Page 95 of Hell Breaks Loose

He follows closely, watching my back until we reach the car, parked in the dimness of the covered parking area out back.

Evan’s office will have to wait for another day.

“Someone has been busy.” Marco’s voice stops me dead in my tracks.

Turning toward the entrance, I straighten, waiting for him to show himself. Instead, he steps out from behind one of the pillars to my left.

Didn’t startle me at all. Nope.

“Sing. Out for a little field trip?”

“We were retrieving some of Miss Michaels’s things.”

“At a random, upscale apartment in the poshest area of town? Seems a bit out of your price range, Hellena.”

“I wanted to see what happened to a friend of mine.”

“Just like you wanted to see your old friends for a meeting. See your old lover and send him all over town doing errands for you. See what you could pull off before I got here. I know you’ve been conspiring with the Block.”

“Have I?” I tilt my head, letting a faint smile play over my lips.

“And bribing my men, too.”

“They deserve bonuses.”

“They deserve to watch me cull you.”

“I thought you trusted me.”

“I did. I trusted you to be exactly who you are. To come back here and immediately go digging for secrets. Intel.”

“That is what I came here for. To get you what you want.”

“What I want is for everyone to stop feeding me bullshit and show me some goddamn results. Which apparently, I have to do myself. Tell me everything. Right now. About your father. About the Sinful.”

“Marco, I?—”

“Have been spinning your wheels since day one, jerking me around like one of your fuckboys. No. There’s only one way I’m getting the truth, apparently.” He spins on his heel, waving two fingers over his shoulder.

Grico and Vance flank us from their hiding places.

To his credit, and to my surprise, Sing puts himself in the way, narrowing his eyes at both men in warning.

Grico throws his hands up. “Chill out, stir-fry. We ain’t gonna hurt her.”

“You’re a fucking prick, Grico,” I mutter, shaking off his hand as he reaches for me. “I’ll go, Sing.”

I lock eyes with him for a split second, hoping he catches my meaning. “I’ll see you back at camp.”

It’s the only message I can hope to slip through.

That he’ll be able to stay in touch with my friends.

Who am I kidding? I probably gave them to Marco by trading Sing for Gavin.

But that’s on Gavin too for suggesting it. I hope he can protect them all.

In the SUV, I stay quiet, waiting to see where they take me.

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