Page 98 of Dark Soul

Dark

“I love this desk,” Slate said, placing his boots on the shiny metallic surface and leaning back. The slate gray office chair creaked but held his weight.

Pascale and Carrie looked proudly around the office, showing off the new furniture, filing cabinets and brand new kitchen area as if they were real estate agents or interior decorators.

“Looks great,” Dark agreed. He was finding it hard to fake some enthusiasm, though it was clear the pair had been working hard to get the office ready for their return.

“At least we have blinds now,” Griffin said. “That’s nice.”

“I’ll be up in my room,” Dark said. “See you guys later.”

Dark had taken the same studio he’d stayed in the last time he was here. The rest of the team had spent some time walking around the first floor, looking at each of the free apartments, then drawn lots to see who got to choose next.

Dark had left them to it. He couldn’t care less which side his room faced.

All he wanted was to be alone.

Alone.

The word had never hurt quite so much.

And a part of him knew he should be happy. They’d just completed their first successful mission and, even though Lemercier had escaped, the plans to the experimental nuclear reactor had been documented and placed under custody.

Thorne was happy with them. He’d bought them a celebratory dinner before leaving Gstaad, even going so far as to open a few bottles of champagne from the cellar.

And you’re free.

Or not in prison, at least.

He should be happy. Instead, all he wanted to do was curl up and die.

On his way to the elevator, which seemed to be the only space Pascale and Carrie hadn’t spruced up during their time in Gstaad, he bumped into Thorne.

“Ah, Dark, just the man I wanted to see. Are you all settling in?”

Dark nodded. “Everything’s fine. I’ll be up in my room.”

“Perfect. Please tell the team I’ve arranged for a doctor to come tomorrow. If you could make sure everybody’s down here early—”

“But we’re all fine. Ash is the only one who—“

“No, it’s not that kind of doctor,” Thorne said, shaking his head. He still wouldn’t say what kind it was, but Dark eventually figured it out.

His body whipped around. “A shrink? You want us to see a shrink?”

Thorne nodded.

“But none of us pulled the trigger.”

Thorne shrugged. “But you were all ready to. Sometimes, that means the same.”

The men are going to love this.

But Dark didn’t feel like standing here arguing. “I’ll let everyone know,” he said.

“I expect you to see her as well, Dark,” Thorne said, before walking off.

Great.