Chapter 37
From my brief interactions with everyone in their group, I realize that none of them fucking knows what the other is truly up to.
I start with Celine and message her. She responds, telling me she’ll stop by after their dinner. I’m walking on damn nails, not knowing what is happening.
When Celine comes by, I open the door, raking a hand through my hair.
“Tell me what you’re planning.”
“First, tell me what you did to her?”
“That’s between me and Abigail, but she told me what they did to her, and now I’m one step away from setting this world on fire.”
“You have a penchant for it.”
Fuck it all. I dash past her and head toward my car. I’ll fucking find Felix, kill him, and be done when she grips my elbow.
“Dane, listen to me.”
“You don’t get it, I saw her… I…” A shudder rocks me, wanting to find the one responsible for hurting Abigail.
“There is a lot at stake, and if you do something reckless, you will put us all in danger.”
“I am not a patient guy.” Not when it comes to my woman, especially after all the lost time.
“Can I trust you?” she asks.
“You can.”
“Don’t blow this.”
“I won’t.”
Celine’s phone pings with a message. She types quickly.
“One more thing. The group has to accept you.”
“Whatever.”
“Bye.”
They will have to accept me.
Abigail told me we’d talk later, and that I should spend some time with my family before they leave. But I’m too wired, so I go back into the house and enter my gym, where I work out until exhaustion wins.
The next morning, I drive to their house.
Celine is the one who opens the door.
Abigail sighs as I walk inside.
“I made my decision, princess,” I reply.
“Abi, listen. He is going to do something regardless. Don’t you want to keep an eye on him?” Celine asks.
I watch Abigail coming to terms with the fact I’m not leaving. Fucking finally.
“Okay.”
“We’ll vote,” Hunter says.
“And it has to be unanimous,” Kaden says.
“Yes, but not on this,” Celine says.
I have a bossy girl too. I guess we do have something in common, after all.
“We are not in the position to cut a man out. This team needs someone with his skills,” Mia says.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Fine. Don’t make me regret this,” Kaden says.
I dip my chin, and Kaden and I share a somewhat understanding look.
“Now let’s watch a damn movie,” Blake says.
We all head to the theater room. Kaden pulls Celine down onto his lap. I can’t fucking believe how much energy I wasted on being jealous of this guy.
Blake presses play on an action movie, but I have eyes only for Abigail. I take the seat next to her, and she cuddles to my side.
“Glad you overcame the unrealistic expectation that I would leave.”
“I hope I’m worth it.”
Unable to focus on the damn movie, I take her hand, and we slip out.
Once we’re in her room, I pull her inside the bathroom. Our reflections are looking back at us in the big mirror. Confusion transforms her face.
“We’ll do something each day until you believe in yourself.”
“What?”
“I will tell you how I see you and then you’ll have to tell yourself the same.”
A small smile grazes her lips.
I flick a strand of her hair back, placing a tender kiss on her neck before resting my chin on her shoulder. I wrap my arms around her waist and say, “You’re beautiful.”
“I’m beautiful?”
“There is no question mark in an affirmation, princess, and definitely not when it comes to your beauty inside and out.”
“I’m beautiful,” she whispers, barely audible.
“You’re strong.”
“I’m strong, I guess.”
“No guessing, sweetheart. It takes strength to go through what you did and remain a good person. You’re a fighter. A survivor. Not a victim.”
“Thank you,” she says with glistening eyes.
“You’re smart.”
“I’m smart.”
I chuckle. “Good.”
“You’re self-confident.”
“Ugh, I don’t know.”
That fucker. Felix took that away from her like her control.
“You are, and you’re in control. Tell that to yourself until you believe it.”
“I am self-confident. I am in control.”
“You’re worthy.”
She drags in a lungful of air. “I am…”
Her eyes lower, but I tip her chin up. “I love you—every perfect, beautiful broken piece in you. All those pieces form the woman I am mad about. Love yourself too, because you are worthy and you deserve that fully. When it gets hard, I will love you for both of us and keep reminding you how beautiful, strong, and worthy you truly are.”
Her eyes tear up. “I’m starting to believe it because how else would I have gotten you in my life?”
“Destiny.”
“I hated that word. But I can’t explain us without it. For a long time, I thought we had bad timing. But it wasn’t that at all. The first time we met, I’m sure it was to instill hope in us. We have kept on going. And now, you’re here when I’m almost free. I would like nothing more than to spend…”
She chokes on her words, so I add, “Your life with me. Because that’s what we’re going to be doing for decades from now on.”
