Page 21 of Lethal Sins

The room filled with the sharp crack of electricity. Cody’s body jerked, his face contorting in pain. Then he went still, collapsing back with a dull thud.

Paige’s breath caught in her throat as she waited, seconds stretching into eternity. The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the sound of her own ragged breathing.

Her fingers trembled as she reached out to check for a pulse, fear and hope warring within her. Hard and strong.

He’d live.

On with the game.

12

Cody’s worldswam back into focus, a kaleidoscope of blurred shapes and muffled sounds gradually sharpening into coherence. His body felt like it had been struck by lightning, every nerve ending singing with residual electricity. The mattress pressed against his cheek, grounding him as he struggled to regain control of his limbs.

“Cody? Can you hear me?” Paige’s voice cut through the fog, laced with concern.

He managed a groan in response, his throat feeling like sandpaper. Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself up to a sitting position. The room spun lazily around him, and he blinked hard, trying to clear his vision.

The door burst open, footsteps thundering as the team rushed in. Tai’s voice rang out, “He’s awake!”

Cody finally made it to his feet, swaying slightly. He felt like a newborn colt, all wobbly legs and uncertain balance. “Takes more than a little zap to keep me down,” he croaked, aiming for nonchalance but sounding more like he’d gargled with gravel.

Tai approached, waving some kind of handheld device. It emitted a series of beeps and whirs, sounding for all the world like a prop from a low-budget sci-fi movie. After a moment, thebig man’s face split into a grin. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. The tracker is officially dead.”

The words took a moment to sink in. Dead. The tracker was dead. Cody felt a wave of relief so intense it nearly knocked him off his feet again. For five long years, he’d lived with that chip in his neck, a constant reminder of his chains. Now, suddenly, impossibly, he was free.

He took a deep breath, savoring the simple act of inhaling. The air tasted sweeter somehow, filled with possibility.

As the team celebrated, trading high fives and chest bumps, Cody’s gaze sought out Paige. She stood a little apart from the group, her eyes fixed on him. The relief on her face was palpable, written in the relaxed set of her shoulders and the soft curve of her smile.

For a moment, he allowed himself to wish, before shoving faded dreams aside. Letting her close again would never be safe. Not for her. And certainly not for him.

He squared his shoulders, pushing down the surge of longing. “Thanks, Paige,” he said, his voice steady now. “Guess you didn’t kill me after all.”

She rolled her eyes, but her smile didn’t fade. “Don’t sound so disappointed. Now, let’s get you checked out properly. Can’t have you keeling over after all that effort.”

As the team ushered him towards the door, Cody cast one last glance at Paige. For better or worse, she’d set him free. Now he just had to figure out what to do with that freedom.

Cody followed the team into the great room, his senses still heightened from the adrenaline rush of the tracker’s deactivation. As he entered, he took a moment to really observe the people around him, these strangers who had become his unlikely allies.

The rich aroma of spices and roasted meat hit him like a welcoming embrace, making his stomach growl in anticipation.Mason stood at the head of a massive family-style dining table, looking for all the world like a proud father presiding over a holiday feast. The man’s gruff exterior was at odds with the spread he’d prepared. He looked like he’d be more at home in a boxing ring than a kitchen, with his scarred knuckles and vigilant eyes that cataloged every movement in the room. Yet here he was, nurturing everyone with food. Cody suppressed a smile, suspecting Mason wouldn’t appreciate being called out on his softer side.

“Dig in, folks,” Mason beamed, gesturing to the spread before them.

Platters of golden-brown roasted chicken nestled next to bowls of steaming vegetables. A mountain of fluffy mashed potatoes threatened to topple over, while gravy boats stood at the ready. Freshly baked rolls, their crusts still crackling, filled the air with a homey scent that made Cody’s mouth water.

As the team settled around the table, Cody observed them more closely. Bridger took a seat, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the tension in the room. His eyes, though, were sharp and attentive, missing nothing. He reminded Cody of a chess master, always thinking several moves ahead.

Tai, a veritable mountain of a man, squeezed into a chair comically small for his frame. Despite the serious situation, his eyes twinkled with good humor. Cody found himself drawn to Tai’s easy warmth, a reminder that light could exist even in the darkest of situations.

His gaze drifted to Fenn and Kate, noticing the subtle dance between them. A lingering touch here, a shared glance there. The realization hit him: they were a couple. The tenderness in their interactions spoke of a deep, comfortable love. Something in Cody’s chest tightened at the sight.

Graham, with his salt-and-pepper hair and weathered face, took his place at the table like a grizzled elder statesman. Hispresence grounded the group, a living reminder of experience and resilience.

As Cody observed them all, a bittersweet realization washed over him. This was a real family, bonded not by blood but by choice and shared purpose. It was everything he’d never had, everything he’d longed for during his lonely years with the Consortium.

But it was Paige who truly captured his attention, drawing his gaze like a magnet. She moved with a grace and confidence that hadn’t been there in college, a testament to the years and experiences that had shaped her. Cody felt a familiar ache in his chest, a longing for what might have been. He remembered the shy smiles they’d shared over textbooks, the electric brush of hands reaching for the same coffee cup. Back then, the possibility of “them” had seemed infinite.

Now, watching her interact with her team—her family—Cody was acutely aware of the chasm between them. He’d destroyed any chance they might have had, any shadow of feeling she might have harbored for him. It had been necessary to protect her.

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