37. Chapter 33
Eli
It’s only Damien and me now.
Approaching the table, I pick up something special. Then I walk over to the man hanging there. He’s already half dead.
I catch his eye because I want him to be fully aware of what I’m saying to him.
“You see, my friend, there’s one tiny problem left to solve. Zoe spared your life. Isn’t this woman an angel in human form? It’s unbelievable she gave me her heart. She’s perfect. But—”
I open the container and pour gasoline over him.
Maybe he has no strength left; maybe he no longer wants to live. I have no idea, but he doesn’t say a word.
“I’m not an angel like that. My memory doesn’t fade. Nor do I forgive wrongs. Especially for my woman. I promised her you’d pay for what you did, and I’ll keep my word. Did I mention this basement was custom-designed for me? It’s fireproof, as a matter of fact.”
I pull a cigarette out of my pocket and light it up. The smoke finds my lungs when I inhale. And when I exhale, it goes straight into his face.
“No, I didn’t mention it to you. That was something I told your predecessor.
And I’ll let you in on a secret. I was the one who set James Elliot’s house on fire.
That’s when I realized it fascinated me.
Fire, I mean. There’s something poetic and mysterious about it.
But enough talk. My future wife is waiting for me to take her to our home. ”
For a split second, I see understanding in his eyes.
He knows.
Taking one last drag, I flick the cigarette at Damien. It bursts into flames at once.
Moans and hoarse screams fill the room. They sound like the sweetest melody, but I have no time to savor it.
Closing the door behind me, I cut myself off from his last signs of life. I have to admit that the soundproofing here top-notch too.
Within moments, I step outside. Zoe’s already waiting by the car. But that’s not what stops me in my tracks.
Four men stand on either side of my woman, two on the right, two on the left.
Their attire is ordinary; nothing distinguishes them. And yet the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Something’s wrong.
What the hell is going on? Oh, fuck!
One of them is familiar. My eyes have met his before. Back then, at the port, when we took over the shipment and Nico died.
Veirix.
My eyes dart to Zoe, who stands calmly. Her slightly dilated pupils signal her terror. Thank God none of them are touching her or pointing a gun at her.
In a flash, I assess my options. One against four. It could be tough, especially since I don’t have a gun with me. Why the hell didn’t I bring one today?
I’m a fucking idiot!
The guy I recognize takes a step toward me, holding out his hand. “This is for you,” he says, and only then do I notice he’s holding a phone.
There’s no way I’m going to answer this call when my woman is standing among those Veirix bastards!
And yet he pushes his hand even closer, urging me on.
In the end, I grab the phone and hold it to my ear.
“Hello.” My voice is anything but friendly.
“Hello, Eli,” a woman’s voice says. I’m shocked. I recognize that voice, even if it sounds more mature.
After so many years of searching, after everything we went through for Ryker, for her, I finally hear her.
“Aisling,” I breathe, and a little girl with blond hair appears before my eyes. I remember her; she was adorable. Though now she’s neither one nor the other.
“You just killed one of my people.”
I grit my teeth. This isn’t the turn of events I expected. “If you’re aware of this, it means you just let me do it.”
Aisling snorts on the other end. “Your Zoe will pay for this—”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I growl with disgust.
Jesus. Ryker is completely unaware of the person his sister has transformed into. She’s not the sweet little Aisling we all remember anymore.
“Shhh, shhh, shhh… Eli… Can’t you see that balance builds this world? You took something of mine, and now I’m going to take something of yours.”
“Why are you like this, Aisling? Your brother has sacrificed his whole life to find you, reach you, and bring you home. We all wanted that. And you—”
“Shut the fuck up, Eli! Spare me the sappy stories about my little brother who loves me.”
“Who are you? Who have you become?” I ask in disbelief.
“I’m the one my brother will fall to his knees before. But he’s not the one we’re talking about right now. We’ll see how much you’re willing to pay for this woman.”
I look deep into Zoe’s eyes. She doesn’t know what’s going on. Doesn’t know what happened down there. And I want to—have to—protect her from all of this.
“What do you want?”
“Finally, you’re speaking my language. It’s actually very simple. I want your position as general in the Pact.”
“What the fuck? You’ve lost your mind.”
“Have I? Here’s what we’ll do. You’ll step down from that rank, and someone I choose will take your place.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Giving up the position of general is one thing. But for someone Aisling chooses to take my place? Absurd. No one will agree to this. It will split the Pact.
“Absolutely not. Like father, like daughter, huh, Aisling? Fuck you!”
I move in Zoe’s direction, but the person closest to her instantly holds a gun to her temple with the magazine unlocked. Zoe flinches at the very sound. Her gaze darts nervously from the guy next to her to me and back.
My heart stops. My breath catches in my lungs. I don’t dare move.
“Are you sure, Eli? Is that your final answer?”
Eventually, Zoe’s gaze settles on me.
I can’t.
I love her more than anything. She’s my everything.
And I am who I am because of her.
I can’t lose her. For God’s sake, I just got her back.
Panic creeps into every cell of my body. My mind is completely blank. And I know only this one thing.
I love my brothers. I would do anything for Ryker. For Theo too.
But I love Zoe more. More than them, more than my next breath, more than anything else. And she’ll always be my number one choice.
My eyes close.
“Done,” I say in a quiet voice.
“Great. Oh, and one more thing. Say thank you to the person who killed Nico the other day. It definitely saved me a lot of time and trouble.”
“Fuck you.” I throw the phone on the ground and walk over to Zoe.
The question appears in her eyes.
No answer.
Without thinking about the situation we’re in, I take her in my arms. I hold her for a minute and whisper in her ear, “I love you, Raven. Now and forever.”
The Veirix members part as I open the car door and Zoe gets in. We pull away, leaving behind only the screech of tires and the smell of burning rubber.