“You can’t keep your dick in your pants, can you?” Cross eyes Arrow, whose cheeks have darkened.
He’s hesitant when he responds. “I-I need her. She helps me.”
“Fucking hell, Arrow,” Malakai grunts.
I raise an irritated brow at our friend, then press my lips together.Arrow and I need to have a talk.“Setting that aside for a second, I’ll admit to believing my father was hiding something, I just didn’t know what. But assuming she’s telling the truth, it had nothing to do with the Hunting.” I shake my head. “No wonder he came for her. I can’t imagine what went through his head when he realized she was here.”
“This is a fucking mess,” Cross huffs out on a harsh breath. “But, agreed. He didn’t want us to know how they’d met.”
Malakai nods. “Yep. She got the drop on him.”
My brow furrows. “A drop of what on him?”
Groaning, Malakai shakes his head. “She hit Finneas—got the drop on him. Surprised him. That’s what it means.”
“Oh.” Cross snorts. “And that’s why he’s been acting weird and why he’s had it in for her ever since.”
Arrow plants his hands on his hips. “Do you think the rest of the Collective is aware?”
Malakai throws his arms out from his sides. “Like they’d care. Now Nolan is angry, too. And my father is just”—his eyes crash shut—“fucking twisted when it comes to her, anyway.”
“Mine is no better.” Arrow lowers his gaze to the ground.
“Whatever,” Malakai spits.
“Don’t believe me, then. I don’t care.”
But as I eye Arrow, I can tell he believes every word he’s saying.Fucking fuck.“We’re going to have to think very carefully about all of this.”
I nod. “We said we needed a plan. It’s time to fight back.” I pause, glancing at the other three in turn. “I think I have a few ideas.”
TWENTY-NINE
CROSS
Hayze was right allthose days ago when he said change was coming to Dark Falls Hollow. It’s clearer now than ever that I’m not the only one with these thoughts. In fact—it’s already here. Delilah has turned this compound upside down, her arrival and everything that has transpired since has brought us closer to the realization that our lives are not as we’d like them to be.
So now, what do we do about it? I have ideas, lots of them. Hayze has thoughts as well. And I think Malakai would walk away tomorrow. But it’s not that easy. I’m never too certain of exactly what’s in Arrow’s head, but what I do know is this—he’d do anything for Delilah. But on a whole? Uncertainty reigns.
How do we leave behind the only life we’ve ever known? The four of us are at a crossroads of sorts, all in various stages of acceptance as to what we should and can do about it.
The Collective doesn’t take kindly to change or disobedient sons. So… we’ll bide our time. Plan. Strategize. And try to find a way to get clear of this. I’m not delusional. It won’t happen overnight, and not without a struggle.
The question is does the Collective sense what’s coming? The minute they do, we’ll all be in trouble. And even without them knowing what’s in our heads, Delilah’s in more danger than ever.
Under the blaze of the spring sun, I let my mind wander as I finish working on this morning’s assignment. My body aches, but we’ve finally got a handle on the best way to attack this bridge rebuild, and the last day or two we’ve been working as a mostly smooth assembly line, each man pulling his weight without much issue.
I’m certain from the way the Collective continues to push us and bark orders that the need to send someone across the river has intensified. My father announced early this morning that Twenty-Two’s child is a boy. So now everyone is anxious to be able to retrieve the paternity results.
I glance toward my father and the other three members of the Collective where they are huddled up and talking as they drink from their canteens. I’ve been watching their interactions all morning long and one thing is abundantly clear: things are fucking tense around here. Between the impending revelation of who fathered the newest son and Delilah’s deception, the Collective has worked themselves into alather. Kiefer gestures angrily, then jabs a finger in Finneas’s direction. My eyes widen. From the looks of it, I don’t anticipate it’ll be long before things escalate.
I glance toward Hayze, meeting his gaze. It’s clear he’s been watching the argument play out the same way I have. Working my jaw to the side, I check to see whether anyone is paying attention to me. They’re not. I need to talk to Hayze, Arrow, and Mal… but the other two are too far away. It’d attract attention we don’t need. Picking up my canteen, I stride over to our leader’s son.
With a short nod, Hayze takes a long drink as I begin to hurriedly explain myself. “I thought you should know—I hid the key to Delilah’s room last night.”
His brows dart up high on his forehead as he lowers his drink. Pressing his lips tightly together, he slowly nods.
“Couldn’t take any chances,” I mumble.
