AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No. It’s a global endeavor, one that I’m proud to be a member of.”
I could smell her pride from over here. She was practically creaming in her panties over each goddamn word.
“Star was CIA. Why wasn’t she invited to be a Brother?”
“Star bent the rules. The Union doesn’t allow such people to be a member.”
“And you don’t bend the rules? Aren’t you as dirty as she is?”
In less than a second, she’d knocked the stand of the champagne flute in her hand against the armrest. The sparkling wine arced in a neat spray over the aisle before the jagged tip of the stem was pressed into my carotid.
“I amnotdirty. I serve the people. I act for the people. Iprotectthe people,” she spat. “Do you understand?”
“I’m one of the people,” I retorted calmly. “You’re trying to stick a piece of glass in my throat.” I reacted as she placed more pressure on the stem, and with one hand on her wrist, the other on the flute, I jerked it from her grasp and pressed the broken stem into her palm and sliced downward. “You’re not the only one who can fight dirty.”
Her mouth tightened. “You’re a mobster.”
“So that means I deserve to bleed out in first class?” I mocked, digging deeper into her palm.
Her lack of suffering at what had to hurt told me she’d been reared as I had. Whichever side of the path she believed herself to be on, we both knew pain.
“It means that you can’t possibly understand what the Union does.”
Because I was used to death threats and dealing with insane people, I retracted the stem and, as I handed it to her, drawled, “I’m certain your leaders wouldn’t appreciate it if you killed me seeing as I’m so important for this next phase of whatever plan you’ve concocted.”
She sniffed. “You are correct.”
“When Star asked you to help her, who were you serving?”
From her hesitation, I had my answer without her having to utter a word.
“So, itwasbetrayal.”
“No. Her purpose aligns with mine.”
“The United Brotherhood want the Sparrows taken down?”
She dipped her chin. “They do, and they’re willing to help her if she’ll accept their aid.”
16
TEXT CHAT
PAST
Conor:Are you a patriot?
Star:I used to be. You?
Conor:Yeah. I guess.
Conor:Did you change after Afghanistan?
Star:No. It was before then. I saw a lot of corruption in the sandbox. We were supposed to be there to bring freedom to those people, but it was just about oil, power, and leverage over both.
Conor:Isn’t it always about that?
Star:Why do you think I’m not a patriot anymore lol?
