Chapter 38
HAYES
Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, I watch Finn flip a card over, playing solitaire in Maeve’s office, while Ethan scans the bookshelves to my right.
It’s been a few days since I’ve been here, and it seems Maeve has taken to finally putting it back together. Good thing too. It was looking unhinged.
The woman in question walks into the room, all business. Dressed in a leather skirt and black blazer, Killian enters right on her heels. He scans the office, taking stock of my competition before looking at me. He gives me a slight nod of recognition, before perching himself by the fireplace.
I stop my mouth from parting. The fuck is that? Killian never acknowledges me when we’re in the same room. One night burning bodies and sharing secrets, and now we’re friends?
I don’t trust it. I sure as shit don’t trust him.
Maeve leans against her desk, looking at us, then me. She wants to say something, talk to me, but we made that choice to keep things separate. We’ll talk when the trials are over. It’s the only way to prevent gossip on favoritism.
“Second trial, boys,” she draws, voice rough. She might look put together—perfumed, well-dressed, but I see the signs of tiredness. Her voice is dry and the bags under her eyes are deep.
“Finally,” Ethan comments, dropping into the chair before our Captain. She gives him a hard look—she hates people sitting before her when she stands. “I was wondering if this would continue or not.”
Finn shakes his head, placing the cards down, giving Maeve his undivided attention. I don’t move.
“Roman made a move,” she says, looking at me. “He attacked my sister. In broad daylight. Again.”
Flashes of my brother’s hands on Collins’s perfect body heat my blood. I want to disembowel him, string him up in the city center and let the birds peck him while he still breathes for daring to do something so stupid.
“This guy…” Ethan moans.
“Did he say why?” Finn asks. “How did Collins get away?”
“Thanks to Hayes,” she praises, lifting a palm at me. “He has a shiner, a broken nose, and my sister is safe.”
Glaring over at Killian, he has the nerve to shrug. Of course he told her before I could. Fucking prick.
“But he needs to be taught a lesson.” She stands, moving to the center of the office, all eyes on her. “He can’t keep trying to come after my family and think consequences don’t apply to him.”
“We’ve already killed his brother,” I say, stepping forward. “Every time we attack back, he comes again. What do you want to do to keep him away?”
She smiles. It’s not pretty. Her eyes bleed black, and now I know, I’m talking to the demon who possesses her. “Show him that he can never be safe. No matter where he is.”
Killian knocks his knuckles into the fireplace mantle. “Second trial is strength. In order to show us how strong you are, you’re all going to be given a hit.”
A hit. We’re going to assassin someone. Not unheard of, but these tasks were usually given to the reapers—namely, Killian. This is getting serious.
“One target for the three of us?”
Maeve nods. “This target is big. All of you will draw straws. Largest gets a chance at the kill. You miss? Next one goes. If you get it? You win the trial, the others never get a shot to try.”
“Who is it?”
Those dark eyes flicker and she closes her mouth, the room strangely silent. Whoever it is, she doesn’t want to say.
Stepping to her side, Killian slides his hands into his pockets. “Roman Bruno. Senior.”
My stomach drops, but I keep my face perfectly composed. They want us to assassinate my father—the head of the Bruno family, locked behind prison.
“He’s in jail,” Finn reminds us, leaning forward, eyes looking from me to Ethan. “How do you suppose we kill someone in custody?”
“Not my problem.” She walks around to her bar, brows furrowed at the lack of Scotch. I’ll have to replace that. “This trial is strength—a show of it. Show us how you can kill our enemy, even when all eyes are watching.”
I smile despite my attempts to remain cool. I’m excited at the prospect of finally ending the life of the man who killed my childhood.
I’ve spent my entire life frightened of Senior. Of when he’d come into my room. Of when he’d give me to the next customer. Of his hands, his belt. Now I’m an adult and I want to repay everything done to me.
I’ve dreamed of this chance for revenge.
“Rules?” I ask, shifting my weight.
Killian tilts his head, watching me. He knows I’m planning something.
