Chapter 10
I requested a meeting with the matriarch, and here I am in her office. With its immaculately polished hardwood floors, black and gold lights, and a long couch flanked by leather armchairs in the center, the room feels as imposing as she does. Dressed in a black suit and silk blouse, she sits behind a mahogany desk in a velvet high-backed chair and gestures for me to sit across from her.
“Tell me your concerns,” Cassandra says, fully in matriarch mode.
“What Bailey is doing is dangerous.”
She steeples her hands on the desk. “And does the group share your worries?”
They might, but we didn’t vote—I went straight to the highest authority. For me, it’s more about what I will do if someone doesn’t put an end to this madness. I was fine until the fucker barged into my life, adding chaos to an already messy situation. I need to focus on the mission, not stay up every night worrying that one date might go wrong. But Bailey’s too stubborn to end it.
“Ma’am, I don’t even care what the group thinks about this. Just because we’re still alive and know who the enemy is doesn’t give us the advantage we think we might have.”
“I agree,” she says, her features turning pensive. “What you have been through should have never happened.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s our legacy—a still corrupt legacy until we eliminate the last threat.”
I told Cassandra we should kill Caleb and Felix, but no. She insisted on following a moral code, turning my sister into a killer. Now Felix hunts us, and this cat-and-mouse game can only end in blood.
“I think you all deserve a vacation.”
My jaw drops. That’s the last thing on my bloody mind.
“Ma’am?” A vacation is so far off from my priorities it’s locked in another dimension.
“I’ve made my decision.” With that, she dismisses me. This meeting was a waste of time.
Afterward, I wait for my friends at the training complex.
Kaden and Celine are the first to arrive. Excitement shines in her eyes, and after a kiss on my cheek, she slips inside.
“So how did the meeting with Cassandra go?” Kaden asks.
“How the fuck do you know?”
He pins me with an intent look. “Don’t insult me, Hunter.”
“You’re not the patriarch yet. I didn’t get what I wanted. Instead, she wants to send us on a vacation.”
Kaden’s jaw drops, clearly not liking it either. “What the fuck?”
My words exactly.
“See what you did? That’s why we discuss things within the group first,” he grumbles.
“If I’d brought it up, I would have been vetoed.”
“Face your feelings already,” he exhales loudly, the sound ringing of annoyance, before heading inside.
I would love to punch him in his arrogant face, but I will have to wait until the simulation begins, and I’ll have a good excuse.
Abigail and Dane arrive next. He drags a hand down his face, looking exhausted, having come from race training.
“I’ll take you down,” she points at me.
“Show me your best, Barbie.”
They walk inside, and Mia and Blake follow. I glance at my sister’s chest, where she was injured, but she catches it.
“Stop worrying. I am fine.”
“That’s my job,” Blake says as he passes me. This asshole wants to be all she sees, needs, and loves.
I wait outside, staring at my watch. I am about to call Bailey when her car, a black Audi TT, approaches.
“What took you so long?” Even now, when I see Bailey safe in front of me, my heartbeat barely calms down. This girl will be the death of me.
She shoves her smartwatch in my face. “I still had one minute left.”
“Give me that sass during training.”
“I might.”
“You just love to get on your back for me.”
Damn my mouth for spewing subconscious wishes before my brain can stop them.
“I don’t know who would love that more.” She sashays inside with a pep in her step—something I’m seeing more and more lately.
I remember when she was a shy recluse—a delicate kitten—and now she has developed the claws and sharp teeth of a panther.
Cursing under my breath, I head inside. Everyone is already dressed in black coveralls, putting on their VR headsets and choosing their weapons.
“She’s sending us on a vacation?” Abi asks me.
I glare at Kaden, who just shrugs. “No secrets, remember?”
He looks from me to Bailey knowingly. Asshole.
“I am all for it,” Mia says. “The timing is not ideal, but a change of scenery might do us all some good.”
“And she won’t send us to a place she’s not one hundred percent sure we’ll be safe,” Celine adds.
With the girls increasingly on board with the idea, the guys and I exchange a resigned look.
