What were his last thoughts? What was going through his head when he was taking his last breath? Did he think of Mom when his eyes closed for the last time? Or did he think of Aria and me?
“Aria will never be ready, you know that. There will never be a good time for something like this Arlo.”
“What else am I supposed to do, Cove? I can’t see my father’s dead body on my own.” I say, desperation clawing at my voice.
“Take Blair with you.”
I shake my head, chuckling a little. “That’s even worse. She’s been crying a lot lately. She thinks I don’t see it, or that I’m not paying attention, but her bloodshot eyes tell me everything I need to know. Hudson was like a father to her, too.”
“Blair has been very helpful through all this, though.”
“Thank you for putting her in charge,” I sigh, rubbing my face with my palm, trying to wipe away the uneasiness that creeps up my body. “She’s been doing a fantastic job, there’s no one else I’d trust enough with this.”
Cove nods. “I know. That’s why I gave her the push she needed. She’s been working with Keith and Lucas on tracking down Paul Simmons and Raven.”
A pang of anger floods through me when the two names are mentioned. Never in my life could I have anticipated that one of my closest people would work for that motherfucker. I knew it was someone from the inner circle, but when Raven’s name was revealed, something broke inside me. He was someone I trusted.
So, why?
Why would he throw it all away for that man? He had everything he could ever want. He was paid well over the usual rate and then some because he’s a very talented sniper. He wanted a penthouse, so I got him one. He wanted more days off than he had working, so he got it. He was one of the rare peoplewithin the organization who got to pick and choose when his services were available.
All of this is a fucking mess.
“Have you tracked down Raven?”
Cove sits on the bench next to me. “No, not yet. He’s gone completely off grid. He knows that we know, so the bastard won’t be popping out on his own, he’s too clever for that. Don’t worry, though. With all these resources, it’s only a matter of time before I find him. Even if we didn’t have them, you know damn well that I’m good at what I do.”
I nod. “Good. I know you’ll find him and bring him to me, just make sure he’s unharmed. I want to have fun with him.”
“You got it,” Cove says. “Also, Blair instructed that Amy Marshall and Nelson Adams are to be moved to a different location.”
I lift a brow. “When did this happen?”
“Last night.”
“Smart girl,” a speck of pride blooms inside of me. “With Raven on the loose, and him knowing where both are being kept, it’s safer to move them elsewhere. Did you do it?”
“Yes. So far, the only people aware of their locations are Blair, Keith and myself.”
Cove’s dark hair falls over his face, and he reaches for his phone. “There are no chances of either of them escaping, because they’re quite literally caged.”
“That’s great. That just means I can focus on finding Raven.”
“No,” Cove says, slowly lifting his eyes from the device to look at me. “What you need to do is focus on yourself. Have youseen yourself lately? You’re a ticking time-bomb, and although no one else has the balls to ask, I will — what the fuck compelled you to massacre a prison…again?”
“It’s just the beginning, Cove,” the words taste foreign on my tongue. It’s like someone else entirely is speaking through me, my mind and soul are foggy. “I wasn’t kidding. I’ll start killing people, one by one, until I’m satisfied and no longer angry.”
“Jesus Christ,” he mumbles. “That’s stupid.”
“Perhaps,” I shrug. “But it’s a good outlet.”
“What about agent Arnault?”
I snort. “What about him? If he comes knocking again, I’ll blow his brains out before he even knows what is happening. Quick and easy.”
“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Cove abruptly stands up, and he’s right in front of me. With a frown, I tilt my head upwards, looking at him. He looks very angry, which on its own, is an accomplishment. Cove rarely gets this angry.
“Cove, I need you to back down.”
