TWENTY-SIX
“W oah, take it easy. The food is all yours, Noah.”
I throw Niko a nasty glare.
I’m on my seventh pizza slice, my fingers are coated with grease, and I’m pretty sure this white shirt is no longer white. For the first time in a long time, I can’t bring myself to care. I continue to devour the food until it physically starts hurting to eat more.
“How long have you gone without eating? Jesus Christ,” Niko mumbles, eyes wide. He brought two pizzas, and he and Dylan were forced to share one while I grabbed the other one all for myself.
“Why are the two of you even here?”
I grab some napkins to wipe my mouth and hands. We’re sitting in my living room with a random volleyball game playing on the big screen behind me. I’m on the floor, legs crossed, dressed in a casual, white shirt and a pair of bike shorts.
“I was worried,” Dylan says, eyes softening.
“There’s this thing called a cell phone,” I mumble and take a big swig of the cold beer. “And you really were not supposed to bring Niko with you. He’s annoying.”
Dylan laughs while Niko throws me a glare. I ignore it and sprawl on the floor, enjoying the crack in my back once it meets the hard, wooden surface. It’s chilly and yet so peaceful.
“How are your injuries, Dylan?”
“Completely healed, thank you.” He smiles. “But there are scars. I’ll probably get them surgically removed.”
I nod. “That’s up to you.”
Time passes quickly.
Hudson and I spent every waking moment together training. He was trying to improve my hand-to-hand combat skills. After weeks of sweat, tears, and torture, I am finally ready for that damn auction.
Physically, at least.
Mentally? I need at least four years to prepare myself. But there’s no time, and I’m not prolonging this further. This weekend is possibly the only chance to put a stop to it, and I will not stop until the motherfucker is six feet under.
Hudson will be here in four hours, and that’s when we’ll leave.
But these two idiots are messing with my head. Why did they have to drop by now, of all the nights? Niko definitely knows how important tonight is, and I don’t see a reason for him to disrupt my plans. In fact, he is on the goddamn support team.
“Now, tell me why you’re here.”
Dylan glances at Niko with a hint of excitement before his eyes settle on me. He clears his throat, a small smile tugging on the corner of his lips.
“Well, I’m very pleased to announce that I managed to move our wedding date forward.”
I freeze.
Everything around me stops moving. My chest starts hurting, and I can’t tell if it’s because I suddenly forgot how to breathe or because the pain that is slowly spreading through my body like a poison is getting too unbearable.
My nails dig into my palm, squeezing until blood starts to trickle. It doesn’t hurt—or rather, it’s the thing that hurts the least. My throat is dry, and no words are able to come out. I’m processing all of this while Niko is dumbfounded.
He was never on board with this marriage. But over time, he and Dylan became friends. It’s not anything too personal or too close, but still better than it was in the beginning.
Now, however, Niko is in a worse state than I am.
He’s practically seething with anger, brows narrowed in suspicion at Dylan. Dylan either doesn’t want to engage with Niko’s little fit, or he doesn’t even notice because his attention is solely on me.
“Excuse me?”
Dylan nods enthusiastically. “It was hard, since our venue is rather popular these days, but with a little cash, they brought the date forward. It’s in three weeks.”
My eyes nearly pop out of my sockets.
“Three fucking weeks? You did it without asking me first? What is wrong with you? The answer is no, Dylan.”
He frowns. “Why are you so upset? You were the one who wanted to get married as soon as possible.”
That’s true. But that was months ago, before I met Hudson. The thought of marrying anyone but that annoying little De Santis makes my stomach twist and turn. It’s nauseating to even think about marrying Dylan, especially with his odd behavior the past five weeks.
“Not in three fucking weeks.” I look at Niko for help, and he nods.
“Listen, Dylan,” he starts speaking, anger evident on his face. “Marriage takes two. Deciding on this without Noelle was a shitty move. I’d be surprised if she still wants to marry you.”
Alright, I didn’t mean that kind of help.
I’m still in the process of trying to annul the engagement, but I’m trying to do it as gently and maturely as possible. If nothing else, for the friendship Dylan and I have formed over the years together.
“That’s not true,” Dylan defends. “Okay, fine, it was a dick move, I admit, but having to wait another two months is torture for me, Noelle. I really just want to be your husband.”
A few months ago, that would’ve made me the happiest person alive. It would’ve made me grin, and it would’ve made me agree to this ridiculous request.
Now? It makes me want to vomit. I think I threw up in my mouth a little.
“We’ll discuss it tomorrow,” I say with a sigh, covering my eyes with my forearm. “For now, get lost. Both of you. I need some time alone.”
Reluctantly, Dylan agrees. He throws on his coat jacket and bids both of us goodbye before taking his leave. Only after I’m sure he’s out of the building do I rise back to my feet and stare at Niko.
“What just happened?”
“He’s an idiot,” Niko mumbles. “But no one is forcing you to do it. Think about it a little and then make a decision. Though, I have a feeling that you’ve already made it.”
I roll my eyes.
“Get lost and go get ready. It’ll be time soon.”
