Page 98 of The Phantom's Vice

Orion shifts, his eyes on his feet. “You’re right,” he whispers. “The crazy old bastard,” he grumbles, raising his head and stalking toward the head of the bed.

“Eyes, Orion,” I plead.

He sighs, lifting a hand to his eyes as he stumbles the rest of the way to the top of the mattress. He keeps his eyes shut tight as he reaches toward the cuffs, blindly unhooking the latch.

“Thank you,” I murmur, covering my body with the sheet as soon as my wrists are free. Orion makes a disappointed sound in his throat, and I glare at him until he looks away so I can release my ankles.When I’m free, I look up and see Orion still in the room, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

“Dude.” I narrow my gaze, pulling the sheet tighter. “Kindly get the fuck out so I can put on some clothes. Yeah?”

Orion huffs but does as he’s told. As soon as the bedroom door slides shut, I race over to the dresser and pull out a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved shirt, followed by a pair of hiking boots I find lodged in the back of Ghost’s closet. They swallow my feet, but I can make do if I pull the straps tight enough.

I race out to the living room, my eyes scanning for Orion. A loud clanking noise comes from the basement, and just as I get to the top of the stairs, I see Orion’s head emerge at the bottom. He looks up with a boyish grin, holding up a bulging black duffel bag.

“I got us tools! I even found a little pew pew for you,” he says, brows wiggling.

I sigh heavily, palming the gun he holds out to me. I check the mag, then test the grip, looking down the sight as I mime firing at the wall. Nodding to myself, I flick the safety on and pocket the weapon, reaching for the bag Orion has slung over his shoulder.

“Nuh-uh. These are mine,” he says, reeling away from my outstretched hands. “Mytools.”

“Come on. I wanna see what you got in there.”

“Absolutely not. Come on, we’ve wasted too much time already,” he says, rushing toward the front door. Rupert stands in front of it, his great white teeth bared in a snarl. When Orion tries pushing past him, Rupert lunges at his groin, causing him to stumble back with a yelp.

“What the fuck, Rupert? We’re going to save your dumbass father. Let us through!” Rupert growls, pacing in a small circle in front of the stone wall where the door resides, his strange eyes stalking Orion’s every move. A lumpy black object catches my eye on the floor in front of the door, and I stare at it for a long moment before realizing what it is.Rupert’s dog vest. He must have retrieved it from wherever Ghost leaves the thing.

“I think… I think he wants us to take him with,” I say, brushing past Orion and standing right in front of the great white beast. “Do you want to come with, Rupert?”

Immediately, his disposition changes. He plops on his rear with a whine, his tongue lolling to the side as he reaches a paw up to scratch at my leg.Orion and I look at each other, our brows raised in surprise.

“Okay…” I murmur, reaching for the black dog vest and strapping it to his back. It’s far heavier than I imagined, and I look down at the happy pup in surprise. “Damn, what do you have in here—bricks?”

Rupertwoofshappily, spinning and pawing at the stone like he’s telling us to hurry the fuck up. Orion shrugs at my raised brows and presses his wrist to the wall. Rupert squeezes through the small crack in the stone, and Orion and I have to race up the stairs to catch up with him. I pause at the opening, looking around for Venom in case he’s waiting to slip outside. When I don’t see him, I let out a satisfied sigh, knowing he’s probably tucked away somewhere taking a nap.Safe.

Orion is halfway up the steps by the time the door slides shut at my back, a stale, moldy scent thickening the air in the enclosed stone stairwell, causing my throat to tighten. Or perhaps, it's the anxiety digging its claws up my windpipe, desperate to reach my mind—to take over.

But if I have any chance at saving Ghost from the fate he’s committed himself to, I need a clear head. I have to focus—concentrate on the problem at hand,and take it one step at a time. But it’s so hard when I know we’re diving into the mouth of the beast, and any one of those gnashing teeth could end me. End everyone I care about.

Focus, Brett. Focus and concentrate.I take a deep, steadying breath as I follow Orion up the stairs, through the metal hatch hiding the passageway from the elements. My boots crunch against the brown and red droppings of foliage, the sound scratching my scalp with every step I take toward the truck. So much death beneath my feet—similar to what I’m sure I’m about to face. But then I look at the trees reaching toward the skies, their branches strong and proud despite the losses they’ve faced. It reminds me that even if parts of you wither, you can still survive the winter. Can still face the storms and rise tall after it's all over.

It does nothing to calm the hurricane raging in my chest.

Rupert is already sitting in the trunk, his pink white tongue standing out like a beacon against his snowy fur. Hewoofsat me to hurry up, and we oblige, hopping into the passenger seat as Orion starts the engine. It sputters, then roars to life like a foghorn against the tranquility of the clearing. Several black birds—ravens, I think—takeflight at the sudden noise, and I watch them soar into the vast blue skies, turning into tiny black specks as they crest over the horizon.

“Seat belt, please,” Orion murmurs, pulling me from my thoughts as he clicks his own into place.

“Ghost will kill me if he finds out I didn’t make you wear one.”

I nod, pulling the belt across my lap as Orion speeds into the mouth of the forest, a swirling, uneasy feeling growing in my gut. His words were meant to give me some comfort, I’m sure, but they only feed the gnawing anxiety in my chest. Because I know that Ghost would have to bealiveto feel some type of way about it.

And right now, I don’t know if he is.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

GHOST

I standin the back alley with Kain and Maverick, breathing in the rot and sewage lining the streets around us. It’s such a stark contrast from the pale yellow-hued building towering above, bathing the back alley in shadows. From my crouched position, I reach up and run my fingertip along the veins of gold ore running throughout the stone, my chest gripping as I do so. I used to think this place was a heaven—back when I was too young to know better. Now, I wonder how something so vile could be wrapped in such a pretty package. It goes against every law of nature, everything I was taught to believe. It fuels the hate blazing through my veins, letting me know that I’m doing the right thing.

And still, there’s that thing in my chest. Warning me. Telling me to go back—that it’s my last chance.

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