“I hope so. We’ll talk about it in the morning, pigeon. It’s been a long day.”
“Okay.” I paused, and Oberi perked up his ears as I asked, “Charlie? Are you… keeping something from me?”
“Huh? What would make you ask that, pidge?” He moved closer to me.
I immediately felt bad for asking. I knew he would never keep secrets from me, and as his sub, it wasn’t really my place to question him. But I had to make sure, just in case.
“If there’s something you’re not telling me, I don’t want you to be afraid. I can help. You don’t have to protect me,” I started. “If there’s anything that I don’t know, you can tell me now.”
“Of course there isn’t,” Charlie insisted gently. “You know everything about me.”
Do I?
I grasped his fingers and interwove them between mine. “I’m just worried about you. If there’s something on your mind, I want to help.”
Charlie lifted a dazzling smile that made me turn to water. “Don’t worry, pidge. I’m better than ever." He gave me a kiss on the cheek. “I swear on us, there’s nothing to be concerned about. It’s always gonna be you and me, till the end. I’d never do anything to hurt you. Remember that I promised to take care of you? Everything’s fine.”
I knew through our bond what he said was genuine. He wasn’t lying; I could tell that much.
“Okay.” I kissed him back. “Goodnight, Charlie.”
“Goodnight, pidge.”
I cuddled into his arms and checked in with Oberi. Her thoughts were passive, telling me she was certain Charlie was being honest, and that she didn’t think there was anything to worry about.
As my husband held me tight, I figured the guys were being paranoid. Danny was misreading Charlie’s desires, whatever they were. Even if something baddidhappen, and Charlie made a mistake, it didn’t matter, because I could save him.
Even if he did the worst, and became bad… he’d change for me.
Charlie wasn’t the person he’d been when we were at the Institute, but that was for the best. Maybe a piece of what Danny saidwastrue, and Charlie was becoming darker, turning into a villain that was worse than the rest of us.
I wouldn’t blame my husband if he was turning into a monster. If we were going to beat the Warden, he had to become one.
Otherwise, we weren’t going to win. And if we lost, I would belong to the Warden… forever.
Charlie wouldn’t let that happen to me. So let him be evil. He could burn this whole world down to the ground, and so long as I went with him, I’d be happy with that.
I would let the entire universe fall before I became a trapped bird in a cage. As long as I didn’t end up in that tower from my vision, I was more than content to let the worst happen.
Chapter Nineteen
CHARLIE
The mobster hadn’t caved. I was less than pleased about that, but I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t satisfied by the ending he received. Sliced his head clean off his shoulders myself. He wanted to keep his lips locked? Well, he’d never open them again, that was for sure.
Didn’t matter. Marcus had gathered enough information from the other mobsters.
Ivy knew more about the vampires than any of us, and they provided additional insight that I was certain would get us to the vampire key. I’d lain awake all night coming up with ideas, and I’d formed a solid plan by the next morning.
I met my grandfather for breakfast to discuss my plan. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of the bank in Paris, so I needed his consultation on this.
“I know you don’t want me getting my hands dirty,” I stated when I finished explaining my plan. “But if we’re going to pull this off, I need to do it my way. I need to be there.”
“I agree. This couldn’t be a better plan if I came up with it myself,” Cassiel said.
I nearly reeled back in shock. I expected my grandfather to tell me that it was too risky, and to let him take the reins onthis one, but he didn’t. My plan didn’t involve him or any of our parents, and after the way they’d reacted when we’d committed the bank robbery, I’d have expected him to put up a bigger fight.
“You really think I can pull this off?” I asked.
