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It was the first time I witnessed a slight grin as if he was impressed I was keeping it together. Well, I was good at pretending because right now I was freaking out big time.
“My loyalty is to myself.” He leaned forward, placing both arms on the bar, beer between his hands. “They find out your boyfriend over there knows about Vault, they’ll kill him … and you … you’ll be taken to them and shown what happens to those who betray them.”
I really didn’t give a shit about me, but I still felt the fear settle.
He was quiet for a second before he looked at me and I met the cold, unfeeling eyes again. “I’m pretty sure they know by now you’re with Deck and for now, they’re allowing it.”
Allowing it? Shit. And fuck. Because they’d wonder why Deck would allow me to date Tristan if I was with him. Deck wasn’t the sharing type.
“They’d know I told Deck the second I called to meet you tonight. Deck would never let me date another guy when I’m with him. That’s ludicrous.”
He grinned and I caught a glimpse of his pearly-white teeth. “Ah, but they don’t know I’m meeting you. The order Kai received to meet me tonight was from me.”
It was that comment which made me lose my composure and my eyes widened as I turned to meet his eyes. “How? Why? And how do you know about them? About Tanner’s death?” I had so many questions flying around in my head I didn’t know which one to start with.
“It was unfortunate what happened to you.”
“To me? You knew Tanner took me?”
He nodded. “It had to happen. Tanner was very loyal to Vault and him kidnapping you gave Kai a reason to take him out. Although, I suspect it was your man over there who killed him. And before he loses his cool and comes over here, it’s better we end this now. What you need to know now, Chaos, is we’re taking them down.” He smirked at my shocked expression then got up and put a fifty on the bar. “Lay low for a while, would you? We need this shit with Tanner and Kai to settle. I’ll be in touch.”
I stood and grabbed his arm before he could leave. From the corner of my eye, I saw Deck get out of the booth and stand, but he didn’t come toward us. “Tristan.” He looked at my hand on his arm, but I refused to back down. “Who the hell are you?”
His brows rose. “I’m exactly who I say I am, Tristan Mason, owner of Mason Development.”
“If you’re telling me the truth, then give me something to make me believe you. For all I know, you’re Vault trying to set me up.”
He was quiet a minute then boldly turned and looked straight at Deck. “He’s good at what he does, and we’ll need that.” Tristan leaned in closer, his chest barely touching mine. “I know someone in Vault. It was my contact who suggested to them to keep an eye on me.”
“What? Why would you do that? They’ll kill you if they find out.”
“I needed to meet you and I needed it to be their idea, not mine.” He glanced back down at my hand still holding his arm and I let go. “I’m high profile. They won’t touch me unless absolutely necessary. I have nothing—at the moment—that would make them come after me.”
“Except your contact.” He trusted someone in Vault? He knew someone in Vault that meant— “My brother? Do you know anything about him?” I held my breath waiting, heart pounding. Please say he’s still alive.
“Connor. He’s in France. Alive.” I closed my eyes and took a deep inhale. “I’m sorry, that’s all I can tell you right now.”
I nodded, looking down at my feet trying to hold back the tears. A conflict of emotions pooled inside me. I wanted so badly for my brother to be alive, but at what cost? What had they put him through? What were they doing to him now? “I want him back,” I whispered more to myself than to Tristan.
“You won’t get him back.” My gaze darted to him, chest tightening. “If he gets out, he will never be the brother you knew.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” Tristan tensed and his jaw twitched. “Because I was never the same.”
“What?”
“The Vault kidnapped me when I was eight. Destroyed any childhood I would’ve had. To this day, my parents and sister don’t know I’m alive. They can never know. I lost that the second I became part of Vault.”
“But you aren’t now.”
“No. I escaped when I was fifteen. Someone from Vault helped me—my contact.” Tristan’s brows lowered further over his darkened eyes. “Now, I have the money and the resources to get my contact out and rip Vault apart.” He nodded toward Deck. “Your man and his men have a reason to go after Vault. You have a reason to go after Vault and now Kai has a reason to go after Vault. It’s time.”
