Page 37 of Deviant

“Us?” he repeats, but I can hear his steps in the background as he’s clearly making his way.

I hang up, deciding that’s enough of a reply and when he walks in, he stops, staring at Paitlyn like she’s some sort of apparition.

“She’s—she’s alive?” he says in obvious surprise. “Does Devin know?”

“He knows.” I confirm. “And I need you to take her, hold her somewhere secure. Make sure the little whore is locked down and nobody can get to her.”

He frowns, meeting my gaze. “What the fuck is going on here?”

“Devin is coming home.” I state, just as she starts to stir. “He has a few chores to do and then he’s going to close this chapter once and for all.”

Conrad looks back at Paitlyn just as I do. She’s awake, wide eyed, staring from one of us to the other.

“I need—” She begins, but I’m quick to grab a handkerchief and ram it into her mouth. Every word past her lips is a lie. I won’tstand here and listen to it. Not after what she did. Not after the way she ruined our brother.

“I’ll sort it.” Conrad says walking over, slamming his fist hard enough into her face that she’s once more rendered unconscious.

Once he’s carried her out, I watch on the cameras, echoing their steps until he’s thrown her into the trunk of his car, and he’s sped off. Then I call the guards, ensuring that all the mess is cleared up.

I need to know who’s behind this, I need to know who exactly knows about Paitlyn and what the whore means to me and to my family.

But that’s going to take time. A lot of time. I need to cover my tracks, up my security detail. Technically, this is the second attack on Oblivion, if you count the Turner incident as one. Someone is playing silly buggers with me, and I’ll be damned if I’m caught in their bullshit.

I set my Dustin onto it, charging him with pulling all the footage, going back through every tiny detail until he finds who the culprit is.

When I get into my car, I turn the massage feature on my seat on and nod to the driver to take me home. Maybe my pet is ready to be more compliant, maybe she’s ready to behave. Either way, I know I’m going to have some fun.

For a few seconds I close my eyes, relishing the brief solitude and then I jolt as if I’ve fallen asleep for hours.

My hair prickles on my neck as if in warning—would someone be so bold as to attack me?

My car is part of a convoy. I have two up front and two behind. With guards armed to the teeth. If someone were to try it, they’d need a bloody armoured tank to be successful, but then, we’re the Brethren, getting our hands on such a thing is hardly a difficult task.

I clench my fists, contemplating my next move. If someone were merely looking to destabilise the Brethren, they wouldn’t just go for Oblivion. They’d do something far more reaching. Unless this was part of something bigger. Take out Oblivion, take out the University, remove all the structures that keep us in place and create total anarchy?

I narrow my eyes, almost revelling in the way my heart pumps in my chest at that notion. True, there would be carnage. True, there would be chaos. But the sheer fun of what that would create, I’m practically salivating at the notion of it. I feel like Nero, dancing in the flames, watching as Rome burns and delighting in the fear of all those pathetic people caught up in the ensuing inferno.

Maybe I should stir the pot myself, let it be known that Turner is on the way out. It would certainly be interesting to see who comes out of the woodwork and tries to make a bid for Chapter. And it would take the heat off me if someone does know what I did.

My lips quirk and before I can consider the reasons not to, I make a call, make an anonymous tip, knowing that long term it will play to my favour. Most men can’t deal with unpredictability, they can’t deal with the unknown. Most men like their safe little lives. But not me, I know how to thrive in pandemonium, how to harness it, how to turn chaos to my advantage.

As we pull into the drive, I take out my phone, connecting with the live feed. I’ve left Liliana alone. Left her to wallow for a few days. Having watched the footage of her interaction with Gabe after he cut her down, I have an idea brewing, only I need her recovered. I need her in better strength, before it can materialise.

But as the screen comes into focus, I realise exactly what I’m seeing and my whole body reacts.

She’s not alone. She’s not huddled up, pretending to be all defiant in the darkness.

No,someoneis there with her.Someoneis touching her.

“What the fuck?” I growl, before demanding my driver speed the fuck up.

I pull my gun out, giving an order for my security to do the same. Apparently, Oblivion isn’t the only place under attack today. Someone really is gunning for a fight.

On the screen, I can now see exactly who it is, and I realise that thisispersonal.

This is an intentional move against me.

They want a war? Then so be it.

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