She turns around and hugs me so tight, as if she’ll never let me go. I’ll never let her go, either.
“Taking the Family down is highly risky, but it’s a better alternative than faking our deaths.”
***
After I return from training, I find the entire group in the kitchen.
Abigail draws circles in her bowl of yogurt.
“Eat, princess.”
She tries to look annoyed, but I know she loves my care. She takes a big spoonful. “Happy?”
I love her sass.
“Good, you came. Take him through the plan,” Kaden says.
He leaves with Celine and Hunter to see a specialist in hypnosis to find out what happened on the day of that accident because Celine can’t remember. I could believe anything, but not that Celine was involved in provoking the so-called accident that caused her parents’ wreck.
Blake takes me to the side where a map is spread out on the table. It shows the underground tunnels at the Family’s compound and the laboratory in the heart of the forest. He also tells me about Sebastian—Celine’s father—and Cillian, Mia and Hunter’s father. For years, they have been planning a coup and hopefully finding Celine’s mother.
If it goes according to plan, we can live our lives in peace without being on the run. Personally, I don’t care; I just want to get to that sick fucker Felix and kill him.
We scout the location in the woods to come up with a strategy to infiltrate and hit their center of power. I will blow his fucking laboratory up with great satisfaction.
With determination flowing through my veins, I am more at ease. Juggling a mission and my career at the same time is not easy, but again, I strive to do my best and be the best.
As soon as we walk back inside the house, Abigail jumps into my arms, kissing me hard. With my palms holding her ass, I carry her to her bedroom and lose myself in her.
She is asleep next to me, but I can’t sleep. To avoid waking her, I tiptoe outside the room and see Celine sneaking into her bedroom. That’s strange.
Going downstairs to the kitchen, I grab a glass of water and see Blake there. Head downcast, he grips the edge of the table, every muscle in his body tensing.
“Blake? Why did you and Celine sneak out?”
“You didn’t see us, got it?”
“What does this shit even mean? We have a plan.”
“And everything changed.”
A heavy silence follows.
“Why don’t you just move in with us already? Dude, it’s like you’re everywhere.”
“Changing the topic? Do you know what would happen to you if Abigail were in her place? You reek of guilt, mistakes, and regrets.”
“Fuck off, man. You know nothing.”
Blake stalks off, and I return to bed even more restless.
***
When I enter the house, I know something is off because Abigail is not there to greet me.
Commotion from the kitchen catches my attention, and when I rush inside, Kaden has Blake pinned against the wall. Abigail looks ashen, Bailey is frozen, and Hunter’s hands are curled at his sides. Mia blinks at Blake while he looks at her, an apology written in his eyes.
“I don’t want to fight,” Blake says.
Kaden pushes at his chest. “You don’t want to fight, asshole?”
Hunter says, “Tell us everything.”
“All I did was to make sure you wouldn’t be on their radar. All of you with your tough bullshit going against the Family as if you had a chance. I’m surprised they didn’t find out about the money we’ve funneled from them, but that’s likely because the hacker is brilliant. And even if we faked our damn deaths, they would have found us. They have watched us twenty-four seven because, except for Bailey and Celine, we’re all fucking chipped. I had to buy us more time by any means necessary.”
I move to drag Kaden away from Blake.
“Sugarcoating betrayal, asshole?” Kaden spats.
Blake flinches. “You wanted out, but none of you would like what I had to do. So stop fucking looking at me as if I am a traitor. We have had the same end goal. My tactics were just different.”
Abigail crosses her arms over her chest, staring at him with an icy glare.
Hunter says low, “If something happens to Celine, you can enjoy your eternal freedom.”
“She knew. It was her choice.”
“You knew she would,” Kaden screams, fisting his collar.
“Celine was the piece we were missing. Fuck, man. I know you love her. She is family to me too. Now, let me fucking explain how things will go so we can get her back.”
“Back doesn’t mean she’ll be the same,” Abigail says, trapped in that place of her past again, making me feel murderous.
“How long has she been there?” Kaden asks.
“Eight hours.”
He roars and pushes Blake against the wall, pummeling him repeatedly in his stomach before taking a jab at his chin. Blake just takes it, not wincing and not fighting back. No one moves to help him. Maybe it’s the shock or desire to want him punished after what he did, but if I were in Kaden’s place, I know no one could have stopped me either. Yet, I move to him in case things get out of control. Right now, we should focus on getting Celine back.
“I’ll never fucking forgive you for this.”
