After all, Angelito was only trying to get back at me. I get that, and Idodeserve it.
But that doesn’t mean I have to just sit back and take it.
“I can’t…trust… anyone,” I shiver as the fury heats well-past boiling point. “Look what fucking happens! WhenI trust!”
Cocking back, I swing the machete down on Nestor’s neck, again… and again.
Snarling and roaring, I hack and slash, chopping the fucker’s head right the fuck off.
“Trust no bitch ever,” I pant when I’m done.
Heaving, out of breath and justsoaked. Sticky red splatters saturating the front of me.
A throat clears, and I turn to find Kent standing there, gaping at me.
“Oh, hey,” I breathe, wiping my face on my sleeve. “What’s up?”
He blinks at me, then at the decapitated head of his colleague, for a solid five seconds before he mumbles, “I, uh… have some news.”
My shoulders fall. “What now?”
His eyes flick to the machete in my hand. Rolling my eyes, I toss it onto the floor.
“I heard back from Vegas,” he says warily. “Avianna Alvarez is dead.”
It feels wrong that I haven’t been down to see Angel yet… To tell him the unfortunate news of his sister’s passing. But I’m stalling.
I know he’s going to be detrimentally upset. He’s going to grieve deep and harsh, the loss of not just his twin sister, butthe last remaining member of his family. I need to comfort him through it, but he hates me right now. And surely he sees that in many ways, his devastation is my fault. Because it is.
I killed his parents. I allowed his sister to be taken, and by the time I attempted to locate her, it was too late. The damage was already done, and he’d already spent most of his life alone.
I wish I had an excuse that would provide him even just a little consolation, but I don’t. All these things that I’ve done have happened for reasons that are entirely self-serving.
Still, I just can’t let him deal with this tragedy alone, locked away in a cage. But he won’t let me in. Even with the key, being able to open that cage and step inside is meaningless when he has me locked out ofhim.
Am I expected to just stroll down to the garden and drop this bombshell of devastation on him, then leave? There’s no way. I have to get through to him somehow.
Enough of this superficial cold-blooded tin man shit. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through my manymanyacts of vengeance, it’s the power of the hunt. I don’t want to be the one to take that away from my pajarito…
I think I know what I can give Angel that will bring him some satisfaction. One last gift… Though this one will have a more meaningful impact, I’m sure of it.
The idea came to me just moments ago, in my office while I was speaking to Trevel Fenwick…
Today was a big day. The troops got into a firefight by the old armory, and wound up taking a prisoner of war… Simon Hancock, who took a bullet to the shoulder before he was grabbed by Rivas.
Fortunately, it was a through-and-through—still, a pretty brutal one, from a goddamn 7.62. But he’ll live, thanks to the medical training of Johansson and Hassan, with the assistance of Lemuel, I suppose.
Simon will be fine, which is a good thing.He was always one of my favorites.
And now I have a very important piece of the puzzle, because I’msureOfficer Jasper is just freaking the fuck out. He and Simon have been rather codependent friends for years, and it’s my understanding that they’re in something of arelationshipnow. Meaning I’ve just acquired a very important bargaining chip.
Team Velle must be beside themselves…
I don’t see a scenario in which Jonathan will just leave Simon over here to rot. He’s likely devising a plan right now, thinking up ways to get Officer Hancock back. Hopefully, he’s stupid enough to send his troops over here…Or better yet, come himself.
Either way, it’s the perfect time to move forward with OperationDraw the Fox Out of His Den. Which is why I brought Trevel up to meet with me and gave him full control over what happens to Lemuel going forward.
Johansson and Hassan have everything set up in the dungeon—Kent got rid of the remains of Nestor for me.Well, all but one important piece I’ve added to my collection.Trevel will oversee theirLove experiments, similar to the things they used to do in the East.
