Chapter 19

Idon’t really want to return to the building just to placate a man I want to kill. However, Damon and Rayth presented logical arguments, so here I am like a good soldier.

Walking into the conference room, I take a seat at the table alongside the others, looking around at the rest of the teams. It is good to see that Rayth and Damon have schooled their expressions into masks of neutrality, betraying no hint of the emotions I’m sure are swirling beneath the surface. Tavish stands towards the back of the room, his nervous energy palpable even from where I sit. His hands twitch restlessly, a telltale sign of his discomfort and how much he wants to dig into his snacks as a distraction, but I know he”ll do his best to conceal it when Owen arrives.

As I observe the others, I realize that my own fingers are tapping impatiently against the table in front of me. My mind is consumed with thoughts of Everly, alone and vulnerable in our apartment. I don”t like the idea of leaving her unguarded, and I know we”ll need to work out a plan to ensure her safety moving forward.

Owen had called all the best teams in, no doubt in response to the ”security breach” the night before. Despite my desire to confront him, I maintain a facade of professionalism, biding my time until the opportunity presents itself to strike.

I force my fingers to still as Owen storms into the room, exuding the same menacing presence as always. He”s dressed in his usual attire, reminiscent of an evil mob boss with too much power and too little conscience. His dark glare cuts across the room as he strides to his seat at the head of the table, and I can”t shake the feeling that his eyes linger on us—on me and the guys—a little too long for comfort.

Without wasting a moment, Owen launches into a tirade, his voice dripping with disdain. ”Last night, someone broke into the cells and killed Grim,” he begins. ”That can”t be left unpunished. But not only that, they managed to steal high value merchandise from one of the cells. Merchandise that had already been sold. It is now the number one priority of everyone in this room to find her and to find who killed Grim.”

He directs his next words at Tavish, his tone dripping with contempt. ”Track down who hacked into the system and prove you aren”t completely useless,” he sneers. ”You already let someone waltz in here. Don”t let that be what you”re remembered for within The Order.”

Tavish nods hurriedly, using Owen”s command as an excuse to quickly exit the room. His footsteps are rapid, betraying his eagerness to escape the oppressive atmosphere.

Owen”s gaze sweeps across the room once more before he continues, his voice commanding obedience. ”The information on the missing merchandise will be on your phones within the hour. Find her. Anyone who doesn”t put this as a priority, I will assume you are no longer loyal and would like to leave The Order.”

The urge to slaughter this man is strong at that moment, alongside the need to scoff at his suggestion that any one of us would be allowed to just leave. We all know he means death—that”s what he called his organization after all, The Order of Death.

As Owen dismisses the room, signaling for everyone to leave, I stand along with the others. But before I can make my exit, the asshole calls out my name. Damon and Rayth look back at me, concern etched in their expressions, but I give them a subtle nod, indicating that they should go ahead without me. We won”t be staying in this building a moment longer than necessary.

Turning back toward Owen, I mask my emotions behind a facade of indifference as I take my seat again. It doesn”t surprise me that he would ask me to stay. After all, I”m his best little soldier, his most vicious dog. I always do what I”m told. And that obedience will work in my favor, he won”t see it coming when I tear his head from his body. He”s never truly paid attention, isn”t aware that emotions mean nothing to me at all, that my lack of any emotions is what makes me good at what I do.

Throwing my arms across the backs of the other chairs, I force myself to look bored as Owen”s eyes narrow in on me. ”You aren”t going to ask about the woman?” he probes.

I tilt my head with a frown, feigning disinterest. ”Am I meant to? You said you would provide information on the target to our phones within the hour. Is there something I need to know outside of that?” My response is blunt, calculated, and I can see the satisfaction in Owen”s eyes. He thinks we believed the letter that had been left for us. But if he wants to keep up that charade, then he can”t tell us he even knew her or that she was with us.

But Owen isn”t finished yet. ”When you get the information, don”t let the pretty face distract you from the job,” he warns, his voice dripping with malice. ”I”m sure you will probably be the first to find her since you”re my best and the rest are just fodder. But she needs to be brought in. Once I have the information I want, then maybe I”ll let you have what”s left to play with.”

I give a nonchalant shrug, masking the thoughts swirling inside me. ”You know the boys and I don”t care about pretty faces,” I retort coldly. ”And I don”t play with my food.”