“Everyone else is done,” he says as he stands up. “They’re waiting for your signal. Don’t forget to wear your earpiece. And please, be careful.”
I roll my eyes and wave him off.
“Don’t worry.”
The chilly air from the window hits my face just as I’m finishing my makeup. Goosebumps tug on my skin, and I shiver, shaking the ominous feeling off. I’m almost ready to go, but there are too many things that are keeping my mind occupied for me to be focused.
For one, the speeding up of my marriage. I’ll tell Dylan tomorrow that the marriage is off the table and even pay him for the money he invested in the venue and everything wedding-related. However, the mere thought of telling him one-on-one brings a disturbance to the pit of my stomach, like an ache I can’t shake off, no matter how hard I try.
And the more important thing: Hudson still doesn’t know about it. He’s in the bathroom, fixing up his suit and tie. Despite wanting to tell him the moment he walked through the front door, I just… froze.
“Hey, Hudson,” I call over, putting on a small pair of diamond earrings. Tonight is all about showing off wealth in subtle moves. “Bring me some bobby pins from the second drawer.”
“In a second,” he yells back.
I’m dressed in a suit, too, with a pink tie. Tonight, Hudson and I will be matching completely. Our ties were hard to find, since I needed them to match the shade of his collar and muzzle perfectly. Eventually, I had them custom-made, much to Hudson’s dismay.
He still doesn’t like the idea, but he’s no longer protesting as loudly.
“Here.” He emerges from the bathroom, and I swear he takes my breath away.
His hair is perfectly slicked back, with one smaller strand falling over his face. His green eyes are shimmering, and I can tell that he’s ready to put this thing behind us and get it over with. And that suit? God, it looks like it was made just for him. It hugs his toned arms perfectly, and I’m barely able to take my eyes off him.
He throws me a teasing grin. “You can look, you know.” He hands me the bobby pins, and I grab the black veil, rolling my eyes.
“Not the time to be a flirt,” I mumble. “We should leave in the next fifteen minutes.”
The veil is made out of lace, and it will cover my face perfectly. It gives me enough coverage but doesn’t limit my vision too much. Unless someone knows it’s me, it’s unlikely they’d be able to recognize me.
Slowly, I start putting it on my head and securing it on my hair with the bobby pins. I don’t notice how much my hands are shaking until Hudson grabs both and places soft kisses on the back of each one.
“It’s not too late for me to go alone, Noelle,” he murmurs, lips still on my hands.
Why are my hands no longer shaking? It’s terrifying just how much power Hudson has over me. This has never happened to me before, and I’m not sure how to act and behave.
“I can’t back down,” I say with a deep breath. “I’m fine. I’m just anxious.”
“Why? I’ll be with you. I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”
I raise a brow. “What about you?”
“I don’t count.” He gives me a cheesy smile, and I can’t help but laugh. Now that I’m calmer, Ifinish putting on the black veil, taking back my hands from Hudson’s. It feels empty, to say the least. The warmth from his body immediately disappears, leaving me disappointed.
“Now, it’s time for the fun part.” I grin, and he groans.
I bring him the collar and the muzzle, and he snatches them from my hands, slowly putting them on himself. He looks too fucking cute, like a little puppy. I don’t tell him that though. I don’t want to start a mini-war right before an important mission like this one.
My guns—the few that I own—are all polished and ready to be used. I hide them in my suit jacket and put one in my boot. I manage to sneak a few blades, too. I’m much more comfortable using my daggers, and I pray that they don't search thoroughly because if I’m left without a weapon, I’m nearly useless.
Hudson follows suit, managing to put as many weapons as possible on himself without risking them being discovered. He’s being used as a toy for the night, so having a weapon would potentially destroy the cover Lucas spent hours making.
“Noelle,” he says through the muzzle, and I try my best not to laugh. “Don’t drink or eat anything you’re offered. Keep close and if you so much as get a whiff that something’s wrong, we’re out of there. Do you understand me?”
“What am I? A child? This isn’t my first time, Hudson. I’m aware how I should act and behave.”
He sighs, rolls his eyes, and pulls me closer. “I think your record is speaking for you. You always go headfirst, and it will get you killed. Try to act… within reason.”
I snort. “Is everything else prepared?”
Hudson nods. “Lyla is with Niko right now. They’re on different teams for the night, but they’re managing everything else. They’ll be close and when you give the sign, they’ll shut the entire place down.”
“The goal is to save the girls,” I say. “If The Silencer escapes, so be it. I’ll get him another time.”
“I know, and I made sure everyone else knows. Henrick and Ray will probably be close by, too. Those two old men can’t go a day without butting their noses in where they don’t belong.”
A laugh bubbles through me. “Right. Well, it’s time to leave.”
I grab a pair of leather gloves and cover my face with the veil. I wrap the chain around my hand and wrist and start yanking Hudson. He scowls but doesn’t say anything. We’re both aware that tonight is going to be very different from what we originally thought.
Because no matter what I just told him, my goal is to kill The Silencer tonight.
Even if it costs me my life.