Page 131 of Crown of Lies

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. Emmett is right, and that frustrates me to no end. The alliance with Carnage did collapse spectacularly. But he’s not seeing the whole picture.

“Look, Emmett,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “You’re not wrong about Carnage. But it’s not that simple.”

His eyebrows raise, skepticism written all over his face. “How’s it not simple? They turned on us, Quinn.”

I shake my head, remembering the chaos at Carnage’s place. “No, not all of them. Nico, Atlas, and Killian… they stood by me. When everything went to shit, they had my back.”

In that moment, they weren’t just allies or business partners. They were something else. Something more. Something I’ve rarely experienced in my life.

“They defended me. Put themselves between me and danger without hesitation. That’s not nothing.”

His expression softens slightly, but I can see he’s still not convinced. I get it. Trust doesn’t come easy in our world.

“I can’t change what happened,” I continue, my voice firm. “But I’m not letting Enigma fail because of this. We’ll find a way to come back stronger.”

I turn away from Emmett, his unconvinced expression still lingering in my mind. But I can’t focus on that right now.

I spot Atlas and Killian standing near the back. They look up at me as I approach, looks of grim determination on each of their faces.

“Hey,” I offer quietly, knowing that what we’ve all just gone through must be hurting them more. It was their own brothers they had to fight off at the clubhouse. “You guys okay?”

Atlas nods, his jaw tight. “We’re fine. It’s not us I’m worried about.”

I glance around, belatedly realizing what he means. “Where’s Nico?”

Killian jerks his head towards the back door. “Outside. Needed some air, I think.”

I hesitate, torn between my duties here and the pull I feel toward Nico. Atlas must sense my conflict because he places a hand on my shoulder.

“Go to him,” he says. “He needs you right now.”

I search his face, looking for any sign of jealousy or resentment, but don’t see any. Just understanding.

Killian nods in agreement. “Yeah, he’ll want to see you. Not us. Not right now.

Their words settle something inside me, a permission I didn’t realize I was waiting for. I share a look with both of them, gratitude and something deeper passing between us.

“Thanks,” I murmur, squeezing Atlas’s arm before heading toward the back door.

I step outside and scan the darkness, searching for Nico. I spot him in a shadowy corner, leaning against the brick wall of the building. His shoulders are slumped, his head bowed.

As I approach, I can see the pain etched across his face. His expression is dark, almost haunted, and my heart aches at the sight. I can’t imagine being forced out of Enigma, losing everything my father and I spent so long building up. I know how much Nico cared for his people, how much Carnage meant to him. The devastation he must be feeling right now is unimaginable.

A wave of guilt washes over me. This is my fault. If I hadn’t burned down Carnage’s old clubhouse, if I hadn’t gotten involved with their business, if I hadn’t gone with them tonight, none of this would have happened. Nico wouldn’t be standing here, cut off from everything he’s known and loved.

I step closer to Nico, my hand reaching out before I catch myself and let it fall back to my side. The guilt churns in my stomach, making me feel sick. Does he hate me now? If he was pissed when I burned the clubhouse, how could he ever forgive me for essentially being the reason he lost his entire gang?

“Nico, I…” My voice catches, and I have to take a deep breath before continuing. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have burned the clubhouse. I was pissed about the betrayal, and it hurt even more because I thought we had something.”

Nico looks at me, his eyes dark, his expression unreadable. We hold gazes for a long moment, and I feel like he can see right through me, right down to my soul. It’s unnerving, but I can’t look away.

“I can’t believe you and Killian and Atlas did that,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “That you defended me against your own.”

The weight of what they’ve done for me settles heavily on my shoulders. They’ve given up everything—their brotherhood, their home, their identity—all for me.

Nico’s expression shifts, a fierce intensity replacing the haunted look in his eyes. Before I can react, he moves like lightning, reaching out and grabbing me. He pulls me toward him, spinning us around so my back presses against the cold brick wall. His body looms over mine, boxing me in.

My breath catches in my throat as I look up at him, my heart pounding. His eyes burn with emotion as he stares me down for several long seconds before he says anything.

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