49. A Divide
49
A Divide
Matt
I remain in the shadows as the girls walk by me.
Watching them until they disappear around a corner, I then turn into the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb and watching Camilla take a moment longer than absolutely necessary to eliminate that ginger-haired dude.
Part of me wanted to intercede and have a little fun with him myself, but knowing time is of the essence at this point, I refrained. She turns away from his crumpled body, a smile on her face, and her eyes connect with mine.
She doesn't even flinch, as if she knew I was there the entire time.
Which she probably did.
I return her smile and ask, “Was that as satisfying as it looked?”
She nods shortly and says, “Would rather have taken my time with him, but we get what we get.”
I laugh, knowing exactly what she means but still slightly surprised, given I'm not talking to Tony. I raise a brow at her and then ask, “Are you really this certifiable, or is part of it an act?”
The smile falls from her face, her expression turning pensive, and then she answers, “This is 100% who I am. I’ve tried to fake it, but that usually just makes it worse.”
“I never thought I'd meet another woman who is equally or more certifiable than Antoinette and Lilith, but here I am. Intrigued.”
She smiles at me almost saucily and winks. “Just think. Under different circumstances, you could have had me.”
Now, I laugh outright, shaking my head. “Oh. You would not be happy with someone like me.”
She frowns and asks, “And why not?”
“Because deep down, I'm far too submissive for you. You need a man who will meet you head-on and never back down.”
“And do you maybe have a recommendation?”
I squint at her, thinking over my response for a moment, before replying, “I think you already have someone in your sights.”
The smile falls from her face, turning somewhat coy as she shrugs again. “Maybe I do, maybe I don't.”
Part of me wants to razz Kaian about his impending future, but the other part prefers to watch it unfold in real-time. It's not like I'm not an old hand at that, given my experience with Dare, Tony, and Declan. Watching the mighty fall to their woman is one of my favorite pastimes, after all.
I smile at her knowingly. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell.”
She rolls her eyes and snorts as I walk further into the room, looking over the array of concrete boxes. A shiver goes down my spine, having spent some time in similar places and remembering it as being an unenjoyable experience.
“Do you think these other ones are empty?”
Camilla looks over the boxes and then says, “If anything, the two on either side of the open one might contain something, but you'd think they would be yelling?”
We both stop speaking, walk closer to the boxes, and bend forward, and then I smile. “I hear something.”
Camilla moves to the end of one box, and I move to the end of the other one, and we both use the control to slowly open the lids.
I drop the controller, moving over to the side of the open box and peering in to see Ivan's relieved face. I smile, kneeling as I say, “Well, how did you get here?”
He blinks up at me, intermittently squeezing his eyes shut until, finally, he squints at me. “Just lucky, I guess?”
I laugh. “Pretty lucky you didn't get blown up.”
He cocks his head at me and is silent, but then he says, “Good point.”
I look over at Camilla and ask, “Who's in that one?”
She looks over at me but says nothing, a look of concern on her face. So, I rise and walk over, kneeling next to her and looking into the box. “Do you think he's dead?”
Dread settles over me as I look at the still form of Seamus. Dread at the fact that it seems likely the man died saving one of mine. And also dread at what his death will mean for Jessica and me.
Camilla reaches her hand in, pressing it against his neck for not even a second before yanking it back. She looks at me, resignation in her eyes as she says, “Yeah, that seems dead dead.”
I reach a hand out, resting my fingers on the top of his hand, feeling how cold he is and that waxy, unworldly feeling that comes on when you're just shy of too late.
Ivan slowly climbs out of the box, rolling onto the floor and getting his bearings before finally rising to his feet. He limps over toward us, stopping beside me as he whispers, “He saved us.”
I look up at him in surprise because, given everything Seamus has said, the idea that he risked his own life, never mind the lives of his people, to save Darius is shocking.
Ivan laughs almost bitterly as he adds, “Well, he saved Darius. I just got to tag along.”
Camilla and I both stand, and I rest my hand on Ivan's arm as I ask, “Did you not have a chance to run?”
He smiles almost sheepishly. “Run to what?”
“Maybe run for your life?” Camilla interjects blandly.
He shakes his head and then answers, “Run for my life, knowing I willfully left someone behind?”
I smile, and Camilla snorts, “If saving that life would've been completely fruitless, yes.”
“Well, I guess in this case, it worked out,” he replies seriously. “If I had escaped initially when I had the chance, then I wouldn't have been there to lead the two of them to safety.”
His gaze moves back to Seamus, and then he says, almost sadly, “Well, at least I saved him from being blown to smithereens.”
“No one wants to be smithereens,” Camilla jokes.
Ivan frowns at her but says nothing, and so I add, “And you've also gained something to run to in the future.”
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“You risk your own life to save someone you had no personal relationship with. We won't be forgetting that.”
He gives me a closed-mouth smile and then nods.
Camilla sighs as she turns to me. “How do you think Jessica's going to take it?”
“It's hard to say. At first, she probably won't be too bothered, but it's likely the more time goes on, the more affected she'll be by it.”
“If you don't need me for whatever you're doing,” Ivans says and sighs. “I’d like to get him out of here.”
“Please do. It's best if we have a body. And since the majority of people won't know who you are, it's safer if you exit the building as well.”
“Quickest, likely safest route is to head straight down the hallway and then keep to the right up the stairs. Once you’re at ground level, the back exit is right there.” Camilla hands him a set of keys, which he pockets, and then she steps in close, her expression serious as she whispers, “There’s a windward blue ’69 GTO parked in the alleyway to the left of that door. If you hurt my car, I will hurt you.”
Ivan’s eyes widen comically, but before he can reply, she smacks him on the arm and laughs. He looks at me, and I shrug, not having the first clue how to explain her and not really caring to try.
It doesn’t take long for Camilla to locate some large garbage bags, and then we help Ivan remove Seamus from the box, no easy task given his state. Once we secure him properly, Ivan hefts him into a fireman’s carry and walks toward the door. He stops in the doorway, turning back to me with a sad look. “I’ll make sure he’s tended to properly until you can come for him.”
“Thank you,” I answer honestly. “We appreciate you.”
He frowns slightly, opening his mouth as if he’s going to say something further, but then he closes it. He gives me a curt nod, turning and heading back through the door, disappearing into the darkness.
Camilla walks over to me, stopping beside me and looking down the hallway. “I suppose we should get back to it.”
I nod, motioning for her to proceed me. We hustle down the hallway, continuing downward, since typically, that’s where all the bad shit goes down, and soon, we end up in another cavernous room.
Camilla stops short, raising her hand to indicate that I should wait. She cocks her head, obviously listening for something, so I do the same. At first, there’s nothing but silence. But then, voices and heavy footfalls get increasingly closer.
Camilla grabs me, swinging me around and pushing me off to the side, just as a man flies by, quickly followed by a horde of men running by, obviously intent on the hunt.
I step back from the wall, moving so she’s standing in front me. “For fuck’s sake, Cami. Do you have to be so rough?”
She doesn’t say a word. She just stands there, staring wide-eyed at something over my shoulder. A shiver runs down my spine, and I whisper, “Someone’s behind me?”
She nods minutely. “Run.”
I don’t bother looking behind me to see what she’s talking about. I grab onto her wrist, yanking her through the doorway, and we take off at a sprint, the ominous thunder of shoes on concrete driving us blindly.
Camilla looks over at me as we run, shouting, “We need to get to the dock exit.”
I don’t reply. Instead, I change gears as we slow, intent on them following us. Needing them to take the bait.