Page 36 of Unveil
“Shh, shh, no, baby, everyone’s okay. Just sleep, alright? I’ve got you.”
I look back at Sol struggling to stand, unintentionally blocking the door and keeping anyone from coming in. Nox catches him, and Scarlett cries out.
“Please! Someone get my Luna!”
“I will… kill you, Fury!” Sol shouts past the fast-acting tranquilizer dart.
I open up the secret door behind the mirror and pause.
“I’ve been here, Sol. The whole time.”
His face contorts, and the words land like I hoped they would, freezing everyone.
“Mybrothersarrived today, but I’ve been here for years, protecting her.” I shake my head. “And you never knew.”
I’d hoped Sol had a better handle on her safety. But I was her real shadow. And the moment I looked away to set things in motion, she was fucking drugged.
My face hardens, showing the full extent of my fury.
“Your daughter’s safer with me. The Wildes know about the pact. They’rehere, and they won’t stop until the Troisgarde daughters are theirs. Or dead. So I’m stealing my wife. No one will protect her better than me.”
I shut the mirror door behind me, silencing his enraged roar.
Inside the dark tunnel, I squint as I walk us through the narrow corridor until we exit into the alley behind Masque. I kick an empty dumpster with my foot, rolling it in front of the door, nearly losing my balance.
Soon, Luna will be a sack of potatoes in my arms. I need to reach the car before that happensandbefore Sol’s men come after us.
But in my rush, I nearly trip over the body on the ground.
Wait, what?
“I thought you’d take care of this by now, Hatch,” I mutter.
Then it hits me.
Fuck.
Where are my brothers? Are they okay?
Can’t think about that right now.
I curl Luna closer, hoping to shield her eyes from the scene, but it’s too late.
She yelps, “Did youkillhim?”
I hold her tighter. “Don’t scream. You’ve done so good for me.”
“No, no, no, he’s dead. Why is he d-dead?”
“Believe me, if I could go back, I’d kill them all.Slowly.”
If she responds, I don’t hear it. The world around us explodes with fireworks, flashing above and thundering against brick, plaster, and concrete. They rocket up from the heart of BourbonStreet—just as we planned—crackling and booming overhead, spooking police horses and drawing beat cops past me toward the chaos.
I turn into the wall, so it looks like Luna and I are in a lover’s embrace rather than a kidnapper carrying his victim. When the coast is clear, I leave the shadows, sidestepping a pile of manure left by one of the horses.
I smirk, then I take the pettiest second to fish Ozias’s engagement ring from my pocket and drop it onto the pile.
“Told you it was a shit proposal.”
