Page 14 of Wicked Enemy
“I understand.”
“You’ll create the distraction and then I’ll make sure the others get to the bridge.”
He nodded again. A thoughtful expression blew across his features, and for a moment, it looked like he was going to ask me something. But then he simply straightened his spine slightly.
“What?” I asked.
Uncertainty flickered in his dark eyes. Then he cleared his throat. “I was just wondering, sir. What happens next?”
“What do you mean?”
“After we get our people out of jail.” Shifting his weight, he cast me another hesitant look. “It’s just… The white boots blindsided us and took our people captive. And the House of Onyx, and Lightning, have both tried to attack us. I don’t want to… I mean…”
“You don’t want to let those insults go unpunished.”
“No, sir.”
I nodded.
“But at the same time,” he continued. “We’re in a terrible position right now. The other Houses will continue attacking us. We still haven’t fully finished taking over the territories left open when you wiped out the House of Shadow, Fire, and Thousand Eagles. And the white boots won’t let this go either. They’ll launch another attack sooner or later. So, I just… What do we do? Sir.”
It took every ounce of my willpower not to heave a deep sigh. Because he was right, of course. We were in a terrible position right now. Enemies were circling on all sides, just waiting for the right opportunity to attack. And my whole organization was a mess.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared down at my map of Malgrave while considering my options. And the more I looked at it, the more fury began to push out the weariness. I had worked too fucking hard to build this empire. I had gotten too fucking close to getting it all. And by all hell, I was going to fucking get it all.
“We’re going to get revenge,” I declared.
“On who?”
“On everyone.” Lifting my gaze, I locked hard eyes on Shinji. “Before this month is over, I am going to take out the House of Lightning, Onyx, and Stone, and become the sole ruler of the entire south side.”
His normally so calm eyes widened. “How? You’ve been trying to do that for the last five years. How are you going to make that happen in just a few short weeks?”
“I don’t know yet. But we’re out of options. I need to control the entire south sidebeforethe white boots launch their next attack. Fighting them while also fighting each other will only play in their favor, just like it always has.” Squeezing my hand into a fist, I felt my resolve harden as I tried to bend the very universe to my will. “I am going to wipe out the other Houses in the next few weeks. And then I am going to force the Parliament of Malgrave to cede the south side to me.”
Across the table, Shinji watched me with a knowing smile on his face, as if he believed every word with his whole soul. “Yes, sir.”
I glanced back down at the letter from Ben.
“But first, we’re going to get our people back.”
Chapter8
It had been six days since Levi pushed me out of the window and then disappeared somewhere into the darkness. But my mind still kept drifting back to that night. To when he had told me that we were even now and that we were nothing to each other.
That should have been a good thing, something to be relieved about, since I had also decided to rectify my previous mistake and actually capture him this time. But I still couldn’t help the pain that twisted in my chest every time I repeated his words in my head. And that both made me feel pathetic and infuriated me.
I didn’t used to be this whiny and uncertain. I used to know exactly what was right and wrong. I used to make up my mind and then stick to it. But now, after meeting that damn dark mage who turned my whole world upside down, I had started to second-guess myself and worry and doubt and change my mind every two seconds. It was unsustainable. I had to find a way to—
“Sterling!” Chief Anderson snapped. “Are you even paying attention?”
Clothes rustled and leather creaked as the whole meeting room turned to glance at me where I stood by the wall along with the other Junior Constables. Heat seared my cheeks, but I hoped that it wasn’t too visible in the bright sunlight that filled the room.
“Yes, sir,” I lied.
“Then what were we talking about?”
Alarm crackled through my veins since I had absolutely no idea. Just like every time my mind drifted back to Levi fucking Arden, I completely lost track of everything around me because his presence consumed my every thought.