Chapter 24
“Stay close and try to relax,” I say to Gabi as we walk down Beacon Street. It runs parallel to Merchants Row, the main thoroughfare bordering the western edge of Hell’s Gate. It also serves as the barrier between Hell’s Gate and the Watershed District.
Although we borrowed clothing from Analise and Luca, I still feel like a flashing neon sign in this part of the city. Gabi looks even more out of place with her anxious scans of the sparsely populated streets. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s never been to Hell’s Gate or the Watershed District, despite growing up in Slate City. Hell, she’s probably never been south of Highgate.
I can’t exactly blame her. Once I tasted life on the northern side of the city, I did whatever was necessary to stay there.
Memories have been flooding in since the car dropped us off at the outskirts of Merchant’s Bend, northwest of Hell’s Gate. Luca warned us that, as outsiders, we wouldn’t be able to drive up to Factory X. The abandoned tire-factory-turned-criminal-headquarters is embedded deep in the center of Hell’s Gate and surrounded by secure barricades similar to a military base.
We’ve been making our way on foot, which has given my brain plenty of time to take in the decaying buildings and broken glass lining the periphery of the fortified zone. The ominous, wary atmosphere reminds me of my two nightmarish weeks in the Watershed District nearby.
And now I’m walking right back into a world I tried so hard to escape.
But the danger of our present situation isn’t the only thing making my pulse pound as we move along the cracked sidewalks. Ever since I saw that surveillance photo with Jack Wells, a growing knot has lodged in my stomach.
Yes, I recognized the other man in the picture. Of course I did. It was my brother Damon whom I haven’t seen in months.
To find out he’s been operating in Slate City this entire time and hasn’t bothered to contact us is a hard truth to accept. If Luca is right, Damon clearly has some tie to the Demon Militia, and it’s not as a prisoner. He didn’t look distressed in that photo. He looked like he was the one in control of that encounter.
My confused heart doesn’t know what to feel. Relief that he’s okay mixes with anger at his abandonment. Longing to see him mixes with dread that I won’t like what I find.
Sparks shoot through my hand, and I glance down to find Gabi’s palm tucked against mine. I squeeze back to help calm her nerves.
I haven’t told her about Damon yet. I wanted to, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it without spilling the rest of our ugly origin story and triggering a whole host of questions I can’t answer. One day I’ll tell her everything I know, but right now we have too much shit in the present to go spiraling down a rabbit hole of the past.
“We must be getting close,” she whispers.
“We are. Let’s find a place for you to hide while I go into The Translucence to see what’s going on.”
Her grip tightens on my hand, and I turn to face her wide eyes glossy with fear.
“Be careful,” she says. “If anyone sees you…”
“They won’t see me. That’s the point.” I offer a quick smile, but it doesn’t seem to ease her tension.
There’s nothing else I can say, so I concentrate on scanning our surroundings for a safe location for Gabi. I tried to talk her out of coming, but it only took one resolved look from her to make it clear that wasn’t happening.
Now, I wish I’d fought harder. I don’t like leaving her alone, but I can’t exactly take her with me.
“This way.” I pull her toward an alley beside a diner. It’s one of the few businesses showing signs of life. We duck between the buildings, and I lead her to a large dumpster. “Stay behind this, out of sight. Anything happens, you run into the diner, okay?”
She nods, chewing her lower lip. A sudden burst of laughter sends her frightened gaze to the opening of the alley. She relaxes again when a small cluster of teens passes on the sidewalk.
“We can go back to the lake house,” I say, tipping her face up to me. “I’ll drop you off, then come back to Hell’s Gate myself.”
She shakes her head. “It’s not that. It’s just… What if we’re wrong, Aden? What if there’s more to the story with Dad? Maybe he had a good reason for doing what he did.”
My jaw tightens at the flicker of hope in her eyes. God, I hate hurting her. Her willingness to see the good in people is one of the things I love most about her. It’s also one of the things most likely to get her killed.
