Page 174 of The Fallen One

President Bennett pointed to the sky. “This weapon was designed to take down our power grid, Wi-Fi, stop all radio transmissions, and terrifying enough, cause planes to fall from the sky.” As more sounds of shock, and a few of outrage, fell around us, Diana looped her arm across my chest, holding me back as we listened. “Yesterday afternoon, our newly refined missile defense systems successfully stopped the weapon in its tracks.” He glanced our way for the briefest moment, a quiet thank-you to Diana in his eyes. “I’m making this public to the world because I want to be very transparent here. Not only will the United States not be vulnerable to such an attack, but in coordination with our allies, we’re sharing the technology with them so they can protect themselves from anyone attempting to attack them as well.” He set both hands on the podium, bowing his head for a moment. “I have also made the decision to share this technology with countries that aren’t our so-called friends. The people of those nations shouldn’t suffer because of the poor decisions of their officials. It’s time we get back to remembering we’re all just people trying to live. Doing our best to survive. Find some happiness or prosperity along the way, too.” He slowly lifted his head, eyes on his audience. “It’s time we remember our humanity. Our commonalities all around the globe, not just within our country.” He paused, allowing his words to sink in.

I swallowed, hanging on to his every word the same as everyone in the country tuning in had to be.

“You see, it wasn’t a foreign adversary behind this attack. It wasn’t China. Iran. North Korea. It wasn’t a terrorist group.” His hand went over his heart. “The threat came from within our own country. From a group known as The Collective. Rich and powerful people attempting to manipulate and control. From starting wars to deciding how much you pay for gas.”

Fuck. I squeezed Diana even tighter, and she squeezed right back.

“Well, I say, enough is enough. You will not divide us. No more choke hold on American lives or their wallets. Or the rest of the world, for that matter.” He curled his hand into a fist. “You think your group is strong?” He smiled, shaking his head. “We’re the United States of America. You’re the few. The greedy. The corrupt. Well, I have news for you. Good will prevail. America will return to being a beacon of hope.” He set his fist against his chest. “All your failed attacks did is make us stronger. Make us remember who we are.” He shot his attention my way for a brief moment, then nodded toward the crowd. “Questions?”

“I have chills. My chills have chills,” Diana sputtered, pulling away to tear her hands through her hair in shock.

“Did he just call out The Collective, and by name?” Diana’s father peered at his ex-wife, clearly not clued into what the speech had been about.

“He’s going to have them looking over their shoulders. Put them on defense.” This wasn’t the play I’d expected, but it might work. “It’s bold,” I said as I spied Camila making her way around the press hammering POTUS with questions. “You all might have targets on your heads now, though.”

“It’s not like people haven’t tried to kill us before,” Susan said, seemingly taking this all in stride. “You don’t hold the positions we do without expecting shots fired.”

Fuck, maybe I could even like Susan one day. Maybe.

“What does this all mean now?” Diana turned toward me, still shaking, so I drew my hands up and down her back over her wool coat.

“Plans stay the same,” I said as Camila reached us. It was my first time seeing her in person since the party at Gray’s house forever ago.

Camila barely had a chance to speak before Diana threw her arms around her. Camila smiled at me over her shoulder, and I smiled back.

My shoulders stiffened at the realization Camila might be seeing Diana’s future right now.

The second Camila let go of Diana, she asked, “Can I steal Carter for a second before we head out?” Diana stepped back, her focus bouncing between us, then nodded. “We’re still on for the next thing, right?”

“What thing?” Susan asked, removing her sunglasses.

Diana smirked. “Courthouse.” She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers. “If you’d like to join us, we’re about to get married before we leave the country.”

As Diana dropped the news on her parents about our plans to wed today, I followed Camila away from our group to talk out of earshot.

“Your bruises are getting better.”

“Yeah, quick healer.” My bruises aren’t what you want to talk about, though. I swallowed, tensing up. My hands dove into my jacket pockets as I waited for her to tell me something horrible. To ruin my future and reveal I’d need to choose between happiness and saving the world.

“Easy there.” She held her hand up. “I can see the panic in your eyes, and it’s not what you’re thinking. What I have to say isn’t even about you.”

The weight that lifted from my chest was short-lived, because was her premonition, or whatever they were called, about her? Was there something wrong with her future?

“After you get married today, I need to go away again. I can’t help you take down The Collective, but I promise you don’t need me. Everything will be okay.” Well, that was comforting, and not bad news at all, so what was it? “Everything will be fine for you two as well.” Her gaze swept Diana’s way. “More than fine, in fact.”

Fine. The only time I’d liked hearing that word in months.

“There’s just something I need to do. I can’t tell you about it, but I need you to trust me.” She reached for my arm and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll be off-grid again, so that’s why I’m telling you, so you don’t worry. Okay?”

I frowned, not sure how I felt about this, but Camila was a grown woman and not technically my sister to boss around. “You promise you’ll be okay?”

“Absolutely.” She tipped her head toward Diana and the others. “You two are the definition of hope, you know that, right? About how even in the face of total darkness, the light can still find its way through.”

Now she was choking me up. Turning toward the love of my life, I felt my body relax at the sight of her.

“Also,” Camila said while playfully nudging me in the side, “I thought I told you to stop dressing like you’re in the mafia.”

Some things would never change, like the fact I’d forever be overprotective of those I loved. “Old habits.” I grinned. “What can I say?”

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