He studies me for a few more moments before he dismisses me with a flick of his hand. Standing, I shove my hands into my pockets, fighting the urge to wrap them around his neck. Instead, I dip my head in a mock gesture of respect before exiting the room.

But if there”s anything that was confirmed from that little meeting, it”s that Owen is a dead man walking. He just doesn”t know it yet.

It doesn”t take long before I”m sliding into the backseat of our car, Damon and Rayth glancing back at me with questioning looks. Rayth starts the car, and as we pull away from the building, I turn to Damon.

”Have you made sure that Tavish won”t say anything?” I ask.

Damon scoffs. ”He won”t talk. He hates Owen just as much as we do,” he reassures me.

I nod curtly. ”Good.”

Rayth interjects, curiosity evident in his tone. ”What did he want?”

I roll my eyes. ”Just posturing bullshit. Trying to fish while also trying to work around that he knows we know her.”

Rayth raises an eyebrow, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. ”I”m going to assume he said something to try to get a rise out of you.”

I give him a droll look in response, my thoughts elsewhere.

”Good thing it was just you in there then. I”m not sure how long I”ll be able to play along now knowing what we know,” he says as he continues to navigate the car back to our apartment.

”We need to move her somewhere more secure,” I say finally, breaking the silence that hangs heavy in the car. Damon turns back toward me, concern etched on his face.

”He has already established that he knows the properties we frequent by what happened at the cabin. I wouldn”t be surprised if he knows about the apartment too,” I clarify, watching as the realization hits Rayth. He puts his foot down on the accelerator, the car picking up speed.

Damon frowns. ”Where will we take her, though? We need to stay local, or it will be too obvious if we stop returning to our apartment while we join the ”search”,” he emphasizes the sarcastic use of the last word with air quotes. There”s no need to search for someone we have already found.

”I have an idea, but let”s get back to check on Everly before we discuss it,” I suggest, knowing that our priority is ensuring her safety above all else.

As the car speeds through the streets, I can”t shake the feeling of urgency gnawing at my insides. Everly”s safety is paramount, and we”ll do whatever it takes to keep her out of harm”s way, even if it means defying Owen and The Order of Death to the bitter end. His, not ours.

When we pull into the underground parking for the apartment, I scan the street and other cars for any sign that there is someone watching us. I don’t see anything amiss.

We quickly leave the car in its space and take the elevator up to our apartment. When we open the door, I have a sense of déjà vu. The place is too quiet, too silent, and empty, and my heart thumps inside my chest. We all exchange looks and move to the guest bedroom where we left Everly. But the bed is empty, the electric fire is off, and the bed is tidy but not completely made. Anyone else looking at it wouldn”t be able to see the difference, though.

We start searching, but I can feel my heart sinking. Rayth grunts when he opens the small closet, and for a second, I feel like my heart is lodged in my throat when he kneels down and pulls a blanket away from on top of the normally neat piles of blankets and linens to reveal Everly blinking wide, scared eyes at him.

”It”s okay, little dove, it”s just us,” he says softly, slowly reaching in and gently lifting her out and into his arms. Being mindful of her arm, he lays her back down onto the bed.

”Why were you in the closet, Everly?” I ask simply as she uses her good arm to adjust herself so she is propped against the headboard. She scowls, and I think how cute the expression is on her.

”I heard someone at the door not long after you left. I knew it wasn”t you since you wouldn”t be picking the lock, so I hid. I must have fallen asleep. It”s a good thing they didn’t search very well,” she explains matter-of-factly.

I see the anger on the guys” faces. I had been right; she isn”t safe here. I”m about to go and see if I can sort out another location when Damon frowns at her. ”How are you feeling?” he asks, his tone soft and gentle.

I pay closer attention to her. Her pale skin has a flush to it that I had thought was from sleep but hasn”t faded. ”I have a headache and I”m pretty sore, but I”m sure that”s normal,” she says, rolling her eyes at him.

He ignores her tone and gently touches her cheek and then her forehead. ”Are you feeling hot?” he asks, concern evident in his voice.

”Well, yeah, ”cause it”s hot in here,” she says, but I frown. The apartment feels like an icebox. I”m not sure how long the fireplace has been off, but the entire apartment is frigid.

Damon looks at me, his expression grave. ”She has a fever,” he says simply, his voice carrying a weight that sends a chill down my spine. Without another word, I turn and leave. We need to move her urgently. Not only is the apartment not safe, but now my angel is sick.