“Anything goes. You can take the hit or hire out. But if you fail, you lose this trial. If you get arrested, you’re on your own.
If you bring any scrutiny to this clan,” he lowers his voice, watching the men around us, “then you deal with me. No fucking prison will keep you safe from me.”
“Sounds fun,” Ethan says, rubbing his head. “What is this guy’s deal anyway? At this point, it’s just annoying.”
“He wants me.” Maeve sips from her glass, scanning me. “If he gets Collins, he gets an alliance, and he thinks I’ll drop to my knees for him.”
Finn smirks, shaking his head.
I notice it, but so does Killian. Walking close, he bends down into his face, knife already pulled. He presses it to his throat, making sure to nick him. “Find something humorous, Finley?”
The man sobers up. “Nothing.” The energy is off with that one.
Taking her seat behind the large desk, Maeve clears her throat. “Simon is also gone.”
I cut Killian with another glare. Really, man? He told her that too?
The reaper at least smirks, shoving Finn away and winks at me. Going back to his corner, I flip him off. Ethan raises his hand and Maeve rolls her eyes. This guy.
“Where’d he go?”
“He’s dead,” she tells him.
“Who killed him?” Finn asks.
I open my mouth just as Killian cuts him off. “I did.”
Brows furrowed, I snap my mouth shut and stare, dumbfounded. Why is he taking the kill? I did it in the moment of rage—during the need to avenge Collins. Why would Killian claim to do it?
Finn sits back, the leather couch cradling him. “Any particular reason why?”
Killian smirks. “None that I need to tell you, Finley.”
“Regardless,” Maeve interrupts, “we’re out a doctor.
Collins will be the one you see if anyone is injured going further.
But only,” she taps the desk, “in my presence or with Killian or Hayes. My rules still stand—you do not see her alone. You do not corner her in the med lab. If I find out you’ve been to see her without one of us, I’ll kill you myself. ”
Now Maeve’s rules make sense. She did everything in her power to keep Collins safe at home.
Ethan gulps loudly. “What if we’re naked?”
She gives him a bored look. “It’s not anything I haven’t seen before, Ethan.”
Finn smirks wide at that and I shudder, the look in his eyes giving the creeps. I’m not sure why, but something about him sets off warning bells. It’s a primal reaction, too intense to accurately describe. My hand falls to my gun.
Killian grabs something from the desk drawer beside Maeve, shoulders brushing. It’s innocent enough—to anyone who doesn’t know their history. But I do. And I see his yearning breaking through that soulless gaze as Maeve huffs.
I want to interfere—but it’s between them. Maeve can handle it, and I need to keep my head for the next trial.
Standing in the middle, the reaper holds out three golden handles. Stepping closer, I inspect one of them and smirk. “What, sticks were too old-fashioned?”
He twirls a dagger between his forefinger and thumb. “I thought this would fit better.”
Holding the blades pointed inward, he covers them with one hand while he waves us close. “Longest dagger goes first. Then the next longest, second. The shortest, last.”
Catching my gaze, the reaper jerks his chin. “Ready?” It’s a loaded question.
To kill my father? Absolutely.
We all withdraw a dagger and Maeve directs, “Hold them up.”
Ethan and Finn do so, following me. Swearing, I bite my tongue aggravated.
“Finn, Ethan, then Hayes.” She nods once, frowning. “You start tomorrow. Only twenty-four hours to do the job. Twenty-four hours to see if it took. Good luck.”
My competition departs and I turn to leave, mind racing. I have calls to make. Collins was already aware of her role after I told her I killed Simon. She’s too strong to buckle to her fears, but I still want to explain to her what I’m to do next.
Maeve cuts me off, frowning. “Are you alright?”
She sees the bandage on my arm but doesn’t move to touch it. A line appears on her forehead and her mouth pinches. She’s annoyed.
“I’m fine,” I say, elbowing her. “I thought we decided not to talk?”
