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“What’s taking so long?” Easton’s voice booms through my room, startling me as he appears in my closet doorway. “Wait. You’re not dressed yet?”
I look back at him with a scowl. “Well, excuse me, but I haven’t exactly been to an execution before. I don’t know what’s appropriate to wear.”
Easton rolls his eyes and strides deeper into my closet, grabbing my usual jeans and crop. “We’re going to a private trial,” he explains, “not a fucking grand ball. It’s only going to be immediate family and those who have been personally invited to attend. The Circle wants to limit how many people are in there due to the likelihood of your lineage being exposed.”
“And in turn, Zade’s,” I finish for him.
“Exactly.”
Easton gives me a tight smile before walking out of my closet with instructions to hurry my bitch-ass up. Knowing just how serious today is for the guys—but mostly Sawyer—I make it quick.
All the guys are waiting for me in the living room when I finish getting dressed. Zade and Dalton’s eyes fall on me first, both of them checking me from head to toe—one of them with fondness and the other with apprehension. Easton’s gaze lands on me next, quickly putting Venom away in her enclosure before looking back at me. “You ready?”
I nod as my gaze shifts to Sawyer. He sits on the couch looking miserable, his stare trained on the floor in front of his feet. My heart breaks for him. All morning he’s been trying to be strong, trying to act unbothered, but now that it’s time to go, it’s finally starting to sink in.
He’s not going to be able to save his father.
“Yo,” Dalton says, stepping closer to him to gain his attention. “Do you wanna get Cara, or should I?”
Sawyer lifts his head, looking around as though only just realizing there are people in the room. He shakes his head and lets out a heavy breath before getting to his feet and running a hand through his hair. “Nah, man. It’s fine. I’ll get her.”
He disappears back into the penthouse as Zade meets my stare and nods toward the elevator. “Let’s go.” Before Sawyer returns with his sister, the rest of us make our way to the private garage, and just as we’re about ready to hit the road, Sawyer strides out of the elevator with his sister in tow.
They drop down into Easton’s Lamborghini, and we wait for them to take off first. Zade follows closely behind as if expecting the twins to pull off some stupid escape plan to try and free Cara, but Sawyer wouldn’t dare. He drives straight out to the boys’ favorite entrance into their little fucked-up world, following the old train lines until he pulls to a stop into the familiar, abandoned parking lot.
My hands shake as we make our way through the long tunnel toward the entrance, having no idea what to expect. But in this awkward silence, I don’t dare ask. As we approach the big, heavy door, it doesn’t escape me how Zade creeps in closer to me, as if expecting another attack. Hell, I shouldn’t be surprised. At this point, I should learn to expect them, too.
We make our way through the main entrance and deeper into the underground world. As usual, the long, cold tunnels send shivers sailing across my skin, but I hold myself together, sparing cautious glances toward Sawyer and Cara. They both look like shit, but it’s not as though I expected them to be jumping off the walls. They’re not fooling themselves. They know the likelihood of their father actually pulling through this.
It’s a long walk, passing through the main bar and deeper into Empire. We take paths I’ve never walked before, and the further we get, the more intricate I realize this place is. The tunnels turn into properly lit walkways with wide access and painted walls as the rooms we pass become fit for a king. “Holy shit,” I whisper, taking it all in, the once dark and gloomy underground world is now a stunning, modern facility.
It’s another ten minutes before the boys slow and Zade leads us toward a door. He glances back, his jaw clenched as if not sure how he wants to play this. Without a word, he opens the door, and we stride into a private room that’s been set up like some kind of courtroom.
There are a few people already lingering, and they all glance back at us as Zade discreetly steps in front of me, blocking their view. The boys continue on with Cara as Zade turns to face me, gripping my upper arm in his tight clutches. “This way,” he murmurs.
He leads me across the back of the room and through a side exit before depositing me into a small room. “You’ll be here during the trial,” he explains. “I can’t have you out there. If you need anything, forget about it. This could take anywhere from twenty minutes to twenty fucking days. You do not move from this room. At some point, The Circle may request your version of what went down that day, but I will attempt to steer them away.”