“He didn’t have a good reason,” I say. “We’re doing the right thing.”
“Yes but?—”
“Gabi. We’re doing the right thing.” My tone is firmer now.
She quiets, her gaze searching mine. “You know something,” she whispers.
I swallow hard and cast another look toward the street.
“Aden? What’s wrong?”
I direct my attention back to her, my chest tight. “I know we’re doing the right thing because just over a year ago, your father almost collected a bounty on me.”
One year ago…
An acrid smell assaults my nose. Raucous lights. Blaring sounds.
I squint against the nauseating swirl of color as I back into a rough, hard surface. Faces blur around me. Bodies move at varying paces, simultaneously crowding and avoiding each other.
Buildings cram together in tall grids that stretch as far as I can see. The sky is dark through the gaps, but it’s artificial dawn down here where glaring signs and murals erupt from the concrete forest.
One of the moving bodies slams into me.
“Watch it, asshole,” it growls. I can’t see the face that goes with it before it shuffles out of view.
“You okay?” another one says.
I follow those words to a well-dressed man with a short dark beard that matches his hair.
There’s something about his face I don’t like, though. The way it moves doesn’t match what’s happening behind his eyes.
“Hey, you hear me? You strung out or something?”
Strung out?
“I… No.” At least, I don’t think so.
“What’s your name?” he asks.
My name? I have no fucking clue.
My gaze flickers to one of the massive blinking walls. They’re impossible traps—blistering your eyes and scrambling your mind while the dazzling display holds you captive.
“Yolanda Aden live at Ward Theatre!” it boasts.
“A— Aden.” I test the syllables.
Aden. That works.
“Aden?”
“Yes. That’s my name. Aden.”
“Well, okay then. Where are you from, Aden? Clearly not here.”
No, I’m not from here. That’s about the only thing I’m sure of right now.
“Not a talker, I see. That’s okay. Probably better that way. I’m Jack. Nice to meet you.”
The person lifts his hand and rests it horizontally in the air. I stare at it, not sure what to do.
“You shake it. Like this.”
I flinch when he grabs my hand and squeezes. His eyes widen with surprise, then something sinister before I rip my hand away. A slight tingle runs over my skin where we touched.
“No need to be scared. I’m just trying to help.” A laugh accompanies his words, but it’s not a good sound. Like his smile, it doesn’t match the rest of him. I don’t like the way he keeps staring at my eyes like he’s looking for something.
“Okay, well. Let’s get you off the street. This part of the city is no place for lost kids like you.”
He motions for me to follow him, but something about this situation makes my stomach ache.
Another body bumps into me and forces me into a third one. That one straightens and shoves me hard.
My head slams into the cold wall of a building. Pain erupts from the side of my skull as air expels from my lungs. The angry body is gone before I can respond.
I blink against the new flashes of light, but these seem to be coming from inside my head instead of outside. It makes everything wobble. The ground is moving. The buildings too. The bright signs spin in riotous laughter as I float.
“Shit, you’re bleeding,” the man with the beard says. “Come on. We’ll take care of you, I promise. Welcome to Slate City, Aden.”
This time when he grabs my arm, I let him.
Once I’m confident Gabi is as safe as she can be, I cross into The Translucence.
It’s just a quick jump through the barricades.
Initially, not much appears to be different on the other side, except for the presence of more humans openly carrying weapons. I note everything I can as I move from street to street. How and where the gang members are positioned. The purpose of the various buildings. Which route seems the most likely for success if I need to flee with a human at my side.
Most of all, though, I’m looking for any sign of my brother. I still don’t understand why he’d join forces with humans. I especially don’t understand why he’d cut off communication with us and not tell us he was okay at least.
Once I find him, I’ll hug him, then punch him in the face.
