Page 74 of Desecrated Saints
“I don’t give a fuck,” Kade whispers roughly. “I’m in love with Brooklyn West. If that means loving Patient Eight too, then that’s exactly what I’ll fucking do.”
“You can’t love me. Not like this.”
“You don’t get to decide that! There’s no choice in this, no walking away. I’ve loved you since the moment we met, and I’ll love you until our very last goodbye.”
I try to step away from him, but he refuses to let go. We’ve been two steps forward, one step back, since the very beginning of this fucked up journey. But now… I don’t know if I can follow them into the light. This path only ends one way for me.
“Incendia won’t stop until I’m dead. Maybe that’s what I deserve… but you guys don’t. I won’t let you throw your lives away for me, even if I love you too.”
Behind Kade, Hudson stares at me with possession and rage in equal measure. He looks like he wants to burn the entire world down just so we can walk together through the ashes. If I try to walk away, I have no doubt he’ll drag me right back to them, kicking and screaming.
Hunter, Enzo, and Theo sneak out to give us some privacy. When the door clicks shut, Eli joins our little huddle. Fearsome need wars across his expression as he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.
“It’s… our ch-choice,” he stutters out.
Hudson nods. “We’re choosing you.”
“Today, tomorrow, and every day to come,” Kade says vehemently. “If Phoenix were here… he’d say the same thing. It’s going to take all of us to bring him home.”
“All of us?” I repeat.
Eli slides his hand into mine, and Kade releases me into Hudson’s strong embrace. Between the three of them, I feel my body begin to relax. They’re my foundation. My strength. The force that keeps me going.
“Let’s go find Seven,” Hudson suggests, seeming shocked by his own words. “Perhaps today will be the day he decides to be a sane human being.”
“Unlikely,” Kade mutters.
As we step outside the office and back into the brightly lit corridor, Enzo and Hunter are talking rapidly with their heads together. Theo has vanished. I try not to shiver as their eyes sweep over us.
“We want to see Seven.” I try to sound braver than I feel.
Enzo folds his powerful arms, muscles bulging against the tight fit of his black t-shirt. He defers back to his leader with a nod. Hunter scares me the most. It’s in the way he looks at me, full of perceptive intelligence. My secrets dance in his eyes like embers from a flame.
“I expect answers to my questions,” he says curtly. “Your protection here is only temporary, and it comes at a price. We’re putting ourselves at great risk.”
“What do you want from us?”
Hunter’s fingers drum against his toned arms. “Sworn evidence from all five of you about Blackwood. Plus, the two you’ve got smuggled away. You’re going to help me bring Incendia down.”
Kade bites his lip. “The others are… elsewhere.”
“Irrelevant. We can retrieve them.”
“We’re not going to prison,” Hudson adds next.
“You will be given our full protection while this is taking place. Your testimonies can be used to negotiate a plea deal with the government. I can’t rule out eventual prosecution.”
“Where is Seven?” I repeat, losing patience with this asshole. “Right now, I don’t give a fuck about the world or Incendia. I need to know that the people I care about are safe. Then we can bargain.”
Studying me with that piercing stare, Hunter nods. “Enzo will take you to your friend. We have temporary accommodation for you. After that, we do things my way.”
“Are we safe enough to stay here?”
“We’re good at what we do,” Enzo answers me. “Our staff are all highly trained. Nobody is getting through that front door without a hell of a fight.”
Checking with the guys, they all reluctantly nod.
“Take them upstairs,” Hunter instructs Enzo, pulling his phone out. “I’ll contact the SCU and lay the groundwork. They’re not going to believe this.”