Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Sweat drips from my forehead, and my breathing is labored. Cove, on the other hand, doesn’t seem all that bothered. He has his boxing gloves on, and although it’s obvious this is a serious work out for him as well, his body doesn’t show it.
“How about you pause a moment and actually take a breath?”
“No,” my response is immediate. “There’s no time, Cove. I’ve gotten too lazy lately. So, hit me again.”
“No,” he scoffs. “I’ve been hitting you for the past three hours. You’re so distracted it’s crazy. You’ll get your teeth knocked out at this rate, Arlo. What’s up?”
I whip my head around. “What do you mean, ‘what’s up?’ My father is dead.”
“I know. And you’re not coping too well.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” I roll my eyes. “On top of that, Dom is about to die, someone I have known since I was eighteen turned out to be a fucking traitor. How the hell do you think I feel?”
Cove tosses his boxing gloves aside, wiping his forehead with the towel. For a moment, I sit on the bench, inhaling deeply, trying to catch my breath. This entire week has been like an out of body experience. I can’t even cry.
All I’ve been doing is train, putting in all the hours I can, trying to figure out where Raven has gone, and absolutely nothing seems to be working out in my favor.
Everyone I come into contact with since Hudson passed, gives me nothing but looks of pity, and that just makes me angrier with each passing glance.
“You still haven’t gone to identify his body, though.”
“I can’t,” I mutter. “That will only prove this entire thing is actually real. Besides, I want to do it with Aria. She’s not ready just yet. I’m waiting for her.”
My chest is aching. My head is throbbing, and my heart is shattered. This all feels like a fever dream, and I don’t think it has an end. It took me a lot of strength not to reach for a bottle, because I know Dad wouldn’t have wanted that.
The thought of him truly being gone, buried six feet under ground is making my head spin. And yet, I can’t stop thinking about him.
What were his last thoughts? What was going through his head when he was taking his last breath? Did he think of Mom when his eyes closed for the last time? Or did he think of Aria and me?
“Aria will never be ready, you know that. There will never be a good time for something like this Arlo.”
“What else am I supposed to do, Cove? I can’t see my father’s dead body on my own.” I say, desperation clawing at my voice.
“Take Blair with you.”
I shake my head, chuckling a little. “That’s even worse. She’s been crying a lot lately. She thinks I don’t see it, or that I’m not paying attention, but her bloodshot eyes tell me everything I need to know. Hudson was like a father to her, too.”
“Blair has been very helpful through all this, though.”
“Thank you for putting her in charge,” I sigh, rubbing my face with my palm, trying to wipe away the uneasiness that creeps up my body. “She’s been doing a fantastic job, there’s no one else I’d trust enough with this.”
Cove nods. “I know. That’s why I gave her the push she needed. She’s been working with Keith and Lucas on tracking down Paul Simmons and Raven.”
A pang of anger floods through me when the two names are mentioned.
Never in my life could I have anticipated that one of my closest people would work for that motherfucker.
I knew it was someone from the inner circle, but when Raven’s name was revealed, something broke inside me. He was someone I trusted.
So, why?
Why would he throw it all away for that man?
He had everything he could ever want. He was paid well over the usual rate and then some because he’s a very talented sniper.
He wanted a penthouse, so I got him one.
He wanted more days off than he had working, so he got it.
He was one of the rare people within the organization who got to pick and choose when his services were available.
All of this is a fucking mess.
“Have you tracked down Raven?”
Cove sits on the bench next to me. “No, not yet. He’s gone completely off grid.
He knows that we know, so the bastard won’t be popping out on his own, he’s too clever for that.
Don’t worry, though. With all these resources, it’s only a matter of time before I find him.
Even if we didn’t have them, you know damn well that I’m good at what I do. ”
I nod. “Good. I know you’ll find him and bring him to me, just make sure he’s unharmed. I want to have fun with him.”
“You got it,” Cove says. “Also, Blair instructed that Amy Marshall and Nelson Adams are to be moved to a different location.”
I lift a brow. “When did this happen?”
“Last night.”
“Smart girl,” a speck of pride blooms inside of me. “With Raven on the loose, and him knowing where both are being kept, it’s safer to move them elsewhere. Did you do it?”
“Yes. So far, the only people aware of their locations are Blair, Keith and myself.”
Cove’s dark hair falls over his face, and he reaches for his phone. “There are no chances of either of them escaping, because they’re quite literally caged.”
