“It sounds to me, if I may,” Cameron butts in, “that he was angry and telling you to fuck off. Not that you can never contact him again.”
“I—what?” My head is reeling, and if I’m honest, I’m starting to feel kind of stupid.
“Barfred,” Atticus calls. “Call him.”
“No.” I shut the idea down before they can scheme any further. He won’t even answer. I bet I’m blocked.
“Then I will,” Julian sasses, yanking his phone from his pocket.
Atlas is grinning at him, all goofy and loving as he taps away and then presses his phone to his ear.
“Right here?” I hiss. “Stop it!”
“Hey, Lan,” Julian says into the phone a moment later, though his eyes never stray from mine. “Yeah, I’m good. Listen, I wanted to invite you to a get-together. A boy’s night of sorts.”
Silence envelopes the room as Julian listens to Landon talk, and I want so badly to beg the idiot to put him on speaker, if only so that I can hear Landon’s voiceone more time.
“Great! How does this upcoming weekend sound? That gives you a good few days to prepare… Okay awesome! Later.” Julian hangs up the call, giving me an evil grin. “He’ll be here in five days. That should be plenty of time to ready your apology.”
“How exciting!” Atlas squeals, clapping his hands together.
“I can’t believe you just…” I rub at my temples, trying and failing to slow my frantic breathing.
I want to ask how Landon sounded, and whether he’s okay. But I refrain, if only because it’s kind of embarrassing.
“Well, that’s settled,” Atticus says, his tone bored and completely over this encounter. “Want to watch the waves, sweetheart?”
Cameron nods eagerly, but instead of immediately following after Atticus as he leaves, he steps forward and grabs Atlas’s hand, dragging him away.
“It’ll be alright, Nathaniel,” Julian says, giving me a confident smile. Then, he turns and trails after Atlas like an eager puppy.
Calum really did handle the warehouse situation. Apparently, a bunch of the repressors were tired of the council’s demeaning treatment and had no issues helping.
What they did with the bodies, or how we got away with literal murder, I’m unsure.
I know I should feel some kind of guilt toward those I shot, that it should haunt me, but it doesn’t. I never claimed to be a kind man, and I have no issue taking down those who abuse their power—even if that power isn’t magical and is only authoritative.
Especiallywhen that abuse is aimed towards someone I care about.
Someone I… care about.
I sit up in bed, my head still reeling from the conversation I had with the boys earlier. Oh, lord. Icareabout Landon. Sure,I knew I did on some level, but the idea of reconnecting? Of having his vulnerability again? His violence?
Fuck. I… Ilikehim. I may more than like him. I didn’t think I would be capable of such things after what happened with my family, and now here I am: totally lost without Landon’s grating presence. But will he forgive me when he arrives?
Will Julian’s plan work? He knows Landon well, having been his best friend for so long, so I do have hope. Just not a whole lot.
Let’s be honest here—I took the most fragile parts of Landon and stomped all over them. I gained his trust and his affection and then sold him out to an organization that’s become just as corrupt as my family was.
They had to have known that Landon wasn’tevil, definitely not after they watched him for so long. The worst thing the guy ever did was command me to make his tea right or shove my cock down his throat.
It’smyfault that he got caught up with EP, but they should have stopped that train after getting some proof of who he was.
But they weren’t truly after Landon, were they? He was collateral on their way to Benji, and I’m almost certain that Benji’s biggest crime was being elusive. The council couldn’t stand being bested.
And as I stare into the darkness of my room, feeling the cold space next to me that Landon so briefly occupied, I feel like a bigger idiot than I have ever been before.
I’m a silly child, chasing demons I’ve long since exterminated. A broken man clinging to anger like a lifeline, because what will be left of me once I emerge from that darkness?