“She’ll handle this. You won’t lose her. I swear.”
Kaden pulls at the ends of his hair. I have sympathy for this guy right now.
“You didn’t go through the initiation, did you? You don’t know shit.”
Blake squints at Kaden. “You have no clue what I did or didn’t do. How fucking far I went to protect you!”
Abigail shoves at his chest. “You’re not only a traitor, you’re a fucking liar and a coward.”
“Whatever. Do you prefer to rip me a new one, or should we fucking stop losing time and make sure no one gets killed tonight?”
“We had a plan,” Kaden screams.
“And that fucking plan wouldn’t have worked.”
Mia approaches Blake and asks, “What was in the letter?”
“What letter?” he asks, and Mia breathes a sigh of relief.
“Just so you know, Celine always has a plan B. Don’t think she went in there without one. You’re right. She’s strong, but there’s more, isn’t it?”
Blake looks her straight in the eyes, a mix of emotions battling in them.
“Her mother.”
“Is she even alive?” Kaden asks.
“Yes.”
This time, both Hunter and I hold Kaden back. “You’re dead.”
“Calm the fuck down. We need you levelheaded,” Blake tells him and adds, “We’re going to extract her mother first.”
I guess while we were busy creating a plan, he had one all along.
“No. Celine.”
“Kaden, stop thinking with your damn heart. Why the fuck did you think I wanted her there?”
“Continue, but in five minutes, I am out of that door.”
“Who is going to wait at the laboratory?” Blake asks.
“Me,” says Abigail.
“Me too,” I give.
“I’ll take the tunnels,” Kaden says.
“I’m going with you,” Hunter says and looks around. “Where the fuck is Bailey?”
“We’ll fill her in after we get Celine out,” Kaden offers.
“I’ll be in charge of the drone, guiding you,” Mia says.
“The cameras won’t be a problem,” Blake says.
Everyone rushes out, except for Bailey, who slipped out stealthily after Kaden was done punching Blake. I’m sure she went right to her room. Something tells me this girl is hiding her true identity.
Abigail grabs the two remaining pairs of earpieces from the table while I pick up the two guns, and we head toward my car. After putting the earpieces in, we test them to make sure they work.
I just have to get in the laboratory, light the fire when I get the signal, and look at the flames engulfing the fucking place where Abigail was tortured. But my need to keep her safe has my worry skyrocketing.
I interlace our fingers over the console. She gives me a little squeeze.
“Together.”
“To whatever end.”
I kiss her knuckles and speed away.
Channeling resolve, calmness descends over me—I’m fully focused. Afterward comes the good part—just her and me.
“Why are you smiling?” she asks.
“I just imagined what I’m going to do the moment this is over.”
“Yeah, what?”
“You.”
“We might die in there and you’re thinking of sex,” she says incredulously.
“Princess, there’s two things constantly on my mind: you and the checkered flag.”
When I park two hundred feet away, we have the perfect view of the laboratory behind the wire fence. Cameras are strategically placed in each corner, and security roams the perimeter.
A guard comes straight toward us, and she pulls the handle of the door. I’m instantly on high alert.
“Your ass stays right here,” she says. “I have learned to survive in this family using my talents. I know what I’m doing.”
A flicker of a flashlight dances through the branches, getting closer.
“I can handle this. Get in the backseat.”
“Abigail…”
“Trust me.”
In what I call sheer wonder, I stay put, doing what she asks me— trust, the magic word.
She slips out of the car, and I notice a guard already has a gun out. She pretends to trip on her feet, giggling, and tells him her car won’t start.
He catches her because stupid men would never think a woman capable of manipulating them. She plays a damn good damsel in distress, flicking her hair and batting her lashes coyly at him.
From between the front seats, I see Abigail pointing at her car, still hanging onto his arm. His eyes fixate on her chest. I’m going to gouge his fucking eyes out.
“Lift the hood,” I hear him say once they reach the car.
“Where is that?”
He mumbles something about girls, and I say into the com, “You had me impressed… until now.”
She cocks her head to the side, whispering, “This is nothing. Now comes the best part.”
“My feet are killing me,” she tells him, pouting. Then she drops into the passenger seat. When he climbs into the driver’s seat in front of me, he says, “I need to get back soon, but…”
He lets the pause say all he wants to happen. She bites her lip, pretending to be eager, and adds, “I like it a bit rougher.”
“I can fuck you hard.”
I’m doing a hundred breathing exercises because I trust her, but I don’t trust him. She peers at me and we have a brief argument with our eyes.
