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There’s a tightness in my chest as he puts a voice to some of the thoughts that have strayed across my mind in quiet moments. I can’t say I disagree, but we don’t have time to be trying to figure out the details of the Calliano’s plans that they’ve kept close to their chest. He and Hawke have been working toward taking down Andreas Noire’s estate for years.
In spite of that, I know how he feels about Fox, I see it written all over his face. He couldn’t truly hurt her, of that much, I’m certain.
“Thorne will take care of it.” My finger presses the call button again, and as I raise it to my ear, Ven turns to face me with violence oozing out of him.
“If he doesn’t, I’ll put a bullet in his chest myself.”
58
My girl is already in the car waiting for me when I walk out the front doors to Noire House.
In the time we’ve been here, it allowed me to run through everything with Hawke. The plans we set in place years ago are finally within reaching distance, and there’s every chance we might fail…but if we succeed? That’s going to make all of this hell and all of the torture so many of us have been through worth it.
There are too many years of pain and suffering, none of which can possibly be erased, but we are within reaching distance of finally eliminating the last vestiges of poison infiltrating Noire House.
We’re going right for the snake at the top this time, and we’ll finally assume control over this place once and for all.
None of us can change how embedded in society the Anguis are. They hold the seats of power on a global scale. But at least, in this small part, we can make the biggest difference of all.
Getting rid of the final trafficking ring that has been a plague on Port Macabre.
If that’s our legacy, then Hawke and I will gladly see it through. Even if it means sacrificing ourselves in the process.
Fucked if I’m going to let any more children be abused and sold and forced into a life of hell.
Now, we have to make it to the Pledging Ceremony. The Serpentine Moon is drawing ever closer, and we’ve got one more week to ensure everything is ready.
One final week before all of this will be over, one way or another.
I don’t want to think about what might wait for us on the other side. There’s a part of me that is terrified I might just make it through this alive, but at what cost?
My shoes crunch on the gravel as I approach the car, and those baby blues follow me from behind the window as I round the hood. The door locks pop open, allowing me to slide into the driver’s side, and I drop my jacket in the backseat.
“Do you feel tired?” I lean over and tuck a curl of lilac hair behind her ear. There’s a small nod my way and a tight smile. Foxglove Noire is many things, and undoubtedly strong, but I suspect the events of the past twenty-four hours have caught up with her.
My throat tightens. I can’t think about last night too much, or I’m going to lose my shit.
Keep it together for one more week.
Putting the car into drive, we follow the long drive and wind our way out of the estate. Heading through the mist-covered rolling hills, the world outside feels heavy. The sky paints itself in thick brushstrokes of charcoal as evening steals in.
What I really want right now is to have her on my lap. So instead, I settle for reaching across and laying my hand on her thigh. She’s wearing a short, flowy black dress and chunky heeled boots. The tattoo of peonies and her namesake flowers on her upper thigh peeks below the hem, and she feels so fucking soft. The contrast between my calloused, blood-stained palms against her smooth skin only tightens the grip around my throat. I can’t help but hold her tight, toying with the edge of the soft fabric between my thumb and forefinger as we drive in silence.
I wonder if she knows exactly how much I need her—them all—to keep grounding me in amongst this madness.
That makes my brow furrow for a moment, wondering why I haven’t had a check-in from Ky. Usually, I have a landslide of messages to contend with, but I haven’t switched my phone back on yet after meeting with Hawke.
Fuck. “Can you get my phone from my jacket and turn it on for me, Foxglove?”
I’m not moving my hand.
She looks at me a little cautiously, then swivels to reach into the backseat. When she twists back around with my phone and presses down on the button, the screen lights up. It’s barely a second before it explodes with numerous buzzing notifications, all arriving at once.
Before I can say a word, it starts ringing. Ky’s name flashes up immediately.
“Put it on speaker.” My stomach twists as she taps the screen.
“Jesus, Thorne. Where the fuck have you been?” Ky’s yelling before the call even connects, and his voice blasts through the previously quiet space like a shotgun.
