18. Bishop
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
BISHOP
I massage my aching temples as I listen to our casino manager detail every single thing that’s happened since the time the fight club exploded.
When I asked him to give a detailed rundown on the comings and goings of the place, I didn’t realize I’d be sitting here for an hour hearing about how the mayor lost half a million dollars last night or how the district attorney went home with a woman who was most definitely not his wife, but I tuck all the information away in case I need it in the future.
The door to my office opens, and I look up to see Crew standing in the doorway, his eyes downcast and his hands fisted in the pockets of his sweatpants. I can’t remember the last time I saw him wear anything other than a suit during the day, but today has been a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
Wyatt gave us the all-clear to return to the compound after assuring us that Caleb has been removed from the security system, but it doesn’t feel right without Camilla here. She brought life to a house that had never really been home, and now she’s gone, now she’s locked herself up in her own ivory tower, and there’s nothing left here but the monsters that have always walked the halls.
“I have to go. Can you send me an email with anything else you have?”
I barely wait for his agreement before I end the call and drop the phone to the desk.
“Any sign of him?” he asks as he stalks further into the room, dropping down into the seat across from me.
I shake my head. “No, he’s gone back underground, it seems.”
“Probably smart. He knows what Kovu is capable of, and if he’s been watching for a while, he’ll know how attached he is to Camilla.”
“Was Wyatt able to see whether Caleb had tapped into any of the camera feeds?” I ask, my stomach rolling at the thought. It’s bad enough thinking that he could have been in the compound at any point in the last three years, but the idea that he could have been watching not only us but Camilla as well…fuck.
Crew shakes his head. “He’s not sure. The camera feeds run on a different system to the security itself, and it doesn’t log which one of us is watching or when, but to be safe, he’s reset the access so only Wyatt and the four of us will have the new log-on details.” His eyes flick to the open door before he leans forward on his elbows. “We need to talk about Kaos.”
“What about him?”
“He doesn’t want to believe that his father could be involved in all this, even if it seems obvious to the rest of us. Which means if push comes to shove and Caleb continues to threaten us and Camilla, we may have to make the decision to take him out. Even if Kaos isn’t going to like it.”
I rub my hand down my face. This isn’t us. This isn’t what we do. We’ve always made our decisions together. Going behind his back to kill his dad seems extreme even for us, and like something Kaos will struggle to forgive us for.
“We may not have a choice, Bishop. If it comes down to him or one of us or Camilla, I know what decision I’m going to make every single time.”
“I know,” I whisper. “I just wish we didn’t have to go behind his back with it.”
“He’ll come around,” Crew assures me, but I’m not so sure. Each of us is headstrong, and it’s hard to make any of us change our minds about something.
And truthfully, if I put myself in Kaos’s shoes and it was my father we were accusing of trying to overthrow the Syndicate and kill our girlfriend, I’d find it more than a little difficult to accept it.
It feels like time is tearing us apart, and I just hope we’re strong enough to make it out the other side intact.