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Silver lining?
It was either that or put a bullet in my head, and I’d already promised Conor that I wouldn’t leave him.
As I landed the helicopter in the clearing, it was obvious to see that the Brotherhood hadn’t been by recently.
D peered at the pits we’d dug for Foundry and Smythe who were no longer ‘there,’ but a few bones remained in residence. “I guess we can confirm that Kuznetsov doesn’t suspect anything or this place would be crawling with Feds who’d pin the crimes on us.”
“He wants me as his heir,” I rasped.
D chuckled. “You don’t have it in you to be Dr. Evil.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“It’s a compliment.”
Annoyed, I retorted, “You were angry with me for letting myself be conned by him earlier.”
She sniffed. “I just realized that he offered you everything you could possibly want. As much as we like to think that we’re not, we’re only human.
“If someone offered me my heart’s desire, how could I say no? Especially when the stakes were so high.”
My throat felt thick as I croaked out, “Thank you, D. I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
She punched me in the bicep. “Don’t get sappy. No apology necessary. Walked into a hail of bullets for you before, Star, and haven’t brought it up that you got your ass imprisoned by a geriatric megalomaniac, either. By comparison, this is nothing.”
I’d done the same for her and would do worse still to protect her—that was how deep our friendship ran.
It must have been exhaustion from the day’s events that made me want to laugh and cry at her words.
“You know,” she mused, toeing her boot over the remnants of the two Sparrows. “I don’t want to be alive when it happens, but I think this is a good way to go out.”
“Being kibble for wild animals?” Conor sputtered.
“Yeah. Seems natural.”
Grateful for the less sentimental direction in our conversation, I hid a snort at Conor’s horrified look. “Less talking, more action.”
As I watched him set up the piece of tech that killed any and all incoming and outgoing signals into the area, D queried, “Why are we even here?”
“Seems a shame not to grace Temper with the same fate as she gifted Reinier,” I said simply.
D high-fived me. “I like the way you think.”
“You don’t hold much loyalty for family, do you?” Conor asked.
“Some family you make, you’re not born with.” She hooked her arm around my neck. “Star’s not blood, but she might as well be. Then, throw in the fact that Temper’s chasing after my man, she’s fair game.”
“Don’t ask, Conor,” I quipped when he seemed set to pepper her with questions.
Releasing her hold on me, D loped over to the shipping container with the key I handed her and Conor’s super-bright flashlight.
“Get ready for a stink,” she warned cheerfully.
I grimaced when the scent of death immediately flooded the clearing. Not even a brisk wind swept it away, and the coffin flies that buzzed out didn’t travel far either.
D popped her head into the container and shouted, “This is both gross and cool, Star. You need to come and look.”
“I’m assuming you’re not excited about the corpse?” I mocked as I stepped into the container with my go bag in hand.
