Chapter 29 Roman
ROMAN
Fuck. My head hurts. I press my palm against my forehead and blink past the blinding light.
“Hey, he’s waking up.” Is that Bensen? Ugh, why do I feel hung over and groggy?
“Syxx, sir, how are you feeling?” John is at my side in a second and helping me sit up. I keep my eyes squinted because everything is so fucking bright in here.
“I feel like I just got done partying for ten hours.” Gale shuts the blinds, and it’s much easier to see. I blink a few times and look around the room. All the guys are here, but— “Where’s Briar?”
Their relieved expressions all but disappear at the mention of her name.
My brows knit, and I look each of them in the eye. “What’s going on?”
They fill me in on last night’s events. My head is throbbing, but it’s coming back to me now. Briar handed me the can, and it didn’t take long for me to go downhill from there.
But she wouldn’t do this on purpose. It’s Briar.
Sweet. Innocent. Couldn’t harm a fly even if she wanted to. Briar.
But the men aren’t so certain, and it gives me enough reason to doubt her.
“How long has she been down there?” I ask as I drink a full cup of water. My throat is dry and raspy. “And what the fuck was in that beer?” I rub my head again and try not to focus on the headache.
“She’s been down there for twelve hours, Syxx,” Taylor says with a heartless tone that sets a fire loose in my chest.
“It was a sedative, you’re lucky their target was likely Briar and they didn’t want her dead.” Gale passes me the blood test kit we keep on hand for situations like these. I set the results down to my side, distracted by Taylor’s comment.
“Twelve hours?” I bark at them.
Gale is the only one who looks a little remorseful about it. “We had to wait for you to wake up, Lieutenant. With the fire, you being drugged, and…well we found this in your vest pocket.”
What fucking fire? What the hell did I miss? I’m about to ask when he uncurls his hand and reveals the flash drive. My pulse dashes over a few beats, and I grit my teeth. I wasn’t going to tell anyone that I’d found it until after we captured Callum.
It’s my only chance at saving Briar.
I glare at Gale. “What the fuck does that have to do with anything?”
They look at one another and share an unspoken silence that makes my stomach feel weak. They looked through it already?
John grabs his laptop from the counter and plugs in the flash drive before setting it down on my lap. I stare at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.
“I’m sorry, sir. It’s better if you just watch it,” John says solemnly as he works his jaw before looking away and nodding to the others to leave the room.
I wait until I hear the click of the door and then stare down at the Play button on the black screen. I didn’t think what was on it would be relevant to Briar. I thought she only had the code to open a folder on it.
Swallowing the knot in my throat, I press Play.
A man steps into frame. It takes a moment for me to recognize him.
Arnold? I narrow my eyes at the screen as Arnold sits down and threads his fingers together in front of him.
He looks tired and beat to shit. Cuts are all over his face, and deep bruises mark his arms.
“Chloe. I know you are wondering why I left this farm to you. It’s because I think you’re the only person who can break the ties between the underworld and Bane Falls.
You’re smart and quick on your feet. I know you think you love Callum, but he’s going to do away with you sooner or later.
” He lets out a long sigh and shakes his head, biting his lip with emotion.
“I might’ve fucked this up for you. I might’ve tipped them off that I set up the night you met Callum.
I swear I didn’t think you two would get as far as you did.
I was aiming for a one-night stand to get information out of him.
I shouldn’t have bugged your apartment, and I should never have involved you in this…
“I know you weren’t aware of it at the time, but you certainly are now, if you’re still alive and have found this drive.
I fucked up, and they are onto me. Everything I found on them, I’ve locked in the unnamed folder on this drive.
Use the code I once told you. If you’ve forgotten, you’ll remember.
And if you don’t, then destroy this drive. ”
He curses and runs his hands through his hair.
“I won’t survive out here much longer. They’re coming for me. Chloe, I know you’ll find this. Take it to Mr. Holland. You can trust him.”
Arnold stares at the camera for a moment, like he wants to say more but thinks better of it. He turns the camera off, and the feed cuts.
Chloe?
He wasn’t talking about… But he had to have been.
My body reacts viscerally—heart racing and breathing off rhythm. It takes my mind a second to connect everything because I so desperately don’t want to believe it.
She lied to me.
Her name isn’t even Briar. She’s going to betray you just like Nyla. If she’s lying about her name, she could be lying about anything.
“Not again,” I whisper and press the heels of my palms into my eyes. “Not again. Not again.” My voice breaks as I curl into myself. I can’t let her put my squad in danger, and she already did last night.
Was she working with Grahm to poison me? My eyes widen. She knows I wouldn’t question it if it came from her. Bile rises up my throat, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.
It hurts. It hurts so fucking much. Why did I let her in? Why did I think she was different? I’m so goddamn stupid.
My hands tremble, and I get the overwhelming urge to hurt myself. I take out my pocketknife and forgo the powder, pressing the blade into the back of my hand and dragging a ragged line across my skin. The second the hot liquid escapes and spills over me, I let out a weary breath.
I have to get rid of her.
If only she’d listened to me the first night.