Page 46 of We Will Rise

He reaches behind him and produces his favorite knife. It’s a longer blade than he would typically use to torture someone, but it’s perfect for dismembering, or so I’m told. He places it down on the table between them, and her eyes widen impossibly.

From the other side of the room, I see Donovan move closer, as if he’s planning on stepping in if things go south. But honestly, his mother’s demise is in his best interest, and the way she treats him like her servant even grates on my nerves, and my interactions involving the two of them are fairly limited.

“How about you try that again?” Kovu smirks.

Miriam opens her mouth to respond but clamps it shut.

He spins the blade on the wooden tabletop, barely missing his fingers as the knife makes perfect circles between them, and Miriam can’t tear her eyes off it. There’s a slight tremble that tells me she’s terrified, and that’s exactly how we want her.

“They said once the Syndicate is taken down, we’ll have free rein to do as we please again. No limitations on our businesses. No monthly checks of our establishments. Just how things were back before you took over.”

I nod thoughtfully and glance over at Donovan. He’s in his early thirties, meaning he’s old enough to remember how things were in this city before we formed the Syndicate. “Is that what you think is best for the Sterlings, Donovan?”

“He doesn’t get a say,” Miriam snaps.

“He should,” Kovu says. “After all, this’ll all be his before long.”

“He’s a long way from taking over,” she argues.

“He shouldn’t be. You could take a note out of the Thornes book and retire. Do you really want to be dealing with this shit until the day you die?” Kovu asks. He doesn’t normally take such a front seat in these conversations, but knowing Miriam is fucking terrified of him makes me take a step back and watch as it all unfolds in front of me.

“I don’t have to listen to this. The last time I checked, the contract I signed was to ensure peace within the city and not for you to stick your nose into my succession plan.”

I nod thoughtfully. “You’re right.” I push myself to my feet and button my suit jacket. “Perhaps it’s time you review that contract as I think you’ll find that assisting to overthrow the Syndicate has quite the steep punishment that could have your succession plan being enacted sooner rather than later.” I pause. “And just so we’re clear, that was a threat.”

Kovu retrieves his knife from the table, and Miriam shuffles out of the booth, keeping her eyes glued to the blade he holds in his hand.

“Clean up your drugs, Miriam, or the next conversation we have about this won’t be so polite.”

Without another word, I move toward the front door with Kovu hot on my heels. It’s time to get back to our girl before one or both of us lose our minds.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CAMILLA

Out of the twelve girls we brought back to the estate, we’re down to six. We were able to get the others home to the families after doing an extensive background check to confirm they weren’t the ones responsible for them ending up on that ship.

Emerson sits on one side of me while Snow sits on the other, but none of us speak as we wait for Sophia to get ahold of her emotions. Every tear that falls against her cheeks reminds me of just how human I am and how much my own emotions impact my ability to do this job.

“I’m sorry,” she chokes. “It’s just hard to accept that my boyfriend would do this to me.”

I press my eyes closed to contain my own tears. She didn’t know it was him. She thought it was a random home invasion that put her on that ship. But it wasn’t. Her asshole boyfriend had gambling debts he couldn’t pay, so he used the only thing of value he had. The fact that she’s a human being seemed to slip his mind.

“I can’t go back to Detroit. Not while he’s there. What if he finds me? What if he sends me back?” Panic fills her hazel eyes as she runs her fingers through her mousy brown hair absentmindedly.

“You don’t have to go back,” I tell her calmly. “You can go anywhere in the world. You can stay here in New York or go back to Chicago with Emerson and Snow. Or we can put you on a plane to Italy if that’s what you want. You just say the word, and we can make it happen.”

“Why are you doing this?” she asks, no longer bothering to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

We’ve been asked this question over and over again the last few days, but each time we respond the same way. “Because we would want someone to help us if we were in your position,” I tell her.

The others are in the kitchen with Chloe having something to eat, but we’ve been struggling to get Sophie to eat or drink, her fear of being hurt again is too great.

Emerson leans forward as far as her pregnant belly will allow and takes her hand, and the tension bleeds from her shoulders when Sophie doesn’t flinch at the contact. “You have no reason to trust us, but I hope you will come to do exactly that. We want what’s best for you, and if that means getting you as far away from your ex as possible, that’s what we’re going to do. Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll make it happen.”

Sophie looks between us with hesitation but gives a small nod. “I’ll think about it, if that’s okay?”

“Of course it is.” Emerson smiles. “Now, why don’t you head in and have some of that shepherd’s pie Chloe made? It smells heavenly.”

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