Page 79 of Burn It Down

He was there then, grasping my hand gently. “It took me time to come to terms with it as well. You won’t be able to reconcile it overnight.”

“Why tell me now after keeping it quiet for so long? You wouldn’t even tell Asher either.”

“Because my goal had been to minimize the damage she was causing without hurting her, without taking your mother from you. I’ve been keeping her and her organization at bay, as well as keeping their activities and movements off Carson’s radar so he wasn’t able to come at her. He knows she’s their leader and he’s determined to find her, to bring her back to him.”

“He found out shortly after Lan went underground. When he was recovering from the slaughterhouse, so he wasn’t there to keep the smokescreen up,” Olivia said.

“And now?” I asked my dad.

“She came too close to killing you that night of the gala. Her actions are becoming more and more unhinged, each one of them threatening you. I can’t allow it. I need to neutralize the threat, angel.” He squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry. I have to take her out.”

“She’s already dead, Dad. At least to me. She has been for years. And… she wasn’t even there for me… for us when she was alive, remember? She’s always just been a ghost to me.”

“Aurora—”

“If you’re going to do this, go up against two enemies, two unhinged ones, you’re going to need all hands on deck. You can’t do this alone.”

“I’m not alone.”

“You’ll need every resource available, all the help you can get.”

He read my meaning and pulled away, shaking his head. “I told you this to make you understand why you need to stay here, far out of the line of fire.”

“Dad, that hasn’t been a viable option for a long time.”

I could see him about to continue arguing, but then his phone rang.

He cursed and pulled it out, worry plaguing his expression as he answered the call, “What? When? You’re certain? All right. Follow the fallout plan. Keep me posted, D.”

He hung up and looked out at the two of us. “Drew has been compromised.”

“What?” Olivia cried.

My dad eyed me. “It seems your boyfriends are determined to force the issue of your continued parting. They just blew your uncle’s cover.”

Oh my God.

15

~Asher~

Killian’s Instagram was blowing up.

One of the photos of him, Drew, and a brunette had even gone viral.

His fan club from Hexwood U were all over it too, commenting, and begging him to come back home soon, to give them his attention. It had sparked a whole lot of mudslinging between them and the girls and guys who’d been at the festival in Laysle a few hours ago fawning all over him. They were all vying for his attention, for biggest-fan status.

Too bad for them that he only had eyes for one now.

He’d strapped back on that façade that he hated for Aurora, all in the name of bringing her back to us, and he’d done an admirable job. Aaron had even called me to express how impressed he’d been with him. And not much truly impressed him.

A few days ago, I would have offered my praise as well.

But now I was numbed to it.

Now it wasn’t seen as a priority.

The job had been completed and that was that.

---