Through the opaque barrier of The Translucence, I spot a sprawling structure up ahead. The level of activity in and around it increases exponentially the closer I get. Rows of grimy windows puncture crumbling brick walls and appear to be boarded up from the inside. A gate and fence, capped by razor wire, cordoned off large bay doors. Dozens of armed guards pace the grounds between the fence and entrance to the building.
This has to be Factory X.
My heart rate picks up as I wander among the oblivious humans who don’t have a clue I’m here. As much as I dislike traipsing around The Translucence, it’s proving to have its perks.
Movement flashes in my periphery, and I turn abruptly.
A chill runs through me when I find violent eyes narrowed on me. The man’s light brown hair is secured in a half bun at the back of his head with several scraggly pieces hanging in his face. He’d be attractive in a brooding alpha kind of way if not for the murder in his expression.
He stalks forward, his gazed still fixed on me.
Except, it can’t be.
No one but lost souls should be here. It must be an illusion from a thinning of the veil as he heads toward something behind me in the human dimension. I twist back and my stomach drops when I see nothing obvious.
I face front again, my blood pounding when the man appears just a few yards away. He’s still stalking with intent, moving faster and faster. His movement feels targeted. Personal.
Shit!
“Hey, I just?—”
I’m cut off by a hard blow to the jaw.
What the fuck?
I lift my arm to block a second, then lunge forward to land one of my own.
The man reels back. Rage fills his eyes as he charges again, this time with so much force, his strike sends me to the ground despite my block. I groan and push to get up but his boot lands in my midsection.
“Fuck…” I mumble, trying to lift up on my elbows.
Before I can, his fist is in my shirt and the cool, hard surface of asphalt cuts into my knees. We’re no longer in The Translucence.
“Iron! Now!” the man shouts.
A second later more bodies descend on me. I struggle against them as they wrench my arms behind my back. I manage to twist away from one and kick another before a slew of blows ends my resistance.
Once the irons are on my wrists, I feel the strength drain from me. Pain radiates from the metal searing into my skin.
Shit, this is bad.
“Get him inside,” the man growls.
Two others yank me to my feet by the arms and shove me toward the entrance to the building. I don’t know who this person is, but he’s clearly not human. He can’t be if he was able to drag me out of The Translucence. He also appears to have some authority with the Demon Militia.
If he’s of my kind, I don’t recognize him, although that’s not unusual. We don’t all know each other in our spiritual forms, let alone the physical. Except for the imprint on our backs, our corporal bodies have no distinguishing characteristics to help us identify each other.
I didn’t know Cian wasn’t human until the first time we tried to hook up. Damon, Matteo, and I recognized each other through mannerisms, personalities, and abilities. None of us are supposed to be trapped in this form, so we’re still trying to figure out the dynamics of our situation and what it means to be “human.”
I’m marched through several dimly lit hallways at a rigorous pace. Every eye is trained on me as we pass, and I feel like a prisoner on the way to execution. I probably am. Then again, if this guy isn’t human either, he would know I can’t die. That’s not exactly a comforting thought.
Outnumbered and weak, fighting back would be pointless. I’m going to have to use words to get out of this one.
Two huge men open a pair of steel doors, and the others shove me inside.
Before my eyes can adjust to the dark, a bright light illuminates the room. I squint against the glare as they drag me toward a chair and push me down.
“Who are you?” the man barks.
“Aden Ward.”
He crosses his arms, glaring at me. “That doesn’t mean shit to me. Why are you here? How the fuck did you get into The Chasm?”
“The what?”
“The Chasm! Living humans shouldn’t be able to cross into it unless… you’re not human,” he finishes in a low voice.
He strides forward and grips my chin. I jerk away from him with a cold look.
“No. You’re not human, are you,” he muses to himself. When I don’t respond, he bends toward me to scrutinize my face. “Who sent you?”
“No one.”
“Bullshit. You were spying on us. Why?”
I clench my jaw and glare back.
“I asked you a question!”
I lock my gaze on his, daring him to hit me again. Suddenly, my head snaps back from a firm grip on my hair. A blade rests against my throat. The burn of it tells me it’s iron, and I do everything I can to keep the fear from my face.
