Page 21 of Dead By Dusk

“I know. It’s one of the reasons I love you,” he whispers.

“You love me?” The question leaves my lips of its own accord. I don’t process that I’m asking it until it’s already out and in the open. Luckily, he doesn’t hesitate for even a moment to answer.

“Always,” he says it so faintly that I almost don’t hear it over the sound of my own breathing.

The weeks that follow are spent working as if we knew nothing, while secretly gathering more and more information. The stack of evidence is daunting to say the least. Enough that we feel comfortable involving a few others we know would help us.

Adonis, an absolute mountain of a man and who I’d become quite close with on the sparring mat as the only one who could hold his own against me, and William, who I am admittedly hesitant to bring on but am assured if I looked past his ego, I’d find a strong, loyal fighter on my side. Ronan also broached the idea of bringing Nathaniel on. According to him, Nathaniel was the best tech guy we had. Though because of his daily proximity with Mr. Delgado, the information we trust him withneedsto be limited for the safety of everyone involved.

The plan, surprisingly enough, is coming together, but with every day that passes I feel more uneasy about it all. Is Robert Delgado a terrible person? Absolutely, yes. But wasn’t I as well? Did I have a right to judge when I worked for him every day and hadn’t dared ask questions at any point during the last two years that I was here?

I don’t have the answers to those questions, but I do know that his daughter is trapped here and scared. I know that the further in the process we have gotten, the closer to her I have found myself. The sweetest woman I’d ever met, with themost beautiful of dreams. Her light was bright, and I would not allow it to be dimmed by the darkness that had been surrounding and clouding over her thoughts.

Worry had seeped into her bloodstream, rotting her dreams of an enchanting life and turned them into nightmares of death and darkness, all just to keep secrets she bore for a man who had been nothing but a ghost of memories that echoed in her mind on haunted nights during her childhood. I remind myself everyday that I’m doing this for her. As we read together and secretly pass notes regarding all that we hope to accomplish in a new life, should we get away.

Her words seem to ease some of the strain in my mind with every day that passes. It is easy to recognize my ever growing fondness for the woman as the same thing I’d been feeling for Ronan. Not in the same way of course, but if not for love, I don’t think I would have chosen to fight. Fleeing would be easier, but I know that she would never truly feel safe with him still walking the Earth. She would’ve fallen victim to the same madness as her father. Always looking over her shoulder wondering when he would inevitably find her. So, I told myself I would make sure it ends with us, which leads to today.

Today is the day before we are to enact our plan. Ronan trained with Nathaniel as he usually did on Mondays to get him out of his networking cave. Me, watching in admiration as I normally would. None of us made one wrong move that could cause suspicion. Carmen’s words would have surprised me if I hadn’t already admitted to myself that I was completely undone for Ronan Callaghan several weeks ago. Even after he admitted his feelings for me, I kept mine silent. He didn’t seem to mind. I think he knew that I was never one to express my feelings, but would always be loud in how I expressed them through my actions.

“I’ll see you for dinner tonight, yeah?” Ronan asks as he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. His lips are a ghost of a touch against my cheek, and I turn my body to face him, unable to stop the grin that forms when I see the smile on his irritatingly handsome face. Lightly chuckling, I stand on my toes to close the distance between our lips and let the kiss linger for a moment before falling back on my feet.

“I’d sure hope so, considering we live together and you know how I am about missing meals,” I say but stop short when I see a shadow pass behind him at the other end of the hallway. It grabs my attention long enough to notice the sounds coming from the direction of the library. The room is fairly large but usually empty with the exception of Ronan, myself and…

I feel physically ill as I move away from him and take off in that direction. Each step takes a life of its own as they grow faster and louder—echoing as the doors slam shut.

“Silene, what are you doing?” Ronan asks, concerned, maybe even following me, but I don’t turn to face him. Instead I keep on my trek, following my gut, knowing that something isn’t right. Faster and faster until I’m in an all out run, hoping—no, praying that I’m wrong—but when I throw open the doors to the library, my throat constricts, unable to take in a full breath of air. My eyes go wide as saucers as I take in the scene in front of me.

