“The name of the man who killed him,” I conclude, and with a stiff nod of confirmation, it’s as though everything in me is threatening to burst. Because somehow, I doubt Hudson would’ve let just anyone take him out.
Which means, the man who killed him is the fucking mole.
“Who is it, Jewel?”
Niko asks, his voice leaving no room for deception. He’s not asking her, not really. He’s demanding an answer, and I’d pray no one ever angers a member of the Campbell family enough to see the blood bath that would follow.
“Raven,” Jewel whispers, “it’s Raven.”
EIGHT
The moment Jewel spoke the words, all chaos broke loose. Niko jumped from his chair, and in record time, he was out of the room. Lucas was pretty fast, rushing to catch up with his husband before he could do anything stupid.
Cove, Jewel, Freya, Keith and myself are left in the room, stunned into silence.
There are no words I could say that would make this any better. The disbelief is still large, and I’m too shocked to move. Freya’s the first one that snaps out of the trance, followed by Cove.
Usually, he’s silent. He doesn’t like speaking much, as if he’ll run out of words. Instead, he picks and chooses when he’s going to be speaking, and what he’s going to say. Silently, slowly, andwith calculations of an experienced predator, Cove stands from his chair. His footsteps are measured as he approaches me, coming to stand right in front of me.
“Blair, a word in private.”
With a nod, I break the trance, standing up and following him out of the room. My body feels like it’s not mine. It feels light, like none of this is real. Like I’m having a very vivid dream, and I’m about to wake up from it at any moment. But I know better. Even the nightmares don’t hurt me as much as the reality does.
“Yes, Cove?”
“This is too much to take in, I understand,” he steps closer to me, carefully looking around. He’s on the edge, rightfully so, and ensuring no one is going to hear us. If Raven’s the mole, who knows if anyone else is?
“It is,” I nod.
“But Arlo needs you, now more than ever. If anyone’s going to be strong, it has to be you. He won’t be able to get through this on his own. Especially since…”
He pauses, and then looks away for a moment. For a man as passive as Cove, the fact that I can tell there’s pain on his face makes my heart sink to my feet. Something churns in the pit of my stomach, and my skin crawls at the thought of more bad news.
“Especially since, what, Cove?” I repeat his words. “Don’t beat around the bush.”
“While we were watching the camera footage, I got a message.”
“What did it say?”
“Noelle’s state worsened,” he explains. “They’re advising us to say our goodbyes.”
That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.
My knees give out, and I slump to the floor. My back’s leant against the cold wall, my entire body shaking. I make no sounds, yet tears start rolling down my cheeks. The physical pain,oh God. I’ve never felt anything like this. Every single inch of my body is aching, every single bone inside of me is hurting, and I can’t move.
My eyes get blurry, and a choked sob slips past my lips. I manage to bury my face in my hands, crying my soul out. Fuck, this was not in my plans when I first met Hudson and Noelle. From the get-go, they accepted me. They didn’t ask any questions, they didn’t pry, and they didn’t judge me. All they did was offer their full support, waited for me to open up, then welcomed me with open arms. Noelle is the only mother I’ve ever had. Hudson, the only thing resembling a father.
Someone once said that the two are the very definition of soulmates, that if one dies, the other will follow.
I have no doubt in my mind that the reason Noelle’s state has worsened is because she felt Hudson’s death on a cellular level. They’re connected in ways that will forever be foreign to me, and they seem to have taken their vows literally.
In life, and death.
“Blair, I need you to snap out of it,” it’s Freya’s voice, and when I peer through my fingers, I can barely see her through the foggy, blurry eyes. “If you’re this upset, imagine Aria or Arlo,how they must be feeling. They’ll be consumed by grief, and we need someone to lead us.”
“And you think the best choice for that role is me?” I laugh, the bitter sound making me choke a little. There’s no humor in my voice, but if I don’t laugh, I’ll break into a million pieces, because I never could’ve anticipated this. If I had, I never would’ve allowed it. I would’ve ensured I was the one to die instead.
“The best choice? Not by a long shot,” her brutality makes the tears stop abruptly, and I wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt. “But you’re all we have. Arlo trusts you, which means all of us trust you, too. So, get your head out of your ass and be the boss we need. You can cry another time. Crying right now won’t help Noelle, and it won’t bring Hudson back. You’re Arlo’s chosen person, that makes you the only personwecan trust now.”