My heart pounds violently as I force my eyes to the man who’s clearly in charge. I wonder how many people besides those in this room are aware that Slate City’s number two criminal organization is run by a non-human.
The knife is a show, however. He wouldn’t kill me even if he could. Not until he knows who I am and why I’m here. But the malice in his eyes tells me he’s looking forward to torturing the truth out of me. A cold sweat breaks over my body. I blink slowly, refusing to show fear.
“Answer the question or you’ll be wishing you were a prisoner of The Shadow instead!”
“I—”
The blade presses harder. The sting of the iron bites into my neck and streaks through the rest of me. I feel a warm drop of blood trickle down my throat.
“It’s okay, Silas. He’s here for me.”
Air rushes from my lungs at the familiar voice. The man comes into view, and my heart lurches at the sight of Damon’s face.
“You know this asshole?” the man named Silas barks.
“Yes. He’s my brother.”
The knife immediately falls away from my neck. Shock buzzes around the room as Silas’ expression morphs from vicious to confused.
“You have a brother?” Silas asks.
“Two, actually. But the other one was smart enough not to come looking for me.”
Damon gives me a hard stare that tells me to keep my mouth shut. Guess I’m not out of danger yet.
Silas exchanges a long look with Damon before his shoulders finally relax.
“Everyone but Damon and Asher out!” he yells.
A rustle of activity follows as the minions scatter. Damon remains rooted in place, a bored look on his features. Another man who appears to be in his early twenties hangs back in the shadows with his arms crossed.
Soon, just the four of us remain, and I push to my feet.
“Can we lose the restraints?” I ask.
“Not until I know who the hell you are and why you’re here,” Silas says.
I pull in a breath and force down a grunt of frustration.
“He’s not a threat,” Damon says to Silas. “Just a nosy idiot.”
I snap a glare at Damon, but his attention is fixed on Silas.
Something flashes across Silas’ face as he scans my brother. Not anger. Not curiosity. It’s almost like… lust.
Holy shit. Is my brother fucking the head of the Demon Militia? It would explain why he didn’t jump at the chance to share the good news with his siblings.
I don’t even know what to think as the two powerful men remain locked in a silent stand-off for several seconds.
Damon’s expression isn’t what I expect for someone in a relationship, though. There’s a hardness in his face, like he’s suppressing something darker. I’m not looking at a man in love right now. I’m looking at someone consumed by resentment. No matter how upset I got with Gabi, I’d never look at her like that.
“Nosy idiot or not, I don’t want strangers on my property,” Silas says. “How do we know he won’t go running his mouth off about what he’s seen?”
“He won’t,” Damon says.
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m telling you, he won’t.”
“And I’m telling you, I’m not taking the risk. Put him downstairs,” he says to the man watching nearby.
The man steps from the shadows, and I get a good look at him for the first time.
Huh. Interesting.
It can’t be a coincidence that the other guy is fucking beautiful.
Wavy brown hair is pulled back from his face in a similar style as Silas, but whereas the leader is all primal force and fury, this soldier is composed strength with sleek, defined muscle and movie-star good looks. In any other scenario, he’s exactly the type I’d pursue for a quick fix on a lonely night.
The man’s bright blue eyes widen slightly as his gaze flickers to Damon. Anger seeps into Silas’ expression when he notices.
“Actually, I changed my mind,” Silas says with disturbing calm.
A shiver runs through me at the cruel glint in his eyes when his focus rests back on Damon.
“Help me with this first,” he barks at the younger man, his gaze still locked on Damon.
A muscle moves in Damon’s jaw as the younger man takes a hesitant step forward. Rage burns in my brother’s eyes.
“Now, Asher! I don’t have all fucking day and this bruise is killing me.”
