Page 105 of Dark Surrender

“Shit.”

“Yeah,” Kali agrees.

“Am I gonna need to kill?” I ask, so I know what’s expected of me.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” I can handle that. It’s not normally what I’m there for. That’s Dee’s thing. But it’s not like I haven’t gotten my hands dirty before.

Kali rubs my shoulder. “Are you sure you still wanna do this?”

“Of course I do.” I want to help.

Kali takes my hand into hers, then Sola’s, and we build a circle. Kali whispers for us to close our eyes, and as the loud voices of men surround us, we breathe with her. We focus on what we gotta do to get in and out safely, to give these children a new life, and help the club rescue as many as we can.

Strength and passion weave through our connection, a connection I’ve never had with anyone before. In any job before this, I’ve been alone. Running it alone. Communicating alone. Putting myself at risk, on my own. But this is different. This is a family—a sisterhood of women, all focused on a single outcome—helping others.

That, I can do.

This, I can do.

I’m not scared.

I’m energized by the need to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. Something I was raised to do. Just on a larger scale.

The three of us carry on for a bit longer in our bubble. Pizza arrives for dinner. We spread throughout the house, and Dark’s with me anytime I’m not with Sola and Kali.

On the porch, we sit on the top step, looking out into the vast darkness. Stars shimmer in the sky.

Dark rests his hand on my leg as the outside of our arms, down to our hips, meld together.

“What color wig will you wear?” he asks, making conversation.

“What color do you think?”

“Blonde.”

“Is that your favorite on me?”

“No. My favorite is when you’re not wearing a wig.”

Whatever. That’s not true.

I bump my shoulder into his. “You can’t mean that.”

“Well, I do. You’re beautiful.”

“I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Say you’re gonna be safe and won’t do anything that might put you in unnecessary danger.”

“I’ll do my best,” I vow and mean it.

He squeezes my thigh. “I can’t lose you.”

Somersaults go a million miles an hour in my stomach as I rest my hand on top of his. “Dark.”

“No. Just listen. The day you poisoned me, I got on my knees on the balcony of my room and surrendered to whatever fuckin’ thing rules this world. If there’s even one. It could be fate. It could be a lot of things. I don’t know. But I was tired. Sick of everything. Hatin’ life. Then I woke up in that cabin.”