“That was before.” She shifts her weight. “Can you do this?” she whispers. “It’s a big ask. Going after Senior was the only way to make Bruno back off—”
“Are you worried about me?” I raise a brow. “You’re getting soft in your tenure, Ace.”
She glowers. “Fuck off. I’m trying to make sure you can handle this.”
I don’t take it personally. Not everyone can kill their parents.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to be second,” I remind her. “Including going after our enemy. Any enemy. You know that.”
Because he is. He’s not my father—he’s the man who tried to take Collins. Who hurt me. Who let Bruno run his empire and become a threat to my chosen family.
“Then explain what the fuck happened with Roman,” she asks, poking me in the chest. “How did he find you?”
“Ow,” I gripe, rubbing my breastbone. “Your guess is as good as mine. I assume he’s watching the compound.”
Killian looks from Maeve to me, taking out his phone. “He would need access to the grounds to watch us. Or be stationed outside the gates.” And the mansion is surrounded by heavily patrolled, thick woods. The gates at the front are monitored by guards stationed there as well as high-tech cameras.
Cameras that run on a closed loop, with only Briar accessing them. It’s almost impossible for anyone else.
“Neither of which are happening,” Maeve comments, chewing her lip. She takes out her knife, flipping it, stalking back to her desk.
She stabs the top with expert precision. It’s a swift move, too fast to track. “We have a leak.”
My blood runs cold, terror tightening my gut. “What makes you say that?”
But as I say it, I know she’s right. Everything fits.
Roman can’t watch us inside unless he’s being fed information.
Someone has to be tipping him off as to where Collins is going and when.
If he was at the gates, we’d see him. If he planted cameras, we’d find them—well, Briar would.
Somehow, he is always on top of our cybersecurity.
“Someone on the inside.” Killian chuckles, eyes dead, the knife in his hand the hand of death. “I’ll cut out their heart.”
“That means we’re in trouble.” I lock eyes with Maeve. “Roman didn’t know about the first trial because he came to the museum to bitch. But going forward? He’ll know we’re going after Senior.”
That means more security. More complications. More issues.
More opportunities for Roman to get Collins.
“He turned someone.”
“Probably got scared.” Killian twirls the knife. “He went after one of our guys, bribed him. Now, he’s got a finger on our pulse.”
She rips the blade out of the desk, cursing. “Mother fucker.”
Turning to Killian, she commands, “Find the rat.”
“Want me to kill him?”
“No. I want the honors.”
Winking, he says, “Whatever you want, Princess.”
Looking at me, she jerks her head. “Killian said he told you about what I did to Senior. Are we good, you and I?”
She doesn’t look scared. Hell, she doesn’t look apologetic either. She just waits for my judgement.
Whatever I say won’t change how she feels about it. She knows what she did was shitty, honor among criminals and all that, but she won’t apologize for saving Collins.
She can rage, threaten to sell Collins off to Bruno, give into that demon and spite but now I know; she’d never do it. She’d never allow her sister to be broken by that family and ratting out Senior just proves it.
“You did it for Collins,” I point out. “You saved her from a horrible fate. It’s justified.”
She inhales deeply, shoulders drooping. “Good.”
“What’s next?” I ask. “What’s our plan?”
“We’ll find the leak.” She points to Killian and herself. “In the meantime, do not let Collins out of your sight. Do not tell anyone what you’re doing. I don’t need anything getting back to Roman and risking her.”
Not like I’m ever far from her. Collins and I have seamlessly blended our lives together like two pieces of a puzzle finding their home.
“And you have a trial to prepare for.” Killian crosses his arms, the tattoo on his neck pulling taunt. “Better get ready. I don’t see either of those two killing Senior.”
That almost sounds like a compliment.
“I’m on it,” I promise. “No one is getting Collins with me there.”
I’ll cut out Roman’s heart if he tries again. No one gets what’s mine.
Maeve’s lips twitch as if to smile. “I know. That’s why I know she’s safe with you.”
That’s another compliment for the books. Things are getting too weird.
Nodding at them both, I hunt the mansion for my fiancée before we start a group hug.