We’re definitely going on vacation.
I stand in front of the display and pick a simulation.
“What are the stakes?” Abi asks. She’s so damn competitive.
Whatever Dane whispers makes her blush, and I answer, “Same as always. Staying alive. If we treat it like a simulation, we won’t take it seriously. You go in there fighting for your life.”
“I know. Ugh, you’re getting grumpier by the day.”
Dane smirks. “Don’t take it personally, princess. He’s just frustrated.”
Can I even consider them friends if they constantly get on my nerves?
Bailey lifts on her toes and whispers in my ear, “I’m taking you down, and then you will never meddle in my business again.”
“Your business is my business.”
Done with my friends pissing me off, I start the newest simulation. Once it begins, everyone moves in a different direction.
My adrenaline spikes as I move, ready to fight my way through and take out the enemies one by one. Fully attuned to my surroundings, I feel invincible.
The sensors on our coveralls keep track of us. Our names and avatars are displayed on the big screen hanging from the ceiling so we can see who is taken down and by whom. We’re not only competing with each other, but we also have to eliminate the threats that pop up in the game.
I see Celine from the corner of my eye, so I shoot her in the shoulder.
“Ugh,” she grunts, but just then, Kaden hits me in my thigh.
We never aim for vital points—we all want to prolong the competition for as long as possible.
I spot Dane next and sneak up behind him. I aim and shoot, but Abi sees me and fires from above.
Knowing Bailey, she’s found the best hiding spot. I am going to find you, kitten.
Shooting one enemy after another, I take them down and look up at the screen. An hour has passed, and everyone is still in the game. That’s good, but endurance wavers. Attention wanes. Exhaustion ensues.
In the next hour, like clockwork, everyone in the group is taken down one by one. I hear them cursing as they’re eliminated.
When it’s just Bailey and me, I say, “Hiding won’t help you, kitten.”
“Who says I am hiding?”
Just then, a bullet grazes my thigh. I jump around and catch her ponytail disappearing down a corridor. So damn proud of her .
She moves gracefully, silent as a shadow, but I am always a step behind her. Following her through the maze of enemies is difficult, but I am laser focused. When I’m ambushed, I fire, taking down each opponent, but I am injured. One more hit, and I’ll be out before I get the chance to take her down. Fuck.
I hear her giggle, but it quickly vanishes.
“You want to play, kitten?”
“Give me your best, but it doesn’t look good for you. Oops.” She doesn’t sound sympathetic at all.
I approximate where she could be and stalk toward her. I have my gun trained on her back. “Got you.”
She glances over her shoulder, then fully turns to face me, biting her bottom lip—a move that short-circuits my brain.
“Never give the opponent time,” she grins, shooting me square in the chest.
I look up at the screen to see my avatar eliminated.
“I’m better with a gun,” she says, sassing me with a smirk.
With that, she walks away, humming to herself, leaving me dumbfounded. But when I catch my reflection in the mirrored wall, I realize I am grinning.
“That was luck,” I yell at her back.
She spins around, huffing. “You’re such a sore loser.”
While she goes to change, I opt for another simulation, still running high on adrenaline. I need to burn off this energy so I don’t do something stupid—like chase after her and have my way with her—a dangerous thought.
She places her hand on my back before facing me. “Do you ever have fun?”
What kind of question is that? I feel my brows furrowing. This is my way of having fun.
She sighs. “Do you even know what fun is?”
“I go to a shooting range.”
“That sounds like so much fun,” she says, the sarcasm not lost on me.
I arch a brow at her. “Yeah, right, Miss Fun, who always has her eyes glued to a screen.”
She sighs. “We don’t know what fun is, do we?”
Her words settle heavy on my chest with undeniable truth. Neither of us moves from the spot. Seconds stretch, making me aware of her alluring nearness, of her sweet scent lingering around, tormenting me with pure temptation.
“What do you like to do besides swimming?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. And you, besides fighting?”
“I don’t know.”
When she moves to leave, I quickly change inside the locker room and catch up with her outside. Relief washes over me once I see she hasn’t left yet.
