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ChapterSixteen
Finnegan
Derek’s gaze meets mine,and his voice holds a finality as he speaks. “We’re not going to crash the Spearman gala. That’s a hard no. We don’t risk civilians when we do our job.”
“But—”
“No,” he cuts me off. His features soften, and his voice becomes low with emotion. “My brother will be there, as well as the family that welcomed him in when I wasn’t around and no one else would give a shit about him.”
“Seth and Teddy won’t make it to the gala,” I explain. We’re going to set this up so the Zs think they have everything under control. We’ll give them plenty of time to plan, but we’ll watch them to ensure nothing happens to them.”
The air between us hangs heavy, and I plead with my eyes for my chance to speak. He finally nods.
He exhales sharply and runs a hand through his dark hair. “And how exactly would that work?”
“We can carefully monitor the action and keep it in check. It’ll be like a controlled fire.” I shrug a shoulder. “We weed some Zs out of the way while finishing the Bradley issue.”
He glares at me. “Finishing it? We’re going to have to hide Seth and Teddy until it’s safe for them to come out.”
I nod, considering whether we can bring Seth Bradley on board for the next part of the mission. Teddy can hide in the safe house with Piper and distract themselves from the events of the past weeks. Not that Piper is alone. Dad’s been with her all this time. He mentioned something about enjoying her company and learning a lot about my childhood.
I feel the stirring of curiosity at the thought of learning more about my past, but it quickly turns to weariness.
Do I care to learn about the person I was while growing up?
Not anymore. I just want to find peace and the assurance that I won’t have to look over my shoulder anymore or worry about the crimes the Zs commit and how to prevent them. Dad’s right. I should stop feeling responsible for everything they’ve done, but I can’t help myself.
“If I’m understanding correctly, you want to have a battle in the middle of San Francisco.”
“Probably the Financial District. The streets are virtually empty during the night.”
“This is a bad idea,” he says, his voice hushed but heavy with warning.
I turn to him, my brows furrowing in annoyance. “Do you have a better one?”
His arms droop, his chin dropping to his chest as he shakes his head in defeat. “No, we don’t have a choice,” he mumbles. “So, we better get this right.”
I straighten up, smiling confidently. “I know our crew will get the job done,” I reply, knowing our people are dependable and capable of ensuring that nothing goes wrong.
I’m determined to come out of this unscathed.
ChapterSeventeen
Piper: Are you busy?
Derek: For you? Never. How are you feeling?
Piper: I need to get out of here.
Derek: The place is big enough.
Piper: Unfortunately, with my broken leg I can’t go out alone to the garden. I can’t swim. Do you know there are two pools on this property?
Piper: Why does he own a big house?
