Page 81 of Scarred Sins
Dad nods. “I’ll gather a team. Who else?”
“We’ll need an immediate team to work with us through this. That’ll be Freya, you and Mom, Blair, Cove, and Aria, only if necessary. We need someone skilled to keep us all connected and someone who can hack into stuff. I could do it myself, but I don’t want to overburden myself. Right now, my priorities are elsewhere.’’
“Lucas will do it,’’ Mom says.
Lucas is one of her oldest friends, a brilliant hacker who taught me a lot of things when I was first starting out. And he married Mom’s brother – my uncle, Niko. He’s trustworthy, and this is something he’ll be able to pull off.
“Alright, notify him. Aria will be the main sniper, but we need another one.’’
“There’s a girl I’m currently training,’’ Mom says. “A bit young, about twenty, but I think she’ll be able to do it.’’
My brows narrow. “Who is it?”
“Jewel.’’
“Is that her name?”
“No, a nickname.’’
“What a weird nickname,’’ I mumble.
Blair scoffs beside me. “Says the man who’s been calling me butterfly since the day we met.’’
I give her a sheepish smile, my cheeks slightly heating up. I clear my throat and look back at Dad, who is trying his best not to look amused at the two of us, given the severity and seriousness of the situation.
“I’ll find another two people,’’ he promises. “But in the meantime, this is what we’ll do. We don’t have much time, and we need to start as soon as possible. Blair, Arlo will train you how to use weapons, and he’ll take over training your physical strength. You two have four weeks to perfect it as much as possible, because once the four-week mark is over, we’ll strike.’’
Blair’s determination can be felt through the entire room. She nods, a stern look on her face. Her resolve hasn’t faltered since this whole ordeal has started, and I’m beyond proud of her. She’s much stronger than she gives credit for.
“Alright.’’
“Now,’’ Mom turns to look at me. “What happened with Zoe last night?”
I halt.
“I’m not sure. I think she’ll end up calling me.’’
“You think? But you’re not sure?” She presses.
My jaw ticks. “No, I’m not sure. I’m giving her two weeks. Once two weeks are up, if she still hasn’t called, I’ll find another way in and the location of the girls.’’
“You better. We can’t fuck this up.’’
“And we won’t.’’
Blair takes my hand in hers, my heart fluttering at the small gesture. It’s not the first time we’ve held hands, but fuck, it feels good. She tightens her grip, holding me secure, and the amount of love and affection that washes over me is unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
As she continues to converse with Mom and Dad about the plans, their voices fade out, and my focus is solely on her face. This woman could ask me to execute people publicly, and I’d do it without a second thought. She could ask me for the world, and I’d build her a new one. Anything for my pretty butterfly, because she deserves everything.
TWENTY-FOUR
This wasn’t how I imagined spending my Friday morning. In fact, I never thought I’d be spending it like this at all. I’m still a little confused as to why or how it all happened, but somehow, I’m not complaining.
Arlo and I have been training together for days without taking a break. It’s taken a toll on my body, my muscles stiff and sore, but I need to do it. I don’t have the luxury of taking breaks or lowering the pace. It needs to be done quickly.
This morning, we were supposed to start on my shooting skills. Instead, after breakfast, Aria approached me. She didn’t say much, just told me to get ready and to meet her outside. For a moment, I thought she was going to physically fight me, but the thought soon vanished when she entered her car, patiently waiting for me.
Now, we’re inside of a small coffee shop. She’s sipping on her mocha latte, eyes skimming through the interior. It’s mainly in shades of brown, grey, and white, with pretty lamps and decor all around, giving it a very cozy and comfortable feeling.