“I thought you’d leave…”
She avoids my glance and kicks at an invisible rock.
“You made me stronger. I’m still afraid, but most of all, I hate—”
“What do you hate?” I ask, cupping her cheek. I don’t know what’s happening, but her vulnerability slices at my soul. I’d tear every one of her fears apart so she’ll forget what that even means.
“That he might touch me, kiss me… I don’t like that. It’s bad enough I wasted my first date on him.”
“Don’t call that a date. It wasn’t.”
“Yeah, but calling it fake won’t change it either.”
She stares into the distance as if looking straight through me, which doesn’t sit well with me.
Without thinking it through, I say, “We’re going to have some fun.”
I take her hand and open the door to her car for her.
“But what are we going to do?”
“Find something that is fun.”
She smiles so brightly that it lightens up my entire being.
We head back to campus, and when we park, I gesture for her to get into my car, opening the passenger door for her. She hops in, buckles up, and looks at me expectantly.
“There is an entertainment complex in the city that is all the rage, apparently. Should we try it?”
Eye flickering, she nods. My heart behaves so out of the ordinary around her—beating out of control. I’d do anything to see that joyful expression on her face.
On the drive there, time flies by quickly, or I just like having her in my car and want to prolong it. That’s a first, for sure.
When I park in the underground garage, she asks, “Are we safe?”
I arch a brow at her. “You’re with me, kitten. What do you think?”
She giggles. “Okay, my personal hero. Let’s have fun.”
The building has five stories, with karting on the fifth level. Each level hosts spaces for gaming centers, bowling, climbing, jumping, mini golf, and laser tag.
I pay for the entry tickets and leave our shoes in the locker. On the trampoline park level, people are bouncing around, some even playing with a ball. She giggles when a guy falls, his body bouncing twice before coming to a stop.
She’s the first to jump in. For a moment, I can’t move, can’t breathe. My eyes take her in, gorging on her beauty.
“What are you waiting for?” she asks, and I follow. I’d follow this girl anywhere.
She squeals as I try to catch her. This is not a competition. For the first time, I just let myself get carried away. Even though she’s fast, I am always behind her. I pretend to catch her, which makes her laugh, and those sweet sounds are a balm to my soul. I want to record and play them on repeat until the end of time. Wrapped in this easygoing moment, time ceases to exist. For a while, there is no pressure, no thoughts, no memories—just her.
We move to the next floor, where she’s eager to climb the wall. I double-check her rope, then check a third time before finally letting her go, ignoring the staff member’s eye roll. It takes everything in me to take a step back, reminding myself that she’s fine.
Nothing will happen to her.
She looks at me from above, wearing a mischievous grin. She splays her arms open and plunges. In my haste to save her, I forget she’s secured. Propelling myself into action, I catch her. Only with her safely tucked in my arms does my pulse return to somewhat regular.
“Why would you do that?” I ask, the panic clear in my voice.
A big smile tips up the corners of her mouth. “I knew you’d catch me.”
“What if I didn’t?”
“So grumpy and bossy.”
What is happening right now? My skin gets tighter around my bones as if I have outgrown my body.
“Come on, there’s more.”
By the time we finish testing everything, it’s after midnight, and we’re both tired. But I had fun. I can’t even remember the last time I experienced that.
I pull into a drive-through next, and she orders a cheeseburger and fries without taking a breath.
“I’m so hungry,” she says, and right then, her belly grumbles.
“Did you have fun?”
“I did. What was your favorite activity?”
You. Seeing you. Spending time with you. Damn. I am fucked.
“Hmm, the laser tag and the karting. And yours?”
“Jumping and climbing, but karting wasn’t so bad either.”
“You held up the entire line,” I remind her.
A cute frown digs between her brows. “No, I didn’t. I am a cautious driver.”
“Mm-hmm, sure.”
She shoves at me playfully, and this feels too good, too familiar. I don’t know what to make of this newfound intimacy. The part that scares me the most is it doesn’t scare me at all—it feels natural.
“We’ll have to work together,” she says, peering at me as if to gauge my reaction.
