“London,” I breathed.
Then the haunted look died and I saw dead. She’d given up. Another day and she’d do or be anything they asked of her for the rest of her life. They’d zapped all hope of being saved.
Her head fell forward again as if she was too weak to look at me anymore. “Jesus.” I had to walk away. I had to.
I couldn’t escape with her. I’d be bringing down on her something far worse if I did.
But I knew how to end the pain. How to help her.
It was the only kind thing to do—for now.
“You’re nothing, London.” She didn’t move and I raised my voice a little. “Look at me.” I saw her fingers twitch and she slowly raised her head again. I felt sick to my stomach as I forced myself to harden and glare at her. I am dead. Don’t feel. Don’t let the monsters in. But the monsters were already in me. I felt them living and breathing. Monsters they trained us to slay—emotions. “You will never escape them. Better to know that now. You belong to them and the faster you accept it, the sooner the pain will end. Give up.”
For a second, I saw a glint of anger hit her eyes and then her head dropped and she hung like a dead carcass.
Fuck. Fuck. Damn it.
But I had to do it. I had to cut her cord to any hope of leaving. Because if she lost hope, then it would stop the torture.
I closed my eyes then turned and strode down the corridor. I’m coming back for you, London.
AFTER TRISTAN WALKED out of Avalanche, Deck, Tyler and Vic came over, and without a word, we left, Deck’s hand at the small of my back as he led me outside.
Then we sat in the car and I told them everything. Word for word.
“You think he’s for real?” Tyler asked.
I shrugged. Deck didn’t say anything as he kept his fingers linked with mine and looked out the windshield.
“Does it matter if he is?” Vic said. “He obviously has someone on the inside that’s loyal to him otherwise Vault would’ve killed him by now. He also is pretty confident they have no idea who he is. He had his insider get Vault to start watching him. That was brave as hell or stupid as hell. I vote we do what he says. Let the storm calm.”
“I agree,” Deck said. “But we dig deeper into Tristan’s past. Vic, you make contact with him. I want to know who his parents are and if they think he’s still missing. Any police reports of when Vault took him as a child. Everything he told Georgie must be checked into. If he cooperates with us then we will start planning our next move.”
“And Kai?” Tyler asked.
“He texted me ten minutes ago. Tanner’s message is deleted.” Deck’s voice was tight and I knew there was more to it. With the way the guys looked at one another, they did too. But no one said anything—except me.
“What’s wrong?”
Vic got out of the backseat and shut the door.
Tyler’s hand came down on my shoulder. “You did good, princess.” Then he slapped Deck on the arm. “You, too, Boss. Thought you might lose it when she touched his arm.”
Deck grunted.
Tyler chuckled then winked at me, hopped out and jogged to Vic’s car.
“Deck?”
“Kai saw London.”
I didn’t want to know, but I knew it was important to face whatever we were getting into with my head clear. Burying the bad shit wouldn’t do me any good. “Is that all he said?” Deck may try to protect me, but he wouldn’t lie.
“No. We don’t have much time. She needs out soon.”
“Oh, God.” That wasn’t good.
Deck reached over and squeezed my hand. “Kai is going to France. He says he needs to do something before we go after Vault. I don’t know what, but until he returns we keep who Tristan is under wraps. I don’t trust either of them.”
Neither did I.
Deck drove us back to his loft and it was quiet. I think we were both thinking about London and Connor and what would happen to them. Wondering if we could get them out and if we’d be able to stop Vault. I did feel a little more hopeful with Tristan on our side. If he escaped, then maybe others could.
I changed my clothes when we got back then came out to the living room to see Deck standing looking out onto the terrace. I came up beside him and he pulled me in front of him then wrapped his arms around me.
“You were good tonight. And looked sexy as hell.”
“Surprising since someone made me wear a baggy, black shirt.” I smirked, he growled and I could feel his hard cock pushed into my back. “I lost fifty bucks tonight, too.”
He turned me around in his arms then pressed me against the sliding glass door. “What?”
I ran my finger over his tense jaw. “Vic won. I had you at three minutes, tops.”