“That’s great. That just means I can focus on finding Raven.”
“No,” Cove says, slowly lifting his eyes from the device to look at me. “What you need to do is focus on yourself. Have you seen yourself lately? You’re a ticking time-bomb, and although no one else has the balls to ask, I will — what the fuck compelled you to massacre a prison… again?”
“It’s just the beginning, Cove,” the words taste foreign on my tongue. It’s like someone else entirely is speaking through me, my mind and soul are foggy. “I wasn’t kidding. I’ll start killing people, one by one, until I’m satisfied and no longer angry.”
“Jesus Christ,” he mumbles. “That’s stupid.”
“Perhaps,” I shrug. “But it’s a good outlet.”
“What about agent Arnault?”
I snort. “What about him? If he comes knocking again, I’ll blow his brains out before he even knows what is happening. Quick and easy.”
“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Cove abruptly stands up, and he’s right in front of me. With a frown, I tilt my head upwards, looking at him. He looks very angry, which on its own, is an accomplishment. Cove rarely gets this angry.
“Cove, I need you to back down.”
“No, I’m not backing the fuck down. Are you insane? Killing Arnault will only open a can of worms you cannot afford to have open right now.”
I sigh. “It’ll be fine. I didn’t say I’d kill him now, I said I’d do it if he decided to put his nose where it doesn’t belong.” I shrug.
“Are you even hearing yourself right now? Jesus Christ, you need to reevaluate everything. Did you turn stupid overnight? This is a bad, bad idea, Arlo.”
“Why am I being lectured? I didn’t actually kill him,” I clench my jaw, my heart starting to throb from this conversation.
“You know what? Fine. If you want to kill him, be my guest,” he scoffs, folding his arms in front of his chest.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t complain when it comes to bite you in the ass.”
“You’re being overly dramatic,” I roll my eyes. “Now, move. I want to finish this work out and go home.”
“Where’s Aria?”
Cove’s question makes me pause for a moment. I quirk a brow, looking at him in suspicion. “Why do you care where my little sister is, Cove?”
“First off, drop that look. You know I didn’t mean it like that, you little shit. Secondly, do you think it’s a smart idea to leave her all alone? She’s just like you Arlo, if not worse. Impulsive, stubborn and very, very deadly. Who knows what she’ll do now that she’s grieving?”
That makes me halt in my tracks. Although she’s been stuck in the hospital with Mom, not wanting to leave her side, I dread to think what she’d do if Mom were to actually die. That’s something Aria would never recover from, and she’d definitely go on a killing spree.
It’s just now that the possibility of Aria trying to take her life again hits me, I’m pissed at myself for forgetting something so vital.
People grieve differently, and she barely managed to pull through after her attempt.
I don’t even want to imagine what she’ll do if the worst happens because no matter how much I love Mom and Dad, I’d sacrifice them both in a heartbeat, to keep my little sister.
However, there’s a seed of doubt in my mind. I almost lost her once, and her suicide attempt was luckily unsuccessful, but who knows what would happen if she were to attempt again? Who knows what would happen if her mind goes to that dark, dark place?
She’d never ask for help. She’d be determined to either push it through on her own, or let the demons win.
In that sense, we’re too similar.
Then again, we are siblings. We were both raised and trained to be this way.
Noelle was softer on us, whereas Hudson demanded discipline. We’d spend days during summer break training our bodies during the day with Dad, then spend the nights with Mom. She was teaching us how to shoot, how to throw a knife, and most importantly, how to never miss a target.
It was brutal, but it was efficient. It was thanks to them that I’m as capable as I am.
“Fuck,” I groan. “Fine, have someone watch her at all times. I don’t even want her going to the bathroom unattended.”
???
“You’re back,” Blair breathes out the moment I step into the apartment. Her eyes are bloodshot, and I can tell she’s been crying for a while. She forces a smile on her face when she spots me, taking a small step forward.
“And you’ve been crying,” I say, shrugging the coat off and hanging it neatly by the door.
“That’s irrelevant,” she mutters, wrapping her arms around me. Blair gets on her tippy toes, burying her face in the crook of my neck. The moment she’s nestled in nicely and as close as possible, her entire body relaxes. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Always,” I mutter, taking a big breath and inhaling the scent of her shampoo. “I’ll always come back to you, Butterfly.”
Slowly, she pulls back. “How are you doing, Baby?”