Carmen.

God, she has tears streaming down her face. Her petite frame is tied up in a chair in the middle of the room, a cloth wrapped around her mouth. I can faintly hear my name leave her mouth in a muffled sob. I try to take a step toward her, just one step closer to her, but she quickly shakes her head and lets her gaze travel over each person in the room with us. Twelve men. There are twelve armed men in here with her, and I can’t even begin to wonder why as every single one looks at me.

Twelve armed men, and her father who stands next to where she sits, brushing some of her hair behind her ear with the barrel of a pistol. “Ah, Ms. Dimitriou. Nice of you to join us on your own. I was worried someone was going to have to retrieve you. You do know how much I hate waiting.” I’m as still as a statue as Mr. Delgado speaks, fearing the smallest movement will result in the death of someone who has come to be my dearest friend here recently.

The doors open behind me, and the sound of a sharp intake of breath followed by the hand gripping my waist are the only two giveaways of Ronan’s presence. Every man stands just a little taller than usual, knuckles turning white as they grip their firearms.

“Ronan! Glad you could make it. We wouldn’t have been able to start this little meeting here without the person who brought awareness to this, uh…situation.” Ronan’s grip became punishingly tight on my skin as those words were uttered. The sob that escapes Carmen is guttural, as she and I both experience that violently sickening feeling that is betrayal.

My body is not my own as I pull my elbow back into Ronan’s mouth. His hand releases me, and I lunge for the man standing closest. I vaguely hear shouting all around me, but I don’t really process any words said. Not as I dodge hits from fists, legs and the bullets firing around me. I don’t stop for anything until I hearherscream. My attention pulls away from the men that have fallen, as well as those still standing and run straight to her. Her father pressed the barrel of his gun into her head while aiming another one at me.

“Si—” Ronan starts, but the rest of my name is cut off when the butt of a gun hits the side of my head hard enough for black shadows to cast over my vision as my body falls to the ground.

11

You Know Who I Am: Ronan

Iknew she was here but I didn’t expect our reunion to pan out quite this way. Her firm body is cradled into my arms, lip bloody and jaw swollen. Bruises litter her arms and hairline in a greenish yellow hue, and dirt covers her entire left side, but she’s still just as exquisite as I remember. She’s still “her” in all of her murderous, protective beauty.

The guys decided we could stay here for the night since the light was fading fast, but I couldn’t have been bothered regardless, willing to carry her wherever they wanted to go if it was necessary. Though, I will admit I’m happy we’re not walking because it gave me more time to just look at her in the soft light before night fell. Allowed me time to take the knife from her hand and tear part of my sleeve off to create a makeshift hair tie and pull her hair up for her. I can only imagine how much she hated fighting with it down. She’s never liked her hair down during combat.

Stopping gave me time to admire the blade that’s as dark as the night that envelopes us. It gave me time to wonder where it came from, even if part of me feels like it knows the answer already.

I haven’t moved the entire time she’s been unconscious. Not when Nate had approached and asked if I knew her. Not when Adonis tried to tell me that we weren’t best friends. And not when the tall, skittish woman crawled over to us and just stared down at her with nothing short of awe.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” she asks cautiously, but I don’t remove my gaze from Silene’s sleeping form. To be fair, I don’t think she does either, both of us focused on the steady rise and fall of Silene’s chest.

“I don’t know. Is there a reason she wouldn’t be?” I question, more accusatory and far more harsh than I should be. “She doesn’t seem to look as bad as Princess over there, unless something happened before you found us?”

I study the way her hands twist together, a nervous tell if I’ve ever seen one, then glance up to see her looking around while tugging her bottom lip in between her teeth before she whispers, “Before we found you guys, someone else found us. Obviously we both made it out, but her head got slammed into the ground pretty bad. I’m not sure if she lost consciousness, but she didn’t move for a minute. And she hasn’t said anything about it, but I’ve noticed her rubbing the back of her neck quite a bit like she hurt it and I ju—”

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