Page 51 of Hell Breaks Loose

Sing sniffs, drawing my attention around.

But instead of skepticism, he looks at me appraisingly, seriously.

“What do you think?” I wag my eyebrows in my best Ora Clive impersonation, exuding as much swagger as I can.

Sing’s mouth turns down slightly in a vacillating expression before shrugging and nodding his approval. Then he just puts his hands out to the sides, looking around.

“What’s it for?” I’m getting good at his charades. This time, I imagine what Alaya would say, to charm and off balance her audience. “I’m so glad you asked, my loquaciously challenged friend.”

Leading right into Gavin’s no-nonsense, let-me-tell-you-what’s-going-to-happen tone.

“Once the scouts have had a chance to freshen up, I will see them in Mar—my office. I’ll be waiting, so give me a signal.” His eyes narrow at the comment, his lips parting to say something.

“Marco is not here. And he’s probably been in meetings all morning. He really doesn’t need a distraction while he’s dealing with…” I wave absently. “Point is, he would want the report delivered if he were here. Orders given. We can’t have men just lying about, waiting for something to do. It leads to laziness. It leads to fights and discontent.”

Sing sighs, frowns.

But I can tell I won.

With a very sarcastic salute, he spins on one heel and disappears.

With him gone and Margaret seeing to my other errand, I rush from my room. I can’t let my nerves get the better of me.

Besides, I’ve been in charge before.

I’ve coordinated huge events, juggled dozens of vendors, managed entire crews of frat boy jocks.

This is just like that.

Except those jocks are all hardened criminals with access to automatic weapons.

Straightening my coat, I push back my shoulders and force the shake from my legs to still as I head out of my wing and directly into Marco’s area of the house.

I’ve been over here a handful of times to scope it out. Mostly out of curiosity and boredom.

And only when he is off on business.

I only hesitate for a second at the door, panicking for a moment before I turn the nob

I half expect it to be locked, half expect to find him there, waiting like a viper to strike.

Laying a trap for me.

But the office is quiet. Tidy.

Unfortunately, it also smells like his cologne.

The scent makes my hackles rise, makes my nose crinkle, and makes me want to pee my pants with fear. Too many bad memories from growing up in his house in California. Too many threats and words of menacing warning.

Too many backhands. And worse, the times he didn’t strike me, when he cut me down to size with poisoned words and gaslighting.

Or just idle punishments of my mother instead of me for every infraction I made. I learned quickly to behave for her sake. I don’t want to imagine what she endured for my sake.

A chill of sickening angst floods my chest.

I almost turn and run from the room.

No. Fuck that.

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