Chapter 27 #2
She pauses, looking at me skeptically. The anger simmers underneath the surface, the fire in her eyes intensifying. However, she does unclench her fists, taking a few steps toward me. Then, she flops on the floor, sitting on the soft carpet. Her back’s turned to the fireplace, blocking the warmth.
“What’s the plan, Blair?”
I bite the inside of my cheek. I’m about to tell her one of the most reckless plans I’ve ever had. Aria calms down, then slowly takes her hands in mine, giving them a light squeeze.
My eyes dip down to her wrists. She no longer has bandages, but the scars are there and will likely remain even after they’ve healed completely. I force my eyes to find hers, then start talking.
“There’s this young girl, Daisy.” I clear my throat. “And she’s in danger. Paul wants her to… well… who knows what he wants her for.”
“Alright,” Aria drawls out, brows creasing.
“So, he was supposed to grab her before Noelle caught Adams. Not having Adams near steered the plans away for a bit, but I needed to make sure Kaya will have enough time to find Daisy.”
“None of this explains why the fuck Simmons is no longer chained up.”
I swallow thickly. “Well, I didn’t set him free, Aria. I’d never do that. I wanted revenge, and I wanted to do it in the most brutal way possible.”
“You’re losing me here.”
With a sigh, I untangle one of my hands from hers. Then, I reach for the TV remote that’s sitting on the small coffee table between the two armchairs, turning the device on. I switch through the channels until I find the one I’m looking for.
“We’re now watching the news?” She asks, turning her body to face the TV.
“Something like that.”
The news channel is rather boring, but I know it will happen. They switch from talking about the sports to the weather until it flashes to breaking news. Aria straightens up, eyes following the screen carefully.
“Earlier today, one of the candidates running for the presidential seat, Paul Simmons, was arrested. The FBI has received an anonymous tip, with evidence connecting Simmons to multiple human-trafficking organizations, as well as child molestation.”
Aria’s eyes snap to mine. “What did you do?!”
“I sent him to prison.”
Her mouth is agape, eyes wide in pure shock. She’s frozen in her spot, though her eyes dart between me and the lady on the news channel. The hand that’s still holding my own squeezes it tightly, her mind going into overdrive to process all of this.
“You sent him to prison.” Aria repeats, then clears her throat. “Why? And how the fuck?”
“With Adams tightly locked up and Simmons in prison, the other two will start making mistakes. That will lead us straight to the mole and to Amy Marshall. When I get revenge, it will be on all of them, not just Paul. Besides, I didn’t just send him to prison.”
Aria lifts a brow.
“I sent him to Hudson’s prison. Guess who will be his cellmate?”
“You didn’t,” Aria gasps, hand covering her mouth. “You’re either a genius or fucking stupid.”
“I sent Hudson a letter.” I lean back in the armchair, half-listening to the girl breaking down the story of Paul’s arrest, half-trying to tell Aria everything without leaving out any details. “He’ll make sure Simmons isn’t killed, because we all know what happens to people like him in prison.”
“That gives us some time.”
I nod. “Did you find anything on the mole?”
Aria sighs. “To be honest, just some clues that don’t really give anything away.
I interrogated Adams again, but I don’t think he knows who the mole is.
He’s as stupid as they get. I also tried reaching out to X, thinking maybe he’s heard something during his undercover mission. He’s yet to get back to me.”
“This is stressful,” I groan, rubbing my temples. I can feel an incoming headache, and it won’t be a mild one. “What exactly did you find, Aria?”
“Okay, so Lucas managed to track down a cellphone that’s been registered under Alexander’s name, right? But the phone was purchased after we grabbed him, so it couldn’t have been him.”
“Go on.” I lean forward, watching as the flames dance all over her face, the shadow casting an eerie glow.
“So far, we’ve only been tracking it. She’s currently in one of the shadier parts of the city, and I have all of my eyes on her.
She won’t be able to leave the city at all.
I think she’s starting to realize that, too.
There’s been only one number that’s been calling her, and it’s pissing me off that we can’t trace it. ”
“No way to find who she’s been talking to?”
Aria shakes my head. “If I had to guess, it’d be on the other two of Simmons’ group.
The consequences of Arlo setting New York on fire manifested earlier than expected,” she sighs.
“Flint went into hiding after all of his banks got burned to the ground. It’s because of us, but also all of the wealthy men who had their money in the bank.
Woods has hired too many security guards, and although it wouldn’t be too difficult to get to him, it would give us more attention than we can afford now.
So, I do think Amy’s in contact with both of them, trying to figure out how to escape. ”
“She won’t be able to.’’ I look outside, watching as the snow coats the window. “I have plans for her, too.”
“Do I want to know?”
I chuckle. “All in due time, Aria. But, you’re handling all of this extremely well.”
“Am I?” Her shoulders slump. “It feels like I’m doing everything so wrong recently.”
“You’re doing well.” I place a hand on her shoulder, smiling softly. “I’m proud of you, Aria.”
“Thank you.”
I give her a small squeeze, then pull my hand back. “You’re taking Arson back to Niko’s?”
She nods. “Yeah, I’ve grown attached to the little shit. Just yesterday, she was staring right at me while pushing one of my perfumes off the counter.”
A laugh bursts through me, and I shake my head. “Yeah, that sounds like Arson, alright.”
“She’s a menace,” Aria huffs. “But I do like her.”
“She likes you, too; otherwise you’d be filled with scratch marks.”
Aria grins, then slowly stands up. “Well, I should go.”
“Where are you going?”
“Raven and Cove finished the transfer.”
A frown tugs on my lips. “What transfer?”
Aria bites the inside of her cheek. “This base has been compromised by having the mole. So, I’m taking it elsewhere. All of the important things have been transported. Though, telling Freya that she needs to plant a new botanic garden will be a task I don’t want to do.”
The thought makes a grimace pull on my face. I don’t even want to be nearby when Freya gets told to pack up, and I’m assuming the screaming match will be severe.
“Yikes, good luck with that.”
“Yeah, I’ll definitely need—”
The words die in her throat when a loud bang echoes from somewhere within the base. We exchange worried looks before both of us dart out of the room. The blanket falls down, and I reach for the gun while passing by it on the table.
The main room is in chaos. Men that aren’t our own are entering, one by one, firing shots at whoever they can reach. A few of ours fall down, dead. Quickly, I lift the gun and manage to get one, watching as his limp body hits the floor.
“Aria!” I yell over the noise, and she briefly glances at me. “Where the fuck is Raven?”
“I don’t know,” she yells back, just as she uses a baseball bat to hit the back of one man’s head. “I called for the rest!”
It doesn’t matter. We’re outnumbered, and it seems as though this is a lost battle.
Fuckedy fuck.