Chapter 58
Dash
I ’ ve lost track of time. As a matter of fact, fuck time!
Days without Mila don ’ t exist. I ’ m in a state of limbo. Chasing her and running from my brothers. However, after tonight, they will find me. They have been watching Blaze, and it was only a matter of nonexistent time before I came here to interrogate him. I ’ m sure Cillian is on his way, but he won ’ t get here in time to save Blaze or me. Not since he ’ s been in New York.
I reckon it will be Leo or Anders who gets to me the fastest. Hopefully, the latter since he won ’ t stop me from spilling more blood.
“ That was a fucking shit show!” Blaze shouts as he enters his brother ’ s stylish penthouse. “ Where the fuck were you?” The door kicks open, and the scent of gunpowder lingers on his clothing. Blaze ’ s brother, whom I ’ ve had tied up for the last four hours, was supposed to meet Blaze at the docks where their exchange of a new shipment of weapons had gone south.
Blaze stops when he sees me. His eyes look to his brother, who is still breathing but not without injury.
“ I ’ d apologize for ruining the carpet, but you can afford another,” I speak when Blaze ’ s eyes connect to the knife sticking out of his brother ’ s thigh. He won ’ t die from the wound. I made sure not to hit an artery, courtesy of my training at Initiation 101.
Blaze ’ s brother shrugs like it ’ s no big deal. It ’ s sweet that he ’ s trying to assure Blaze it ’ s all going to be okay. Titan would have done the same.
Blaze tugs, with bloody hands, at the collar of his shirt, smearing the color into the fabric like he used to do on his canvas. “ I ’ ve been expecting you.”
I point to the chair. “ Join us.”
He walks forward without rebuke, eyes inspecting his older brother, who I had to gag because I couldn ’ t stand hearing his voice. I can ’ t bear to hear anyone. It all sounds like nails scraping over concrete, like desperate animals wanting my attention.
All I want is to hear Mila again.
No one else.
“ You waited a while to come,” Blaze grunts. There is so much trepidation in his words that the letters try to remain in his mouth. He drops into the leather chair, faking relaxation. He ’ s smart enough not to fight me. He knows my brothers have been watching him, and if he tried and got away with killing me, his death would be final.
The uncertainty of whether I ’ ll kill him makes sweat bead on his brow like a string of Christmas lights.
I reach for the heavy crystal glass and swirl the whiskey. His brother has nice ice in the shape of huge square cubes that make a nice ‘ clank ’ sound as they rub against the glass. Mila would have appreciated that ice for its artistic beauty.
Blaze runs a hand through his hair, eyes lingering on his brother, who is now trying to fight his ropes. “ I don ’ t know where Mila is.” He lowers his chin, eyes locking onto mine. Yeah, I know you hate me. Join the club; it ’ s growing daily.
Brave fool. I like that. I can see why Mila liked him.
“ We have something in common.” I laugh as I kick my boots up on the glass coffee table.
“ Just let my brother go. This is between us. I don ’ t know where she is.” he leans forward.
I drum my fingers along the glass.
“ We all knew she was going to run. You drove her to that. Don ’ t blame me, King!” He ’ s growing desperate. Men always bleed more when they sense the end. If only they remained calm and held it together, they wouldn ’ t have bled out in the first place.
In a swift moment, I reach out and grab the knife from his brother ’ s leg. He screams behind the gag. Blaze stands, thinks better, and then slowly sinks back into his chair.
“ You know what ’ s funny?” I look at his older brother. “ Your brother ’ s lies are clearly stated between his words.” I spin the knife in the air. “ You don ’ t know where she is, but,” My feet land hard on the ground. “ You knew. You fucking knew!”
“ We all knew!” Blaze roars.
“ Who helped her?”
“ I don ’ t know.” He tries so very hard to hold eye contact and not divulge his lie.
My eyes slide to his brother. “ I know your little brother knows something.”
“ You don ’ t deserve her!” Blaze stands, but keeps his distance. “ You wanted to push her away. You got what you craved, Dash. She ran. Leave her be.”
“ Maybe I will,” I whisper.
His shoulders sag an inch. “ You ’ ll destroy her.”
“ Her lack of presence is destroying me. Call it self-preservation.” I sheath the dirty knife, feeling the weight of the gun at my hip.
“ In the end, I choose her. Fuck you, King!” Blaze replies. His brother shouts from behind his gag.
“ So you know something.”
“ I know she was planning on running. You knew that, too.” His chest widens. “ I warned her not to.” His throat rolls.
I crack my neck. “ You ’ re annoying me, Blaze.” I pull out my phone, hit a few buttons, and then toss it to him. His jaw clenches when he sees his family ’ s warehouse filled with 50 million dollars worth of weapons blow up.
“ I ’ m done with this game. Your parents house is next. They are inside.”
His brother yells and wiggles.
Blaze hangs his head. “ What will you do when you find her?” His eyes remain glued to the screen.
Bending down, I drink the rest of the whiskey. “ I ’ ll love her.”
His head snaps up. “ You did love her. Look at what happened.”
“ Love comes in many shapes and forms. It ’ s time I show her a different one.” Maybe that ’ s freedom with a final goodbye or acceptance that I can ’ t control the future.
His eyes hold mine. The anger is gone; now it ’ s just concern and worry. He licks his lips and then tosses my phone back at me. “ She made a phone call in class and pretended to talk to me, so your guards didn ’ t notice. She asked me to get rid of the earbuds she talked with when the call was over. I…I almost told you.”
“ What stopped you?”
“ Whoever was on the phone told her to ask me who Kristen Ferguson and Jacquelyn Vox were.”
My forehead wrinkles.
“ Kristen was engaged to Ronan Graves.”
Oh, that rings a bell. The psycho.
“ So you know,” Blaze responds, “ Whoever helped Mila was responsible for helping Kristen and Jacquelyn escape. They have never been found, Dash, but I also know that whoever helped them meant it. No strings attached. No ransom was requested, no bodies, nothing but pure freedom. That was what Mila wanted, and they gave it to her. There is someone more powerful than you.”
“ I doubt that.” Unless this person had the same connection I had. Help from a powerful organization like The Rites of Passage.
Shit! Could it be?
“ What else?”
“ Nothing.”
Fucking lies! I pull out my gun and shoot his brother ’ s leg, replacing the knife wound with a bullet.
“ Avery!” Blaze ’ s balled fists fly into the air.
I press my hand to my ear. “ What was that?”
“ She said Avery, like a name. That ’ s all you piece of shit!”
I pat his brother ’ s shoulder, “ This could have gone so much smoother if you taught your brother how to lie better.” I rip the gag from his mouth.
His chest heaves. “ You got what you wanted!” He pants. “ Leave my brother alone now.” His eyes plead with me.
I walk to the front door. “ I was never going to hurt Blaze. Mila cared for him; that ’ s the only reason his heart is still beating. You owe the Kings. Remember that lying to us cost you. Sometimes, it ’ s dearly. Consider this a warning. I ’ ll come to collect later.”