Page 90 of Betrayed in the Dark
“No, and I don’t care to find out.”
Mauro grunts, shaking his head.
“Apparently, no one does,” Leo answers. “Well, besides her brothers since she’s never been seen in public. Who knows? Maybe she doesn’t even exist.”
I drag my fingers through my hair as I look out the window, trying but failing to understand how everything is connected.Why would Madeleine agree to this? Why would she be okay with spending the rest of her life stuck by Alastor’s side? And why the fuck would she go to him for help and not me?Suddenly, Kazimir’s words echo in my mind:“It’s not her head you should be worried about.”
What the hell did he mean by that?
Dread coils tightly in my stomach as I grip the ends of my hair. Frustration and fury swirl together within me, seizing my chest. I feel on the verge of—
“What time’s your flight?” Leo’s voice interrupts my thoughts.
I rub a hand over my sternum as I let out a heavy breath. “At two. Should land right around nine.”
“What is it they say over there? Happy Christmas?” Vin asks, grinning.
“Yeah,” I mutter, my chest tightening at the thought of leaving Madeleine here while I’m thousands of miles away. “You’re sure you guys don’t need me to stay?”
“No,” Leo replies. “Go see your family. You haven’t been home since the summer. We’ve got everything handled here.”
“Yeah. Right. Okay.”
He arches a brow. “Everything okay?”
I nod. “Of course. Just not looking forward to a crowded flight,” I lie.
Because everything is not okay. Not by a long fucking shot.
Not until I put an end to this goddamn wedding once and for all.
Chapter nineteen
Madeleine
Istare at the black tank in my mother’s front yard, positioned next to three camouflage-colored ones, my mouth agape in disbelief.
“You’re insane,” I mutter, still trying to process what I’m seeing.
“You don’t like it?” Vin asks, his expression shifting to a slight frown.
“I…” My eyelashes flutter as I glance around at my brothers, searching for backup.
Leo scratches the top of his head. “Where are we supposed to store them?”
Vin grins proudly. “I had one of the warehouses enlarged specifically for this reason.”
“You bought us official military tanks…for Christmas,” I state, walking up to the black one and placing my hand on the smooth exterior to ensure it’s real.
“Well,” Vin begins, clearing his throat, “after our home was attacked, I thought this would be an appropriate gift. But now that I’m standing here, taking it all in, I realize it might seem a little extreme.”
“A little?” Alex interjects. “I could maybe understand one, but four?”
“Five,” Vin corrects.
“Come again?” Alex arches a brow.
“Well, obviously, I had to get one for myself,” Vin says matter-of-factly.
