“That doesn’t make it easier,” I point out.
“No,” he admits, “but the alternative is letting them continue destroying lives, and I can’t live with that either.”
I reach up and touch his face, feeling the slight roughness of stubble under my fingertips. “We don’t have to kill them, you know. Exposing them, destroying their operations, putting them in prison—that could be enough.”
“Could you let Marco live?” he asks, and I squirm.
I think about the brand on my shoulder, about the years of captivity, about all the other Avids who didn’t survive what I did. “I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “When I think about facing him again, all I feel is rage.”
“Then you understand,” he says simply. “Not to mention, he sent Meadow after you. He may have played nice at the party in the Southern District, but that was only because he had an audience. He wants you for himself, Katja, and he won’t stop until he has you. Thinking about him or one of my brothers getting their hands on you?—”
I turn around fully in the tub now so I can face him, brushing his hair back with my damp hands. “No one is taking me from you. It’s you and me forever, remember? You promised.” I smile at him, getting him to relax.
“How do you do that?” he says.
“Do what?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Everything in this world feels like it’s breaking, but when I look at you, it all makes sense. With you, I can survive anything. It feels like I can accomplish anything as long as I have you by my side,” he says, and my heart does a little flip-flop.
“That’s because you can accomplish anything,” I tell him, water droplets falling from my hands as I frame his face. “You’re the strongest person I know, Malachi. You’re fighting your own family to do what’s right. You’re leading a team into the most dangerous mission any of us have ever attempted. And you’re doing it all because you believe in something better.”
I lean closer, our foreheads almost touching. “But if I make it easier somehow, if I help you feel like you can take on theworld, then that’s perfect and exactly how you make me feel too.”
“We’re going to get through this,” he says, his voice full of quiet conviction. “Whatever happens in that lab, whatever we face afterward—we’re going to make it out together.”
“Together,” I agree, and when he kisses me, it tastes like promises and hope and the kind of love that could survive anything.
Chapter Twenty-Four
LOG TWENTY-FOUR – ESCALATING SUSPICION: I BELIEVE SHE IS SABOTAGING US, BUT I CANNOT FIND PROOF. AND THE ABSENCE OF PROOF IS BEGINNING TO FEEL INTENTIONAL.
“I’ve arrangedfor us all to fly to the Eastern District tomorrow afternoon. We’ll go to one of the safe houses there and regroup. It’s close enough to start surveillance on my father and brothers and get a better idea of what’s going on, and from there, we can plan our exact date of attack on the lab,” Malachi says to all of us in the training room.
We spent another two days completing a brutal training schedule, but I’m confident we’re prepared as a team. With Malachi back, everything feels right. I feel more ready than I’ve ever felt and think we’re all getting the itch to get this over with.
“How long will we stay at the safe house before we make our move?” Alex asks. I look over to where he’s leaning against one of the side bleachers, dripping in sweat.
“We don’t want to hang out in the Eastern District longer than necessary, hopefully only a handful of nights, enough to see what they’re up to and feel things out,” Malachi says.
“What about the pilot? Can we trust them not to give away our location?” Nasha asks.
Bash speaks up, “The pilot was paid well for his silence, and I consider him a personal friend. He won’t say anything.”
I cross my arms, studying the faces around me. Everyone looks tired but determined. Aurora’s eyes have that fierce glint they get when she’s ready for a fight. Cade is already mentally cataloging weapons and equipment, tapping his fingers against his leg. Even Dante, usually the quietest of us, has a focused intensity about him.
“Once we’re there, stick to pairs for any reconnaissance,” Malachi continues. “No one goes anywhere alone. The Eastern District isn’t friendly territory, even without the added risk of running into family.”
“What’s our cover story if we’re spotted?” Aurora asks.
“We’re Solace operatives investigating reports of missing persons in the area. It’s close enough to the truth that it should hold up under casual scrutiny,” Malachi replies.
The plan sounds solid, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re walking into something bigger than we realize. Still, we’ve trained for this. We’re as ready as we’ll ever be. Well, we clearly could all train a lot longer, but time is of the essence here.
“Now we’ll have plenty of time to pack in the morning since we don’t leave until later in the day, so since all of you have been working so hard, I thought tonight we could go to District Blackout to let off some steam before the mission,” Malachi says, and Cade and Dante start laughing, already looking excited.
“What’s District Blackout?” I ask, glancing around at everyone’s suddenly perked-up faces.
“It’s a dive bar, hence ‘blackout,’” Aurora says, and I snap my head to her.
