Page 125 of Scars Run Deep

“I know you do. You’re the only one.”

He stepped back and scrubbed his hand over his face, cursing to himself.

“Tell me what’s brought this to the surface, what’s weighing on you so much that it’s had this slipping out under the strain?”

He slumped against the wall, one of the few spaces where there wasn’t a painting hanging or on an easel. “It was Revenant who took out that second wave of Heretics. Afterward, I demanded answers and forced a meet with him. I saw him in person. He tried to force my hand by offering his assistance with the takedown of the dollhouse network in exchange for us forsaking Aurora, and me stepping back from the rest of the mission and allowing him free reign to take the Head Infidels. He’s the one who’s been holding off the Heretics, why they haven’t come at us since that day. I partnered with Aurora on those operations because he’s threatened to snatch her, so I had to be there as a deterrent. He’s set it up so that I’ll come off as betraying her and keeping her father from her, no matter what I do now.”

“Jesus Christ.”

It took me a moment to absorb all of that.

When I finally did and I could generate more than a curse, I asked, “Is that why you gave her the skull ring? To try to counteract that?”

“One of the reasons. The sentiment was real, though.”

“I know. You care about her. Well, more than that. She’s a part of you now, of us.”

“She is, yes.”

“So, what, you had Bryce pick up the ring, while you went to that meet with Revenant that same night?”

He nodded.

“Damn, you’re good.”

“Not good enough, clearly.”

“Asher, you’re juggling tons of unstable and fucking vicious elements all at the same time. You’re doing fucking amazing. There’s no doubt about that.”

“After all this, though, there’s a good chance the Heretics are going to use our victory to take our fathers’ places. They’re gonna fucking use me to take power. I can’t get a lead on them either. Two people know more than I do where that’s concerned. One is Carson, the other is Lance.”

“Two of the most unapproachable and stingy-with-intel fuckers ever to walk the earth.”

“Yes. There’s the option of drawing them out. They wanted me. I could use that.”

“No.”

“It’s a risk, but an acceptable one, for a major payoff.”

“You can’t. They said they wanted to cage you.”

He shuddered. That was how much it got to him. Just the suggestion of it. Actually being forced into one was a whole other deal.

“I need to make a change, to flip the proverbial fucking board.”

“Make them play your game?”

“Precisely. Use the Heretics to destroy the Infidels. We’ve weakened them with these takedowns. Once the entire network is down as of two days from now, the Infidels will be weaker, floundering. Carson will call a meeting. They’ll all be in one place.”

“You’ll be there too. Calling a meeting like that will include all faction leaders. You’ll make yourself into a target.”

He frowned in thought. “I’ll figure something out.”

“We will.”

He smiled. “About Lance and—”

“I’ve got you. She won’t hear it from me. Kill won’t either, he’ll tell her right away.”

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