Page 137 of Deadfall

“No!” I cried and held on harder. “Don’t leave! Please, don’t leave me—”

“I love you, Griffy, but it’s time to move on.” The warehouse flickered and her form faded. “Someone else needs you now.”

The forest slammed back into sharp focus. I was on my knees, fists clenched around loam and wet leaves as my chest heaved in air—

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t fucking breathe. I love you too.

I barely heard my name being called again. It was louder now, more urgent. I focused beyond my hands and saw I was at the edge of the forest. A few yards and the moonlight illuminated a strip of grass before the scent of salt hit my nose. I stared at it while my breathing stuttered, and sobs rasped against my throat. The grief was raw as it tore through my heart like shrapnel. The past was right there—too close—like I’d just lost her.

Seven appeared beside me. He’d pulled off his mask and his face was full of concern, because he knew. He’d been there—he’d seen what I’d seen. He put his hands on my shoulders, not quite an embrace, but not letting me hold all of it alone. I couldn’t speak, and he didn’t say anything.

There was nothing to say, and we both knew it.

Gunfire through the trees had us both tense. In unspoken agreement, I surged to my feet and staggered toward the treeline. Seven led the way and we broke out into the moonlight. Ahead of us was a rocky outcropping that lined the edge of the cliffs. Seven brought us around the edge of a large boulder where Emersyn and Angel crouched. Angel was on his phone again as he looked out at the ocean. The sight of Emersyn did wonders to calm my nerves. Her mask was gone too, and her eyes were filled with concern. She shocked me further when she reached out a hand and grabbed mine.

Someone else needs you now.

Hand it to my little sister to remind me that I wasn’t alone and that through the deepest, darkest lows, sometimes there are things set into motion that we couldn’t see until later. As much as I never wanted what happened to my sister to be the catalyst, it was undeniable that my future would not have been possible without her. Because if it wasn’t for my sister, I wouldn’t have become Deathwing.

I would never have pursued a vendetta against the sex trafficking industry.

I would have never found a certain name carved into the walls of a boarding house.

I would have never found Emersyn North.

63

GABRIEL

Three Years Ago

My hand shook as I pulled a sheet over the body in the corner. A body that was far too small and reminded me of things I’d rather not think about. This place made me sick to my stomach and what we found in it, even more so. I dug my phone out of my pocket, suddenly needing to speak with someone who understood.

She answered on the first ring, like she always did. “Hey, brother, oh my god you wouldn’t believe what kind of bullshit I just had to go through—” My older sister rambled on for a good minute, and I relaxed into whatever nonsense she was talking about. It didn’t matter, just hearing her voice brought me back from the edge.

“Anyway, sorry, just coming off the tarmac so I’m hyped, you know? What are you up to?”

“I’m on a job,” I said.

“Oh. It’s bad, isn’t it. You never call me unless it’s bad.”

“Yeah—just—reminds me of her, you know?

She sighed heavily.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to ruin your day too.”

She scoffed, and I heard a hanger door slam. “Nonsense. You know I want you to call me whenever. I just don’t know how you do it. I already have anger issues—”

A breath that was almost a laugh escaped me. “So do I.”

“Yeah, but you get to take it out on bad people. I just fly things.”

“Okay, that’s downplaying things just a bit,” I protested.

My sister, older by only three years, was a highly sought after tactical pilot. If it flew in the air, she could fly it, although she preferred helicopters.

“You know what I mean,” she said, her humor gone. “Whenever I think about Kally, I still get so angry. Sometimes I wish I could have been there to help you get revenge—maybe that would have helped.”