Chapter Ten #2
Cyril’s smile was sweet. “I have faith in you.” He looked around the room. “I have faith in all of us. I’m not going to deny that I’m terrified, but I know that the people here will keep me safe. I know that you’ll do everything to keep Vale alive. We can do this if we work together.”
Vale wished he had Cyril’s optimism. He had no idea if they were going to make it out of this mess alive, and while he had every intention of doing his best to make that happen, he’d made plans in case Helena won.
He exchanged a glance with Russell, who knew what those plans were and had agreed to implement them.
He hadn’t been happy about it, but he hadn’t been able to deny that it would be for the best. If something happened to Vale, he wanted Cyril to be taken care of, and the best person to do that was his best friend.
Vale knew for sure that if he’d been on his own, he wouldn’t have won this battle. Helena was too strong, and she wasn’t working alone. Vale wasn’t, either. Surrounded by the people he cared about, he knew that he had at least a chance to survive, and that was all that mattered.
“I’m going to call my mom,” Cyril said as he stepped closer to Vale. “I hope I can convince her to go visit her sister out of town for a bit.”
“I don’t think Helena really plans to grab your mom. She’s not who Helena’s interested in.”
“Maybe not, but I’d rather be safe than sorry, and she did threaten to do it to get me to work for her.” Cyril bit his lower lip. “That’s one of the few threats that would work. If Helena has someone I care about, I’ll have to do what she wants. I don’t want to, but I wouldn’t have a choice.”
“Tell your mom to leave town, then,” Vale said. “If you know she’s safe, you’ll be able to focus on what’s happening.” And Helena wouldn’t be able to use her as a pawn.
Vale glanced at Robbie. He half wanted to tell him to leave, too, but he already knew that Robbie would tell him to fuck off. He wasn’t going anywhere if they weren’t, and they were stuck here because Helena would find them wherever they ran.
Getting Cyril’s mother out of town was the best thing they could do.
It still left them plenty of people to worry about, but most of those people could defend themselves, so Vale thought that would be okay.
Someone would have to keep an eye on Cyril and Robbie, but they both knew how dangerous Helena and the Organization were.
Unlike Cyril’s mom, they knew what was happening and to be careful.
Vale didn’t think it would be enough to protect them, but it was something.
“Guys,” Robbie called out, getting everyone’s attention. “I think I found her.”
Vale frowned and moved so he could look at Robbie’s computer screen.
There was a map there, and Vale didn’t have to ask before Robbie explained what they were looking at.
“I mean, it could be someone else, but I cross-referenced some of the information Rachel just gave me with hotel bookings. I focused on the high-end ones and didn’t find anything, so I moved to rental houses.
I still didn’t find her, so I checked the cameras in areas we knew she was in since she and her team killed three people.
I think she’s staying in the house of one of them. ”
“That would be just like her,” Vale grumbled. “We know where she is now. We need to start planning.”
“What are you going to do?” Robbie asked.
“Take the fight to her before she can bring it to us.”
* * * *
CYRIL HEARD THAT ROBBIE had found Helena before he stepped into the bedroom to call his mom. It thrilled him as much as it terrified him.
They knew where Helena was. They could take the fight to her like Vale had said, and hopefully, get the upper hand because she wouldn’t see them coming. If they waited, she would get them where she wanted them, and it might be nearly impossible to win this fight.
Which wasn’t something Cyril wanted to think about.
If they lost, his life would be ruined. Vale would die, and Cyril would be forced to work for Helena.
He knew that Russell, Rachel, and the others would protect him as well as they could, but he didn’t think they’d be able to do much against the Organization, especially with Vale gone.
No, there was only one way out of this that Cyril was willing to consider, and it ended with him and Vale and everyone they cared about safe and Helena and the Organization out of their city.
He sighed and flopped on the edge of the mattress. Oscar had been sleeping on Cyril’s pillow, but he quickly skittered toward him as if feeling that something was wrong. Cyril grabbed him and dragged him into his lap to pet his head.
It was smooth and warm. It felt nothing like petting a cat or a dog, but Cyril didn’t care. He loved Oscar the way he was. After all, he created him.
As much as he dreaded the conversation with his mother, he called anyway. He’d feel better once he knew she was away from this mess. He wasn’t sure how he would explain to her that he needed her to leave, but he’d find a way.
“Honey,” his mother said when she answered. “Are you calling to reschedule our lunch again?”
She didn’t know anything about Vale’s former profession. They’d never told her, and Cyril still wasn’t planning to. He just wasn’t sure how to explain that she had to leave without at least hinting at it. “Mom, do you trust me?” he asked.
His mother paused before answering. “Of course, but what’s this about? I don’t like your tone of voice.”
Cyril swallowed. “If you trust me, I need you to listen to me. I know you have questions, but I can’t answer them.”
“You’re scaring me.”
Cyril hated this. “Sorry. I just need you to pack some stuff and go visit Aunt Emma for a few weeks.”
“What? Why?”
“Just trust me, please. I can’t explain it, but it has to do with my job.” Technically, it did, so it wasn’t a lie. Helena wanted Cyril for his ability. She might have found him because she was looking for Vale, but now that she had him in her sights, she wouldn’t let him go.
“You can’t tell me what’s going on?”
“No. I wish I could, but it would only make things more dangerous for you.” Because she’d insist on staying and helping.
Cyril wasn’t sure how she would react to finding out that Vale was a professional assassin, but he knew that she’d want to stick around for him even if she decided she wanted nothing to do with Vale.
Cyril couldn’t let her do that.
“Are you in danger, Cyril?” she asked.
“I am, and this person threatened to hurt you. Vale is taking care of everything, and he’ll protect me, but I need to know that you’re safe. Please, Mom. Just tell me you’ll go to Aunt Emma.”
Cyril could feel that his mother was still hesitant, but he wasn’t surprised when she agreed. “I’ll go if that’s what you need me to do. Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help, though?”
“I’m sure. The best thing you can do is to get out of town.”
“You’ll call me? I need to know that you’re safe as much as you need to know that I am.”
“I promise I’ll call you every day.”
She chuckled. “Several times a day would be great, if you can. Now that I know that you’re in danger, I’m going to be anxious.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“Please.” She hesitated. “You’re going to win this, right? I’m not going to get a call telling me that you’re gone?”
“I’m going to do everything I can, and so will Vale and the others. I just can’t promise it’ll be enough.”
She sighed. “I wish I could force you to accept my help, but I know how that would go. I’m going to have to let you do this, as little as I like it.”
“I’ll be fine.” He hoped it wasn’t a lie. He’d do his best to ensure that it wasn’t.
“Well, I guess I should start packing. I’ll be waiting for your call tonight and tomorrow morning.”
“Maybe I’ll get Vale to talk to you, too.”
“Please do. I worry about him almost as much as I worry about you.”
It was one of the reasons Cyril loved her so much.
He hated having to hang up, but he did because he wanted his mother gone as quickly as possible. When he was done, he put his phone down on the bed and wrapped his arms around Oscar. He really hoped this wasn’t the last time he’d talked to his mother.