Page 38 of Black Hand

“Where does it lead to?” After coughing a few times, the shifter bravely continued to interrogate her.

I was done asking questions after the part about the aliens.

“Just to the outskirts of the forest close to the main road,” she answered, stomping blindly through the mud, while she used her hand along one side of the dirt wall to guide us through the tunnel. “My dad’s old pickup truck should still be there, too. If it has any gas left.” She snorted. “I haven’t checked on it in years. Who knew I’d have vampires trying to burn my house down, right?”

“You are taking this much better than I expected,” I said just so I don’t think about the walls closing in on me, and her laugh sounded a little unhinged.

“Oh, I’m not taking it at all, Brooklyn. I’m just pissed that my animals died.” Releasing a shuddering breath, she was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “I’ll go full psycho after we are out of here and safe. Oh, yeah, I’m going to lose my shit, just watch.”

Dominic snickered like a boy, which was an endearing sound, but my spine stiffened like a steel pipe.

“Someone is in the tunnel with us.” Snatching the shifter by the forearm, I dug my nails into his skin all my anxiety about being buried alive forgotten. “Can you feel it?” He turned this way and that, but his movements were sluggish, which sent alarms blaring through my head. “Are you hurt?”

“No.”

My mouth opened to argue with him, but whoever followed us was getting too close. At that point, there was no doubt it was an Atua. Dropping the subject for later, I turned to face the way we came from just in time to see Johnathan’s smug face come into view. Dominic snarled from behind me and Alice screamed.

“Keep her quiet,” I muttered to the shifter as I stepped out to meet the kiss ass.

“Brooklyn, you know you can’t run from me.” Johnathan laughed as if we were playing some twisted game.

“Who said I was running?” Shrugging off Dominic’s hand, which had tried to pull me behind him, I moved closer. “I wanted to talk with you somewhere where the rest can’t overhear our conversation.” Insanely, I went as far as smiling at him. “I’m glad you followed because this can’t wait.”

“You think me stupid?” He tsked under his breath but still kept coming, so I took a gamble, and not just withmylife but with Alice’s, too.

“The human knows ways of doing magic and discovered that I have some too.” Doing my best to sound fearful, I inched closer. “Can you believe it? If the Council finds out, I’ll be dead. That’s why I don’t want to come back, although …” Hoping my shuddering breath was believable, I ducked my chin down as if embarrassed. “It’s the only home I’ve known.”

Dominic’s deadly snarl was a dagger in my chest.

“You mean it.” Hearing the uncertainty in Johnathan made me want to shout in happiness, but I stared at my feet nodding. “Oh Brooklyn, you have nothing to fear, darling.” My skin crawled hearing him call me that. “They’ve always known. It was you who was not ready to hear it yet. This is good, very good indeed. We should go back and discuss what this means for you, for us … for the Syndicate.”

“You’ll help me, John?” Using the shorter version of his name like I used to when I believed we were friends sealed his fate.

“I will kill you.” Dominic’s deep growl from behind me made me want to cry, but I couldn’t stop now that the kiss ass took the bait.

They knew. They’d always known and were keeping me alive, but for what exactly? Bile burned at the back of my throat.

“Come to me, Brooklyn.” Johnathan reached for me. “I will call the others to deal with the shifter. You can have the human.”

“Thank you.” Whispering timidly, I rushed with my arms in front of me as if I wanted to run to his embrace.

He smiled and wrapped his arms tight around my shoulders. I lifted on my toes to be able to reach him better. Both my palms pressed on the side of his face and I twisted as hard as I could. The snapping of his spinal cord when his neck broke was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.

Alice screamed again.

Catching Johnathan’s body in my arms, I slung him over my shoulder and turned to face Dominic. He was staring at me with an unreadable expression, but I lifted my chin up as if daring him to judge me.

“Let’s go.” Marching to them, I passed them both and followed the length of the tunnel. “We need to see to your injury, Dominic.”

“Where do you think you are taking him?” He sneered right on my heels, the familiar distrust from what felt like a lifetime ago back in the tone of his voice.

“With us.” I shrugged with my free shoulder. “He took the bait just like I knew he would, admitting the Council knows what I am and about the magic. That means he knows a lot more than just that.”

“And?” he growled.

“And he will spill every single detail he knows before I kill him. But until then, I’m planning to have fun with him.”

“Good for you, Brooklyn,” Alice chirped excitedly. “Girl power, man. Let her beat the fucker. He is a baddie. Damn animal killer.”

“What is our next move now that we started collecting members of the Black Hand?” He begrudgingly calmed his temper, using the name for the Syndicate no one dared to say to our face.

“First we will learn everything.” My heart started beating faster. “Then we will pay a visit to the Council.”

And I would kill them, one by one, and with pleasure.

Dominic couldn’t help but chuckle, and that sound was followed by Alice’s still-a-little-disturbing laugh.

To be Continued