I already knew I wasn’t going to like what came next.
“The Order agreed to wipe their records clean, to make sure no one ever came knocking, to make sure you stayed their little girl forever. But protection like that comes at a price.” His smile sharpened. “And in return, they gave us something we’d been wanting for a long, long time.”
I could barely force the words out. “What?”
“Themselves. Their servitude, and even better than that? They gave us you.”
The floor beneath me might as well have caved in.
“They started right away, but you were different,” he said, almost kindly, as if he was explaining some routine business transaction and not the fact that my whole life had been built on a damn lie. “They needed time. You were young, and we don’t make deals with children. But our plan was simple—not that they understood what we were expecting. When you got older, when you had the skills we needed—you would belong to us. In the meantime, they would do everything and anything we needed.”
My stomach rolled.
“You think your talents are justcoincidence?” He gestured at me. “That your parents happened to raise a little tech prodigy, someone who could out-code and out-hack men twice her age?No, Evie. That was instilled in you long ago. That was the deal. They raised you to be useful to us. And guess what? You delivered. Anderson has been watching you and reports that you are even more skilled than we planned.”
“Watching me?” I echoed, the shock burying itself so deep inside me I couldn’t even think straight.
I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to.
“Well, it started as keeping tabs and learning the extent of your skills, but as I said, he grew obsessed. It definitely became stalking.” A creepy grin spread across his face. “Oops. It at least helped us get you here, though. I’m glad he turned out to be useful because we were unsure there for a moment.”
“You think I’m going to come and help you now? That I owe you anything?”
“That’s why you’re here. Because it’s time to make good on that promise.” He stood slowly, smoothing out his suit. “You want to know why your parents never told you the truth? Because they knew, one day, we’d come to collect. And now, here we are.”
He stood, trying to tower over me, but it wasn’t as intimidating as he hoped. “Think it over. I have nothing but time for you to come to your senses.”
My mind raced, thinking through the list of names and trying to piece together who this man was, which name on the list he could be.
He turned for the door, pausing before stepping through it. Then, with one last glance over his shoulder, he said the words that shattered me completely.
“Wait,” I yelled, making him turn around. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“My name isn’t your concern.”
“What are you going to do to me? Leave me here until I agree to do this work for you?”
“Exactly. I will be back shortly and we can put together a to-do list. Welcome to the Order, Evie. Or should I say, welcome back?”
The door shut with a thud, and I stared at it.
I’m not an Emberson.
I’m not my parents’ daughter.
A sob escaped me, the floor feeling as though it disappeared beneath my feet.
Rook isn’t even my brother.
And worse than all that, I wasn’t simply adopted—I was stolen.
And now the Order wanted me back.
In terms of hoping my life was finally turning into a rom-com?
I think I can officially say it’s taken a sharp turn into horror.
Chapter 43
