Page 63 of Brutal Empire

You could hear a pin drop by the amount of silence in the room.

“I want to help you,” she calmly stated as she stood up.

“No,” I bit out immediately.

She shook her head.

“You said that the head of this organization dealt with flesh…”

Cam didn’t finish her sentence; she didn’t have to. I knew she wasn’t stupid. Sooner or later, she would piece it all together.

“Where I’m going tonight, it’s the last place you should be.”

She glared, but that fire was back.

“That’s for me to decide.”

I stood from the chair and walked up to her. Just one more taste was all I needed, or so I lied to myself. My right hand moved fast and wrapped around her waist as I pulled her to me.

“Whatever you see, you’re not allowed to hate me for it,” I growled. Then I kissed her like I was ready to fucking die.

TWENTY-SEVEN

Things startto make sense when you realize just how small the world is. That miracles aren’t real, and coincidences rarely happen on their own.

I knew I held power, but I still felt like a fraud. The sharp claws I had used to claw my way out of hell felt like they had gone soft. The inferno that had been built was now ash. The paradox of emotions that lived inside me were those of a scared little girl who was afraid to live. I had begged for death, but she didn’t claim me. Instead, she gave me wings and set me free. I once read that if you wanted peace, you had to be prepared to go to war. I’d worn many faces but never my own because I didn’t know what that looked like.

My fingers traced the box that lay on my bed. Yesterday, the thought of wearing a dress, anything that accentuated my femininity, would have made me feel distressed. I needed to stop feeling guilty and broken for the desires and vileness of weak men.

The dress was designer, all black but still elegant. As I took off my clothing, it felt like I was shedding my old skin and finally stepping into my own. The dress went all the way down to my feet, and I figured I could get away with wearing my boots to have something that gave me comfort. It had long sleeves and went up to my collarbones.

I grabbed my duffel and reached for a bag that I had no use for before today.A true master of disguise can adapt to any situation. You read the room and become what they want you to be, and that’s how you blend in.Daphne’s voice rang like it had yesterday.

Daphne was beautiful, but she changed her appearance depending on the situation. I didn’t do much, just covered the redness underneath my eyes, then the scar that had haunted me for far too long. I stilled for a second as I looked at myself in the mirror, and the voices that called to me had gone silent. Most of all, I couldn’t recall the last time I’d heardhisvoice.

I shook my head, not wanting to think about that. Instead, I focused on using the weapons I knew I could get away with. On one side of my boot, I put in two scalpels. The material around the boots had alloys that disturbed metal detection.

On the other side, I slid in a small folding gun. It would be uncomfortable to walk in, but it was better than not taking anything. It held five .22 bullets, but one or two would be enough.

Once that was all set and done, I stepped out. Bastian was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs. His back was to me as he poured himself a drink.

“Is Gideon not ready?” I asked.

“He’s not coming,” Bas said as he turned around while he fixed a chain containing a small necklace with a vial.

I stopped before taking the last step.

It wasn’t the suit that made me halt my step. I’d already seen him like that since we arrived in Texas. His beard was gone. Everything had moved so fast that what had happened in the plane and back in his penthouse had felt like a dream—a fantasy.

Now I could admit that Bastian was the most handsome man I had ever seen. The beard did change his appearance; it was like he was a new man. The talk we had not only set me free, but it did the same for him.

“You look beautiful.” He smiled at me, and I couldn’t stop staring at his dimples. It was no longer just his eyes that I felt like I would get lost in. I cocked my head, this time preparing myself for the inevitable fall.

The tip of Bastian’s tongue stopped my thoughts. He licked where I had hidden my scar. He then pulled back and used his thumb to clean it up.

“I think you’re beautiful just the way you are,” he said in a smoky tone. “Don’t hide who you are. Wear your scars with pride because they’re a road map that shows just how fucking strong you are.”

My lip quivered. And with the way he looked at me, I expected him to kiss me, but he pulled away.

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