Page 109 of Shadows Within
I have to warn Harrison and Stirling of what’s to come. More is at stake now. We need this uprising more than ever. With someone as power hungry as Victor leading the other venomous men, I worry that we might have to eliminate The Society for good.
“You don’t need to worry about Callum. I’ll keep a close eye on him.” Leo’s words seem like a distraction.
“I don’t need a babysitter.” I spit through my teeth.
“No, you need a leash, but that wouldn’t be humane now, would it?” Victor’s words cause a physical reaction, my hands close at my sides and my back straightens.
A tight hand grips my shoulder. I turn and see Harrison. Through his eyes, he tells me to hold it together.
“I can’t stay all day. We’ll set up an official meeting for next week. In the meantime, there’s a new drop site for the East end. I’ll text you the details.” Victor looks at Harrison as he walks out of the room. Deluca, Archer, and Chase follow him.
The atmosphere shifts as soon as they leave the room. A few other pledges walk out, while Leo makes his way toward the window to watch Victor drive off.
“Well, that was unexpected.” Stirling says as he comes in and shuts the door behind him. I can tell that this is going to be hard for him, given his complicated relationship status withSophia. While they aren’t together, his eyes don’t land on anyone else. She’s the only one he sees.
“I was going to warn you, but I didn’t have time, he wanted to talk about the new drop sites before.” Leo speaks up.
“It’s fine.” My words are sharp.
“We just need to shift our plan a bit. It might take longer, but we can still demand change,” Harrison says.
“We need to be strategic, being on the wrong side of the DA could ruin all of us.” Leo’s always the logical one.
“I don’t know if taking it over is the right move anymore, we may need to dissolve it,” I say.
“But that could mean the end of everyone.” Stirling adds with confusion.
“Not if we do it right. We don’t act until we have everything that we need.” I look at Harrison then back at Stirling. “You’re going to have to pick. Your blood or your brother’s.”
They know what this means. Their dad can’t be trusted. He’s been in the game for too long and has relied on The Society for over twenty years. He rose to the top beside my father and Victor. He won’t betray them now.
I look down at my watch.I should go meet Scarlett.
“Keep me posted with any updates or new information. We’re just getting started, it doesn’t all need to be discussed tonight.” I turn away and walk out, past my chosen family.
I drive to the greenhouse by campus—the only place I feel at ease. I walk into the musty shed and feel the closest thing to home. The sweet smell of roses reminds me of all that I have to live for.
The Society does not control me. Only one person can, and she’s five foot six and relies on sour gummies to calm her down. She also packs a mean right hook.My Angel.
Epilogue
Scarlett
I can’t remember a time where I’ve felt so at peace with my life. It’s winter break, and Sophia and I decided to go away for the weekend. We didn’t want to go too far, so we opted for Harrison and Stirling’s cottage. Naturally, the boys followed us here. It’s become the place where the five of us go when we need time away from reality. The bond that I’ve formed with Harrison and Stirling feels like I’ve gained the brothers I’ve always wanted.
They say that the people who you surround yourself with become a reflection of yourself. I’m not naive to the fact that the five of us aren’t perfect, but we sure as hell are strong.
The cool breeze pushes through the sliding door, masking the tension that remains under my surface. The only thing we know how to do is carry on. The smell of Italian spices comes from the stove. When we’re here, we always take turns cooking dinner. Tonight, Sophia is cooking shrimp stir-fry.
The Aldens and my very own Mr. Mercer are amazing cooks. They made pasta last night, and even though I’ve never been to Italy, I would plead that it was some of the best pasta ever made.
Tonight, they are going to teach me to play the card game ‘Euchre’. Apparently, it’s not hard once you figure it out, but I’ll be the judge of that.
Even though we all try to unwind, I can tell that the guys are still tense. It’s no secret that they are plotting something within The Society. Callum hasn’t told me all of it, but I know that there’s been a shift and they are planning to change it. He says the less I know the better. I can tell by the way that he acts andtalks about it that the stakes are high. I can’t imagine how hard everything is on him, and I’d wait forever trying to understand.
As I chop veggies, hands snake around my waist from behind.
“Um, she’s working!” Sophia yells at Callum and points her knife at him.
