Chapter Thirty-One
“All right. All right,” Gabe called from her left. They’d managed to get a lot done in the week since the explosion. And it was finally time to put that plan into action. “Shut up and let Reyna speak.”
She turned her eyes to Beckham and swallowed. “Speak?”
“You’re taking them into war. You have to rally them,” Beckham said.
Reyna’s eyes darted to her friends. Meghan and Jodie gave her an encouraging nod. Gabe winked. Tye smiled. They were all counting on her.
“Public speaking?” she hissed.
“Want my advice?” She nodded. “Don’t faint.”
“I hate you.”
He grinned. “Knock them dead.”
Reyna hooked her foot up on the stool and climbed onto Beckham’s sleek kitchen table. Her knees felt wobbly as she faced the crowd of people.
Her two fears: needles and public speaking.
She’d had to face one repeatedly. Seemed as if it were time to face the other.
“Hey. Hey!” Reyna raised her voice.
She waited for the room to quiet down. It took a while, considering how many different groups of people were congregated into one space.
She could see Drew standing in the crowd.
All of the Elle members had been relocated, and the remaining Elle sleeper agents had been brought in.
The anti-vamp cult looked pretty pissed to be standing so near Beckham’s circle, who had apparently called in some favors.
Now the vampires were a solid thirty strong.
All in all, she was looking at her own little army. A terrifying thought, to say the least.
She cleared her throat and tried to recount all of the reckless ideas she’d implemented since becoming Beckham’s blood escort.
It was a long list that culminated with this moment.
And if she had been able to get through all of that, well, public speaking shouldn’t be that bad. Shouldn’t being the optimal word.
“Thank everyone so much for coming,” Reyna said, her voice barely above a whisper.
A groan of dissent came from the crowd. She was losing them already. She needed them to rally with her to do what must be done. But they’d already decided. They were going in. She could do this much.
“I said thank you for coming,” she shouted into the crowd. The silence was swift and secure. Her stomach flipped. Sweat accumulated on her brow. But she continued. “Many of us here are from different walks of life. We have different beliefs. We have different values. We want different things.”
The crowd was nodding. Her nerves settled with Beckham at her back. Her hands still shook slightly but she balled them into fists.
“Our differences aren’t what brought us together. Our differences aren’t the thing that make us want to fight. It’s how we are similar. We all want to save humanity. We all want a shot at a life after this that isn’t controlled by Visage. That isn’t controlled by anyone.”
More nods. A deeper silence. Her heart was in her throat.
“At the beginning of this, I was no one. I was a person desperate to help provide for my family. They’re the ones that I was always fighting for.
They’re the ones who I wanted a better life for.
I joined Visage under good faith, and they took that faith and shattered it.
” Her chin wobbled slightly and she felt Beckham’s reassuring gaze on her shoulder.
“They put their foot on my neck and said stay down. But I refused.”
“Yeah!” someone shouted from the crowd. And then more and more were cheering at her proclamation.
“I still refuse!” she called back. “I refuse to stay down, to stay silent. I rose up. I became something powerful. And all of you here today are just as powerful.” She pointed into the crowd, made eye contact with as many people as she could.
They were here. They were with her. “So leave your differences at the door. Because today we don’t fight just for ourselves, we fight for humanity, for equality, for freedom. ”
A cheer rose up from the crowd. Reyna’s eyes swept the room.
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
These people were going out to fight with her.
They trusted her to make this work. It was daunting, but also incredible.
So many people from so many places, all here, now, willing to work together.
“Today we take back our world!” she cried as she pumped her fist into the air and grinned at the sea of people cheering with her.
So much excitement as they all went into battle. Her heart hardened against the consequences. She couldn’t think about what could go wrong or else all she would do is fear that she had made the wrong choice moving forward. And it was clear that there was really only one choice: the right one.
Beckham held his hand out and she hastily jumped off of the table.
“Incredible,” he praised. “No one could feel your anxiety but me.”
She blew out a breath. “Good.”
“Hey, good speech,” Drew said, throwing an arm around her. “When did you learn not to throw up when you addressed a group?”
“Very funny.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks,” she said with a smile. But her eyes flittered over Drew’s shoulder. “Where’s Laura?”
Drew cocked his head to the side. She followed his gaze and found that Brian and Laura had snuck into the room to listen to her speech. They’d had a tear-filled reunion once Reyna and Brian had made it to Beckham’s place. Brian was on the mend and Laura was there every step of the way to help.
“Come on,” Drew said.
They moved across the room where Brian had an arm around Laura.
She was beaming and he gave her a tentative smile as if he wasn’t sure this was reality.
His eyes were shadowed, memories of his time as a vampire and the torture he’d endured from Harrington would follow him forever.
As it would follow Reyna too. She understood that look.
“What a speech,” Brian said.
“You did really great,” Laura said. “Though, I wish none of you had to go.”
“I know,” Reyna said. “But we do. We have to end this.”
“Give him an extra bullet for me,” Brian said fiercely.
