Page 14 of Hidden

Because I knew what that meant.

It didn’t mean a conversation. It didn’t mean another attempt at negotiation. It meant escalation. It meant retaliation. It meant blood.

And for the first time since the meeting had started, something cold and sharp slid down my spine.

The Devils would not take this lightly, not with Dante in charge. He had his old lady and two children to protect. Rumour had it they were kick-starting the youth division again. They were looking at growth and prosperity, and nothing was going to hold them back. I knew well enough what they were capable of, and if there was no truce with the Riders then there would be no line they wouldn’t cross. No rules to follow.

Which meant…

My gaze dropped to the floor, my heart beginning to pound just a little faster.

If war breaks out, I’m not protected. Not like I would have been under my dad’s leadership. I’m no longer neutral. I used to be the princess, guarded like treasure. Now, I would be leverage. Collateral.

The old lady of the president. Unwilling though I was.

And since the Riders had already attacked Rachel…

I was fair game.

A tool to be used. A message to be sent.

And though I never for one second thought Vienna would harm me, I couldn’t say the same for the prospects. After all, it hadn’t been Nico that attacked Rachel either…

My chest tightened, but I didn’t let it show. I couldn’t. Not here. Not now. Not with Nico’s eyes still occasionally flicking in my direction, watching, waiting, measuring.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, his voice lowering just enough to force the room to lean in with him.

“We don’t rush into this,” he said. “We do it properly. We hit where it hurts. We make it clear that we’re not to be fucked with. And we don’t stop until they understand that.”

Stupid man.

Didn’t he realise that if he was planning, the Devils would be planning too? Nico was reckless, looking for a fight, looking to show his strength.

But the Devils…? They were strategic and controlled. I knew that firsthand. After all, I had once been a part of them. I knew how they operated. Or, at least, I used to.

Don’t think about it, Gabby. Don’t open those wounds.

But that was easier said than done, and sometimes the memories were impossible to keep at bay.

My throat felt dry, my thoughts starting to spiral despite my best efforts to keep them contained. I forced myself to focus on something small, something manageable. The rhythm of my breathing. The feel of the lace against my skin. The faint hum of conversation as the men continued discussing routes, territories, supply lines.

Details.

Always focus on the details.

It was the only way to stay afloat.

“…and what about her?” someone asked suddenly, their voice cutting through the noise.

My body went rigid before I could stop it.

Nico didn’t even look at me this time.

He didn’t have to.

His hand lifted slightly, an absent gesture, as though brushing off something insignificant.

“She stays where she is,” he said, his tone dismissive, final. “She’s more useful here.”