“Can I tell you a secret?”
He leans in, and then she presses two fingers on a specific point on his neck. The guy falls back motionless.
My jaw drops in incredulity, and she says, “See? Perfectly fine. Just because I don’t use my fists doesn’t mean I don’t know how to get away with almost everything.”
“Where did you learn that?”
“When Grandmother sent me to the treatment center for my eating disorder, I took a self-defense course. But my trainer noticed I needed more, so she practiced Kyusho Jitsu with me every day.”
“You have to show me.”
It’s like I’m a kid in a toy store, but that move was impressive.
“Why? To keep the screaming girls away? If one comes too close, let’s say she won’t make the same mistake twice.”
I love her unhinged ass.
“I don’t care about them, just about making you scream my damn name.”
She speaks to the hacker on her com and says, “The code for the gate is 053647.”
“It’s Bailey, right?”
She nods. “She’s very secretive about it, though.”
“The fairy girl is a hacker. I’m impressed but not surprised.”
I yank open the glove compartment and take out two guns, handing her one.
“Do you know how to use one?” Abigail asks.
I arch a brow. “I have many talents, sweetheart.”
Pushing the scumbag guard out of the car, I undress him and tie him to a tree. I make sure the rope digs into his skin and cuts his circulation. Next, I slap some duct tape on his mouth and tase him. His body jolts, shaking violently, appeasing the side of me that’d like nothing more than to kill him for even entertaining touching Abigail.
Spitting on him, I change into his uniform, mumbling.
Abigail palms my cheeks. Lifting on her toes, she says, “My jealous man, even though you have no reason…”
“We both know I am not reasonable when it comes to you.”
She’s behind me, my body shielding her from view as we walk through the gate. Lamps on the perimeter blaze their lights, making it difficult for our cover to remain intact for much longer. However, most of the guards are distracted by the commotion caused by Kaden and Hunter.
Gunfire erupts in the distance, but one guard marches in my direction.
“Identify yourself.”
When I don’t, his hand moves to his side for the gun, but I’m faster. I shoot him straight in the chest. He drops to the side, but more men come from inside the building. Abigail and I move back-to-back in a circle, shooting the five guards.
“You look hot with that gun in your hand.”
“Do I?” she grins playfully at me.
“Fuck, I’m hard now.”
“You’re hard every time I’m next to you.”
“I love that sassy mouth. You just need to wear your self-confidence and you’ll be the sexiest woman alive.”
Inching toward the building, I shoot a few more guards. Abigail does the same, and when I put in the code, the door opens. With our guns drawn, we walk inside.
Blake intercepts us, carrying a fragile woman in his arms. Abigail gasps. “Aunt Cassandra?”
“Abigail,” she says her name softly, a small smile grazing her lips.
“Take her away, now. I have to get back,” Blake says, passing her into my arms.
“Thank you,” Cassandra says to Blake, and they exchange a secretive look before he rushes back down the corridor.
I’m holding Cassandra while Abigail trains her gun on the exits, covering us in case anyone comes our way as we get out.
As soon as we’re outside, a black car heads in our direction. A man climbs out, his entire body shaking at the sight of her.
“That’s Sebastian,” Abigail says.
Mia runs to us, and I whisper to Abigail, “I’ll be back soon.”
“Be careful.”
I will.
A robotic-sounding voice guides my way.
“I might be taking a wild guess, but I’m pretty sure you’re Bailey.” I say this because I don’t want her to think Abigail has already confirmed it.
“What gave me away?”
“The most dangerous people are usually the quiet ones.”
And then I follow her directions to the basement.
Inside a white room that looks like a chemistry lab, I see bottles lined up behind a glass window. Shattering it with the gun, I take out a few rubbing alcohol bottles.
I hurl three onto the floor on the opposite side of me and pocket one. Taking out my Zippo, I light up a sheet of paper from the counter and flick it to the other side of the room.
A flame ignites, the fire spreading quickly, and I rush out.
I head toward the electrical panel at the end of the hallway. Opening the doors, I yank at the cables. I want to make sure that this damn laboratory doesn’t only catch fire but explodes. Uncapping the bottle, I spill the alcohol all over the cables. Flicking my Zippo open, the flame dances before my eyes, but it has lost its hypnotic allure.
I throw the lighter inside, not needing it anymore. Burning things down is not what has kept me going in the last two years. It was her . It’s always going to be her. She’s my calm, and I’d never jeopardize us again.
Abigail awaits me, and she’s the best cure to my darkness.