“There could be worse things.”
She palms her chest. “I’m honored.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” I wink at her, and her expression is priceless. Brows furrowed, she doesn’t know whether to believe me. I’m confusing myself too.
“What is the deal with your parents?” I ask, wanting to know more about that.
“They never truly cared about my existence. It’s like I’m a stain on their perfect lives.”
I hate them so fucking much.
“I don’t care any longer.” A deep sigh rocks her chest, and she says, “Actually, I do. After being neglected for so long, it leaves scars. Maybe that’s why I preferred to stay in the shadows. If my own parents don’t like me, how could someone else?”
“Don’t ever talk about yourself like you’re not worthy of love.” If anyone is lovable, it’s her.
“You don’t like me either.”
“You want me to like you, Bailey?”
Why do I get the impression we’re talking about more than liking?
“What if I wanted you to?” she asks, challenging me.
The air gets too hot in here to even breathe, and thinking clearly edges on impossible. Pent-up desire chokes me up, and I roll down the window, inhaling the fresh air.
She takes another bite of her cheeseburger. “Tell me something about you.”
Thankful for the change of topic, I could kiss her. Fuck me.
Despite her coming across as quiet and an introvert, Bailey has never behaved like that with me. I haven’t been what others say about me with her either.
“There’s not much to tell.” Loss. Trauma. Shame. Mission. That would summarize my life.
She tilts her head, and her undivided attention strips me bare. “What are you so afraid of?”
“Of someone seeing the real me.” The car falls silent. It got too serious too quickly. “Fun, huh? Maybe you’re right, and we don’t know how to have fun.”
With that, I start the engine and drive back to campus.
When we arrive at the house, I wait for her to get out so I can get a grip on my emotions. She doesn’t. She remains seated and watching me, boring into my soul, unraveling me. Since the beginning, she has been there in my face, but since we’ve gotten closer, she’s peeled back one layer after another, prying me open bit by bit. She’ll learn what’s behind it all and stop looking at me with those bright eyes that promise me safety—promising me things my starved being wants to feast on. I would tarnish her, and I refuse to.
“I’m sorry for whatever happened to you to think like that,” she says and leaves. Alone, the demons mock me.
My sister thinks I got fucked up when I had to watch our mother die. Not that it didn’t, but to overcome that traumatic event, I preferred to remember her smiling at me, telling me she loved me and that I should live—that it was not my fault. I held her hand until the paramedics arrived, and she was taken from me. But it was not my mother’s death that fucked me up. It was her best friend.
Bailey scratches at my walls with a gentleness that my insides don’t perceive as dangerous. Instead of being wary of the intruder, they’re allowing her in, inch by inch, until there’s no way of removing her. That’s both curious and disturbing.
When I finally get my ass through the front door, Celine is waiting for me in the hallway.
I jerk my chin in her direction. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”
“Why did you need that time in the car?”
“Not now.”
“Haven’t I been patient? You know everything about me. I showed you all my vulnerabilities, trusting that I am safe with you. Why don’t you feel safe with me?” she asks, voice shaky.
My silence spurs her on.
“I was wrong… I thought you were a playboy, but you’re not. You haven’t been with anyone since London, and that was months ago. So, I realized it was your coping mechanism. But for what?”
My heart slams against my chest, each beat pounding in my ears.
“You’re not a shrink, and I’m not in the mood.”
“I thought we were best friends. You can tell me. Please.”
No one will ever find out.
There’s so much more at play here. Alice is the fucking principal of my family’s school—my mom’s best friend. If I come forward about what happened, the fallout would be even worse. That’s my burden to carry, my shame to live with.
“Where were you?” she asks, changing the topic, aware she won’t get the answers she wants.
“At an entertainment center in the city.”
“Did you have fun?”
“Why are you so worried about me?”
“Hunter, you and I have always shared a deep connection. I think my penchant for aggression was partly because I felt your hidden anger too.”
I move to pass her, and she grips my hand. “I love you. It’s okay to love. It’s okay to be loved. Don’t let the demons win.”
“They already have.”