Asher flinches slightly, and my brother’s fists clench at his side. Every muscle in his arm is taut with suppressed emotion as he burns a hole into Silas with his violent stare. The man must be his boss and hold all the power. My brother doesn’t submit to anyone unless he has no other choice.
A smug look teeming with cruelty spreads over Silas’ face as the man named Asher approaches. As soon as he’s within arm’s length, Silas grabs him, and I swear my brother is going to combust as his boss drags the younger guy in for a hard kiss.
I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I feel like a voyeur. It’s as if the others have forgotten about me.
Damon remains deathly still while the others kiss. The bruise on Silas’ cheek heals quickly, which means Asher must be human. I can’t tell if this entire interaction is sexual, pragmatic, or vengeance. Maybe all three?
When Damon’s gaze drifts to the human, his features soften in a way I’ve never seen on my brother. Now that’s how I look at Gabi, which means… fuck. He’s in love with the human—a human that belongs to someone else.
What the hell has my brother gotten himself into?
Silas releases Asher with a smug look for Damon. His expression quickly settles back into hard lines and ominous resolve, but not before his invisible blade cuts deep.
I clear my throat, reminding them of my presence because this? This is way worse than being tortured.
“Yes, I’m here to see my brother,” I say, nodding toward Damon. “I’m also here to make a deal because I need something you have.”
Silas finally abandons the sex-charged pissing match and scans me in disbelief. Eyes trained on me, he barks out a laugh. “I’m sorry?”
“You heard me. And you know I’m not human, so you know I’m someone worth negotiating with.”
“Tell me who I’m negotiating with, and we’ll see where that takes us.”
I shake my head. “Who I am is irrelevant. Look, I have no interest in your war with The Shadow. Which, if I had to guess, is why Damon has kept his distance from his family. What I am interested in is a human in your care who is probably more of a liability than anything by now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I want Jack Wells.”
The air rushes from the room as three sets of eyes land on me.
“Excuse me?” Silas asks.
Damon is firing visual daggers at me, but I ignore him.
My entire speech is part bluff and all calculated risk. I have zero expectation that the head of the Demon Militia will hand over one of their prized assets to a random guy that showed up at their doorstep. But I need some excuse for why I was snooping around that doesn’t paint me as a threat, so I might as well go with the truth.
Besides, if it causes them to get nervous and stir the pot, perhaps Jack will float to the surface.
“What do you want with Jack Wells?”
“I’m in love with his daughter and she misses her daddy.”
Okay, so that one was a truth and a lie. Sort of.
Damon is staring at me like he wants to strangle me. So is Silas for that matter. Asher’s expression is pensive, but his thoughts are unreadable beyond that. I’m guessing the poor guy is forced to wear that expression a lot if he’s stuck in the middle of whatever is going on between the other two violent, brooding men.
I’ve found myself in some complex situations before, but never anything like this. The tension in the room is the kind that could lead to a bloodbath or an orgy and I’m not even sure who would vote for which.
“So, you, what, thought you’d waltz in here and invite the man to a reunion dinner?” Silas scoffs.
“I wasn’t planning on inviting anyone to anything. I was just doing some recon for my girlfriend to put her mind at ease and let her know he’s okay. One quick peek through The Translucence and?—”
“The what?”
“The Translucence is probably what he calls The Chasm,” Damon interjects.
Silas’ eyes narrow on me, and I hold steady beneath his scrutiny.
After several eternal seconds, he shakes his head in irritation. “I see. Well, no. You cannot seehim. But you can get the fuck off my property. If I ever find you in Hell’s Gate again, well, I probably don’t have to finish that threat, do I?”
I feign disappointment and add a resigned sigh for good measure.
“Understood,” I mumble.
“Good. Damon, get your idiot brother out of my sight. Asher, tell Zayn I want him in my office right the fuck now.”
Damon gives me an irritated look before motioning toward the door. “We’ll take the human path. Everyone saw you. They need to see you leave.”
Perfect. Because I’m not nearly finished with this mission—or my brother.