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"There was a new program and I clicked on it. Then a command box came up and someone was writing code into it. I freaked out and got rid of it."
Avery's mouth drops open, and Jag starts yelling. Dante drops his hand and steps back, studying me. None of them understands the position I'm in.
They haven't spent countless hours walking the fine line between life and death. They haven't spent years in the depths of hell, without even a glimpse of freedom.
I spin around and walk away. I can't handle their bullshit when they're screaming and have no idea what the hell they're talking about. There aren't many places to run to in this room and I'm afraid one of them will follow me into the closet, so I escape into the bathroom. It doesn't stop Dante, though, which I should have assumed.
"Don't even fucking start," I snarl, pacing the space.
He steps in front of me, hands landing on my shoulders. I glare at the door, not bothering to meet his eyes. He cups my face, guiding my gaze to him.
"They don't understand." He gives me a look when I open my mouth. "And that's not their fault. But I need to know what the code said."
"Do you know anything about code?" I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms.
"Not really, but you do."
My annoyance bleeds away, leaving exhaustion to settle in my bones. Part of me wishes I could go back in time and protect my heart more. If I had kept it under lock and key, behind all the walls I built up, I wouldn't be sitting here waiting for something to happen. I wouldn't be terrified all the time.
I should have been scared back then, but I didn't care what happened to me. I didn't have anyone else who cared either, so what did it change if I was gone? Nothing. Now, I have everything to lose and I know it.
"I have a teenager's knowledge of code." I shake my head and his hands drop to my waist. "That doesn't make sense. I just mean, I don't know very much either. But it looked like they were trying to get in. I don't know how else to explain it. Oh, and they dropped a bunch of f-bombs."
"Do you think you could have helped them?"
"And get myself killed? Absolutely not," I growl, trying to pull away.
"I didn't ask if you would. We need to know who it is. Then maybe we can get ahold of them. Call them when the time is right."
Rolling my eyes, I drop my chin to my chest. "And when is that, exactly? Because all it feels like we're doing is pretending we have a plan. The only one taking any risks is me."
He tips my chin up, then brushes his lips against mine. Resting his forehead on mine, he sighs.
"You're right. I'm making this up as I go along. I wish I could give you more, Aelia, but I can't. Bringing down an organization like this isn't something I have experience in," he says.
"You're used to running an MC," I murmur, watching his face for the lie.
He sends me a lopsided grin, skimming his thumb across my cheeks. "Clever girl. Not that it's easy to keep shit from you."
"It's not. So you should stop trying."
"I'll work on it, angel."
Thirty-One
Dante
I should have left Aelia behind. Bringing her to the council meeting was a mistake I didn't realize until we walked into the room. A dozen men swivel toward us the moment the door opens, scanning her body with lust-filled gazes. I want to scoop every single one of their eyes out for daring to look at her.
Instead, I tug on the leash, guiding her forward. I didn't want to use the collar again, but Aelia insisted. I'm starting to wonder if she enjoys being submissive. Being in her position for so long, she might enjoy giving over the control freely. It's something we'll have to discuss later once we're free of this place.
I drop into the only open chair at the conference table, pushing it away slightly so Aelia settles on her knees in front of me. I'd rather have her in my lap, but this way she'll be hidden from most of the others. Jenkins’ face across from me is unreadable, and he turns away before I can decipher anything.
"There a reason he's here again?" a middle-aged man with a shock of white hair calls from the end of the table.
"Cruz is here at my request. Anyone have a problem with that?" Jenkins asks, scanning the members.
No one speaks up and he nods to the man at the front of the room. He flips a switch, and a large screen lowers, then flashes as he sets up the computer. Two dozen boxes pop up and I realize they're setting up a conference call. Panic floods through me, realizing there are twenty-four cities the Guild is set up in. Shadowed faces fill each one with no indication of who they are or where they're specifically from.
