Page 93 of Scarred Sins
She scoffs, mumbles something incoherent under her breath, and with a reluctant sigh, hops off the high stool and marches toward me. She grabs some glasses and the tablecloth, setting it all on top of the wide table neatly.
She’s the first one to take a seat, and once Mom and Blair are seated, with food on the table, Dad and I take our respective seats. They’ve made some spaghetti and meatballs, and the sauce just smells absolutely divine.
“So, how are the team preparations coming along?” I ask, and Dad fills his plate after Mom finishes filling hers.
“Good. Freya and Lucas are in, so is Niko. Jewel is apparently on board after seeing that she’d be working with Freya, which is great. I’ll have the last four members picked out and prepared by Sunday.’’
I nod.
I’m about to ask another question when my phone buzzes. I pull it out, and I can’t say that the look of disapproval on Mom’s face doesn’t scare me. She can be very intimidating when she wants to be.
“No phones during lunch, Arlo,’’ she warns.
“I know,’’ I sigh and unlock the phone anyway. “It’s my work phone.’’
She doesn’t comment on it, knowing that it must be important if I decided to disobey a clear rule she set. My fingers glide over the screen, and I suck in a deep breath. It’s from the number I gave Zoe – the phone I left for her.
I don’t waste any time in opening it and reading out the contents.
“It’s Zoe Adams,’’ I lock the phone and look at Mom.
Blair stiffens beside me, and I know exactly why. She doesn’t have to say it, but I can see that Zoe makes her slightly jealous, territorial even. As good as it feels to know that Blair wants me all to herself, there’s nothing to be jealous of. No one even comes close to Blair, and sometime, sooner or later, I’ll need to help her get rid of her insecurities. In my eyes, the only person for me is Blair. My life, my heart, and my soul are hers to do as she wishes.
My hand reaches for hers under the table, and I give her a small squeeze of reassurance. She relaxes under my touch, and I have to fight a smile that threatens to break on my face.
“What did she say?” Dad asks.
“She sent me a time and location to meet.’’
The dark night surrounds us. Blair’s hand is tightly tucked in mine, the grip never faltering as we make our way through the busy street. Her eyes are constantly on the lookout for Simmons or even Adams. I understand her paranoia, and I just tighten the hold on her hand, silently telling her that I’m here and that I’ll protect her.
The location did surprise me. It’s a venue of sorts. Dad did mention that Adams would be attending a charity event and that he’d give a speech. What I didn’t expect was Zoe to tell me to come there. It’s risky and, for her, dangerous on too many levels. One wrong person seeing us together could mean her life ending.
I tried calling and texting the number, but it was disconnected. Presumably, she destroyed the device as soon as her text messages went through, out of fear of her husband potentially finding them, which I don’t blame her for. I prepared another one, smaller, so she can hide it better, just in case we need to establish more contact.
We have two weeks before we officially attack, and it’s not nearly enough time to get everyone ready. However, as soon as Dad gets the team ready, we’ll share the plan. The top priority is finding where they’re keeping all the girls and saving them; killing the two bastards and anyone who’s willingly working with them can come later.
The venue is located in the Upper East Side, of course. Since we can’t get in through the main door, and all of this was so last minute, I ended up bribing one of the security guards to let us pass through the back door. On the left side, as soon as we step inside, are small staircases leading up to the balcony. It doesn’t face the main street, which is perfect. Zoe was smart when she picked it because it’s an easy way in and an easy way out, and if we’re lucky, we won’t get caught.
I’m prepared even if we don’t end up being lucky.
“You feeling alright?” I ask, leading her up the staircase, holding her hand firmly. Blair manages to nod, though I see a little uncertainty and doubt linger in her eyes. She drags her bottom lip between her teeth, avoiding eye contact for a while.
“I’m just… feeling a bit odd about the entire situation.’’
I push the door of the balcony open and leave them slightly ajar for Zoe to enter. I pull Blair to stand near the railings with me in the less lit area. The music is loudly blasting, but since we’re outside, it’s not too bad.
“About what, exactly?”
If I’ve learned anything about Blair, it’s that she has strong intuition. I’ll never be a fool to brush it off or tell her that it’s nothing. If she feels that something is wrong, if her gut feeling is strong, I’ll always listen.
“This entire Zoe thing,’’ she breathes out, leaning against the railings and looking up at the sky. “She’s being abused by her husband at home, but she’s attending every event with him, and there’s not a single trace of bruises. She’s half his age, but no one is questioning it, even though he’s a highly ranked politician. You told me that she’s addicted to alcohol and drugs, but you couldn’t tell that by looking at her during these events. How is he keeping it all under wrapsthatwell? Even when she’s seen out and about with security, she’s faking it very well. I’m just doubtful about a lot of things.’’
I listen to her and sigh. “There are some questions that I don’t have the answer for.’’
Blair turns to look at me. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying she’s lying about the abuse. I wholeheartedly believe that the abuse she’s being put through is horrid and that she’s been too brainwashed to understand the severity of it. That’s not what I’m doubting.’’
“Then what are you doubting?”
