Page 130 of Trapped Truth

“Turns out, my friend has been hired by a little headache we’re all having.” His lips spread into a wide smile. “None other than one Nolan Madden.”

“A mercenary?” Hyland grimaces.

“I believe he’s one of many. We already knew Madden is hiring paid skins to bolster his ranks. Lucky for us, this paid skin has a loyal bone in his body. He contacted me to pass along a message as the favour.”

The fizzling tension in the room rackets upward several notches to reach a boiling point. I shuffle closer to Axel so I can hold his bicep, needing something to keep me grounded.

That’s when Blaine steps forward.

Grim. Solemn. Resolute.

“It’s a message from my mother.”

“She’s alive?” Shock slams into me like a strike of lightning.

“Confirmed.” He nods, tousled black hair shifting like a dark shadow against the buzzed sides of his head. “And in the United Kingdom.”

“Holy fuck,” Axel mutters.

I dart to Blaine’s side, capturing his hand. “What was the message?”

“She wants to meet me.”

In an instant, my stomach plummets to the magma roiling in the Earth’s core below our feet. It’s another trap. A mental manipulation employed by the man who knows what he took from his only son. Now he’s baiting the line to lure in the big catch.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Blaine searches over my face. “It could be another scheme.”

“Could be?” Hyland huffs.

“Why would this woman risk her life to make contact with us?” Axel shakes his head.

“Because he’s her son,” Gunnar explains curtly.

“Not good enough. She’s had a son for over three decades and never reached out before.”

“Perhaps she wasn’t able to until now,” I point out.

Blaine’s fingers squeeze mine. “Perhaps.”

“That still doesn’t explain what she’s hoping to achieve or whether we can trust her.”

At that, Kade resolutely pulls up a box, appearing too tired to stand for a second longer. Warner claps him on the shoulder as he trudges past us to sit down.

“The consensus is that it’s a risky manoeuvre.” Kade pushes messy blonde hair from his face. “But we’re not in a position to be ignoring any viable leads at this stage.”

“Did we learn nothing from the swimming pool disaster?” Hyland tosses a hand into the air.

“That was an unfortunate incident, yes. But this time, we won’t be putting our remaining ranks at risk. Nor will we play into their hands. This meet would be a simple, transactional exchange.”

“Like what?” Suspicion coils in my chest.

Kade casts me a weary look. “Ask your Phantom that.”

Tensing all over, I peer up at Blaine’s stoic face. He’s never been one to shy away from his choices or opinions. Staring back at me without regret, the corner of his mouth lifts.

“I will meet her alone. No backup, no grand operation. Just me and her. A simple exchange of intel.”

My system flushes cold like I’ve been waterboarded head-first in the Arctic current. I drop his hand to crash a balled-up fist into his chest, gripped by terror so acute, I almost can’t see straight from the force of it.