Page 6 of Exile
"Right," I drawl out slowly. "And why is this not an option for our rooms?"
Christopher raises an eyebrow, silently answering the question.
"Of course. There's no emergency exit for theprisoncells," I mutter, unsurprised.
A few detectives come round the corner from the staff room corridor, pausing as they spot us. The good doctor raises his hand casually, gesturing toward me.
"This patient is with me."
Somehow, they buy his bullshit excuse, continuing on their merry way, but not before sneaking a few disapproving glances at my hands. They don't stop to ask questions, and when they are out of earshot, I narrow my eyes at Christopher. "Weren't you fired?"
"Temporarily on hold," he responds dryly.
"Right. Next question: Where are they?" I ask sternly, getting straight to the point. I need to know where those assholes are so I can getthemto the point as well—the sharp pointed end of my trusty shiv, that is.
Rounding on me with lightning speed, Christopher draws to full height. "Listen to me, Grey. This is serious. You can't go barreling into Arthur's office and start murdering him and Alexander. Not only will the cops shoot you before you lay a hand on them, but you'll implicate the rest of us too. The place is swarming with first responders."
My eyebrow twitches at the use ofus, but I only say, "I'm pretty quick, you know."
An exhausted look crosses his face as his sudden burst of energy depletes. "Damon has been taken to hospital. Avery too."
"Are they okay?" I ask quickly, momentarily putting a pause in my plans to rip Arthur and Alexander apart limb from limb and count all their organs by hand.
His face scrunches up with devastation, and for a brief second, true colors begin to reveal themselves. He cares about his cousin—that's an interesting development. But I shouldn't be shocked really. After all, he's a pain in our ass but he's an enemy of Arthur's, which means he's an ally of ours. The thought is almost laughable, but at this point, we need all the help we can get.
"I don't know," he mutters quietly. "Damon's in pretty bad shape. Avery is fine but I told the paramedics she needed to be properly assessed off the premises by hospital staff."
"Smart man."
Christopher looks taken aback by the mild compliment. Hopefully he latches onto it in his mind because I doubt there will be more where that came from.
Getting Avery away from this mess is both a blessing and a necessity. While Alexander and Arthur are here, dealing with the fallout, she's safe. And with Damon.
It's a slight comfort knowing he's getting proper medical attention but… not everyone can be saved.
I can't think like that though. It's Damon—you can't kill evil that easily. Alexander has proved that theory and Damon is twice the man—and force of nature—that he'll ever be. They share the same blood. We’re all cut from the same cloth—our modus operandi is just different.
"I was in the corridor being questioned by detectives when the paramedics took him. His condition isn't good, Grey. I think you need to be prepared."
My face remains expressionless as I nod. "He'll be fine," I say blankly. "Plus he has Avery with him."
"I understand that. But she's not a doctor—"
"No, but she's his everything, Christopher.She'shis reason to live, to fight. Just like she's mine. Hehasto be okay. There's no other option here."
More officers walk past and he motions toward the library with a dip of his head, indicating privacy. Slipping through the doors, it's empty and I try not to let sweet memories drown me. I might be relieved that Avery is away from this damn forsaken place, but she’s also away fromme. I can’t protect her from here. And the only two people in this world that can keep me calm are not with me. It's a double-edged sword.
"Alexander will go after her," Christopher finally murmurs with a sigh, leaning his palms on the table's edge. "This isn't over."
"All the more reason to let me end his miserable existence now," I muse. "I know Damon made me promise that he could do it, but I think under the circumstances, he'll forgive me."
Everything is still shrouded in darkness. Surely, Arthur will have to relent and put the power back on soon. The officers will be getting suspicious, but not only that, Dorothea'sbody is probably thawing out downstairs. She already resembled the living dead in her alive state, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility that she comes back for revenge on the old cunt. What a plot twist that would be.
Christopher paces away from the table, leaning against the nearest bookshelf as his leg bounces nervously. "We need to anticipate their next move. And we should do it now, while authorities are on site. It will give us time to prepare."
"How the hell do we prepare when we can't communicate with each other? They took our cells and I doubt Byrone and Jillian have access to their systems without the power being on."
He nods. "I'll work on getting the power restored. From what I've overheard, they are currently using the morgue to house the deceased until the coroners are able to transport everyone. It's running on a separate back-up generator."
