Page 77 of Burn It Down

I’d used his absence and the lack of such invasive supervision to crack his system.

I hurriedly started scanning the data, from the most recent activity, going backward.

It didn’t take long before I found something… untoward.

A particular message.

Unbelievable.

Fury and indignation ignited, and in my riled up state from those memories, I couldn’t check myself, and I was shrugging on my clean tank, then storming through the house toward the kitchen.

I threw open the door.

“You lied to me.”

My dad stilled as he was plating our dinner.

I drew closer and slammed my palms down on the kitchen table, rocking it in the process, the cutlery clanging.

His gaze went to the tablet. The one he’d given me without internet access. Well, I’d ensured that had only been a temporary issue.

“You hacked my system?” he asked, incredulously, as he saw his personal communications and files.

“Trust is a long way to being solid between us. And this has just set it back all the more.”

He looked out at me. “I told you that I arrived after a rescue was already in progress, but I took out a unit of Heretics, which would’ve prevented Asher and his associates from leaving the area, which would’ve killed them all, actually.”

“I know and I thanked you for that.” I gestured to the tablet in my hand, then put it down in front of him and pointed at the message in question.

It was one he’d sent shortly after our talk, where he’d accepted my relationship with the guys.

Well, where I’d thought he had.

Blocked ID: The blonde in the car explosion was a decoy. Explosion not my doing. Likely, Carson or Samuel. Aurora is safe and well. She’ll remain that way so long as you let her go. Don’t pursue. She deserves to live a normal life free of dangerous elements like you and your fathers.

He scanned it quickly, then told me, “I said I’d help to set Asher free. I didn’t say I’d accept you with them.”

“Semantics. You played me.”

“I told you what you needed to hear to keep you calm.”

“To keep me placated, you mean.”

“To keep you safe.”

“Bull.”

He blew out a breath. “It’s not just about your boyfriends. They’re not the only dangerous elements I’m concerned about.”

“The Infidels.”

“The Heretics.”

“I thought you were all over that situation?”

“I was, until they went off track.”

“How?”

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