rip it off.
He might think I’m willing to risk my own comfort to be there with him, but he couldn’t be further from the truth.
The reason I watched Conrad and George was for my own exposure therapy, continuing to push past the thoughts of what they did, so when the time came, it wouldn’t hit as hard.
I could unleash the coiled-up anger I’ve held especially for them.
“I know, but I’ll have you,” I whisper.
Having Saint by my side, I’d be able to weather any storm.
I learned that at a time it was too late to realise, and I won’t let this have the same outcome.
