Page 534 of Dark Love

“What are we talking about, another organized group like you already are making friends with, a wacko, or is this some sort of government thing?” Max leans against the edge of the table.

“We don’t know. My gut is shouting it’s the government and to run hard and fast. But we don’t know enough. Shock needs to do some digging on the bodies we already have and the ones that went missing before we make any decisions. And to do that in a timely manner—”

“—he needs my tech.” Max stands up and walks around the room. “How many bodies in the ground?”

“Dozens.”

He stops. “Have you found anything that ties them all together yet?”

“Yes. But it’s odd.”

“Could it be anything less? Well?”

“They’re all identical siblings, but they each have one genetic difference.”

“I’m in,” Max practically jumps in with both feet.

He wouldn’t act like that unless… “You know someone like that?”

He nods. “You do too. Aleksei Kamenev’s sons are identical twins, but one was born with Downs Syndrome.”

Why did he have to say Kamenev?

“If it looks like those boys are in trouble, I’m going to tell him.”

And that’s how leaks happen. But I’d want to know if my kids were in trouble. My kids… What would Dahlia look like pregnant? This needs to go away soon.

“I have two other conditions.”

Of course, he does. Max couldn’t make one thing easy. “What are they?”

“My father has to know. With something like this, it’s a family rule.”

The mafia etches their rules in blood. “Fine.”

“And Shock needs to come here to do his searches.”

We already talked about this. “Shock is squirrely already. He doesn’t do well with change. We have a great setup at the club.”

“You do—” Max walks over to the tablet I didn’t notice on the table, and presses a few buttons. “—but you don’t have this.” The wall slides open, revealing an all-white room with one wall completely covered in monitors. “Half of this doesn’t exist. I could destroy economies all over the world without leaving this room.”

That I can believe. “My only question is, how are we going to get Shock out of here?”

Max chuckles.

I really don’t like it when he’s that happy.

Sprinters Unite

Dahlia

It’s too quiet in this massive hotel living room. But it’s supposed to be quiet since we’re all sprinting. These events are always fun, yet they can be overwhelming too.

Today has been the best even though it’s been too much. It doesn’t help that I miss Vex as well.

Our little group of misfit writers doesn’t quite fit in the extreme luxury of this place, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it. Especially being able to spread out across the dining room table, couch, and bar to have enough space to word comfortably together. We usually just crowd together on a hotel room floor or in a space that is not currently in use for the convention.

Colin Knight is the enigma of our little group. Not once in the entire day has he by touch or word given the impression that he’s anything more than Daria’sfriend. That man is sexy and driven based on the speed at which his fingers are flying across his keyboard. He’s not as broken as I thought before, but there’s definitely something haunting his soul. A wound.

---