She nodded and then pulled Brian, Laura, and Drew in for a hug.
“I hate to say this, but I have to go,” Drew said. He ruffled Laura’s hair affectionately. “First wave and all.”
“Thank you for taking care of her,” Brian said, holding his hand out. They shook, an unbreakable bond forged between them, and then Drew left.
Reyna kissed Brian’s cheek and left him alone with his wife. They needed time together, and she needed to be here for the army.
Drew filed out with the rest of the Elle members, as well as the heavily armed anti-cult crew.
Reyna had had more than a few choice words with Everett’s friends about joining the team, but ultimately none of them wanted to see Everett’s death be in vain.
Luckily, they had guns galore and knew how to use them.
Beckham’s circle spoke furiously to him in a corner for a few minutes before splitting into teams with the other vamps and exiting the room. Beckham nodded once at her and then followed them out to supervise.
Reyna turned then to her own team—Gabe, Meghan, Tye, and Jodie.
“Like old times, huh?” Reyna asked.
Jodie threw her arms around Reyna. “We’ve got your back.”
Meghan smiled brightly. “I’m ready.”
Gabe winked and slung an arm over Meghan’s shoulders. Tye crossed his arms and gave her a cool nod. These were her people. Her team. She wished that she could tell them how much they meant to her, but she could see in their eyes that they already knew.
Tye tossed the keys in his hand. “I call getaway car.”
“Shotgun,” Jodie yelled as she pushed past Meghan and Gabe toward the car.
Reyna took a deep breath, and glanced around Beckham’s safe house.
He’d been right when he’d said it wasn’t big enough to house everyone.
The place was smaller than the mansion. But it was enough as a base for those who were staying behind.
Genevieve had agreed to remain and guard the place along with Brian and Laura. Reyna was relieved by that at least.
Beckham reappeared in the doorway then. “Are you ready?”
She swallowed and nodded. “Yes.”
He crossed the threshold and pulled her into his arms. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She melted into his touch. Their bodies becoming one. She needed this comfort. To know that she was loved as she went out to take on the world.
“We can do this together,” Beckham said.
“You’re right. We should have always done it together.”
“Just don’t hesitate. You’ll only get one opportunity.”
“I know. We’ve gone over this.”
He tilted her chin up to meet his deep obsidian eyes.
They were the hardened eyes of a warrior, with the fierce determination of someone who had gone into battle time and time again and come out ahead.
His experience far outweighed hers. The thrill of battle was a drug to him.
It was all over him. If she reached for his emotions, she could revel in it like a pill for her anxiety.
But she needed her anxiety. Her stress. Her total awareness of every fucking thing that could go wrong.
She’d gone into battle once already against Harrington.
She’d lost.
Beckham had died.
If she wasn’t aware of that, then she would be going into this with false confidence.
She was terrified. And she needed to be.
The last time she’d faced Harrington she’d been cocky.
Young and inexperienced, not yet completely weathered by the reality of her world.
Somehow still completely naive to the ruthlessness of William Harrington.
She wasn’t walking into this half-cocked.
She had a plan and a team and backup. She was about to walk out onto the chessboard and play the hardest game of her life.
Beckham brought his lips down to hers. The kiss was short and soft and raw. Jarring enough to drag her back to earth. He brought his hand to her heart, where it beat steady.
“Just remember, I’m always right here.” He moved her hand up to his heart. “And you are always here.”
“Always,” she repeated.
He nodded. “Good. Showtime.”
A voice cleared behind them. They found Genevieve standing in the hallway that led to bedrooms. “Excuse me. Would you mind if I had a quick word with Reyna before you depart?”
“Of course,” Beckham said deferentially. “I’ll wait in the car.”
“I won’t be long.” Reyna crossed the room to where Genevieve was standing. “What’s going on?”
“I have been a vampire for a long time,” Genevieve said. “I was not long on Mr. Washington’s property before I was turned. He treated me with kindness and respect even before I became one of his kind. What you are doing today is what he always wanted.”
“I know,” Reyna said, choking back the sadness over his death. She couldn’t even believe it was possible. The man who avoided war found that it caught up to him after all.
“Believe me when I say I understand your need to even the score. I’m not sure I would have ever said this before Roger…
died,” Genevieve choked on the word and Reyna squeezed her hand.
“I know that William and Roger were close, but William never deserved his friendship. Roger gave everything to his research. He did everything he could to help William’s condition.
And William truly was a wonderful man,” she said breathily, “until you had something he wanted. And you are now what he wants.” Genevieve grasped her hands.
“Think first of yourself, dear. You have to make decisions that you can live with.”
“I know what I can live with.”
“Choose justice.” Genevieve’s hands tightened around hers, pressing into her palm. “Do the right thing when the time comes.”
Reyna closed her hand into a fist. “I will.”
“You reminded Roger so much of his Elisa. He’d only ever trust you with this.”
“I’ll make him proud.”
Genevieve nodded, releasing her. “I know you will.”