Page 6 of Vicious Chaos

Declan’s lips tug up into a small smirk. Almost unnoticeable unless you know him, but he has that familiar air of arrogance surrounding him. “Alec cares more about Rachel’s safety than Rachel does,” he says instead of answering. “Besides, she really did need the rest.”

Kade and Scar start laughing just as Noah makes it back into the room. He looks around with narrowed eyes, landing on where Kade and Scar are still cracking up. “You drugged her, didn’t you?”

Declan rolls his eyes. “That makes it sound worse than it was. I was merely a doctor looking out for my patient.” He starts packing away the medical supplies he had taken out before he continues. “And if I made some decisions in our best interest,” he pauses, holding up a vile of blood, “it doesn’t mean it was harmful to her.”

Scar jumps up and smacks a kiss to his cheek. “You really are the best.” Which sets off a chorus of grumbles and denials. I won’t even lie and say none of them came from me. She looks at us as if we are unruly children before turning back and grabbing the vile from Declan.

She holds it up at eye level and stares at it as if she will be able to read the answers we need written right there in blood. “Only Rachel has all the answers we need.”

Declan’s hand moves out to grip Scar by the hip. I can tell the way he’s more drawn to her now, not wanting to be away from her. Wanting to always have his hands on her now that he can.

It’s the exact same way I felt after I finally was able to make my feelings known for her. After I finally realized she didn’t see me as just a burden or just a friend. I wanted to always be touching her to remind myself that it’s real. That I didn’t just imagine it. That she’s mine as much as she’s theirs.

Scar leans into him, always eager for our touch now, even if she hasn’t realized it yet. She’s just as hungry for affection as the rest of us. Maybe more so.

“Hmm,” he hums as he settles her against his chest. “Alec gave us the answers we needed right now.”

Scar nods but Noah arches a brow in question. I’m with Noah on this one. I can’t think of a single thing Alec told us that Rachel couldn’t have told us herself.

Kade surprises me by being the one to answer. “Alec gave away her intentions. If she had plans to manipulate or deceive us, he never would have felt as comfortable with us as he did. He wouldn’t have given us answers and he would have been more eager to leave.”

Scar nods along before handing the vile back to Declan. “Hold on to that for when Jade is ready.”

“You don’t want to run it now?” Luca’s the one to ask but I can’t help but have the same question. Isn’t it better to know for sure right off the bat? It could eliminate the problem almost immediately.

Scar shakes her head. “I believe that Rachel believes this. Whether it’s true or not doesn’t really matter, does it? We all know blood doesn’t make family. There are a hell of a lot more important questions I want answers to.”

“Like?” Noah asks, a look of intrigue on his face. I already know that he’s hoping it’s something he can help with.

“How did Jade end up in foster care in the first place? How long has Rachel known about her? Why does having a sister matter so much to her? What exactly has she ever done to even attempt to help Jade?”

Noah smiles. “I can dig into that.”

Scar hesitates a moment and I know it’s because she wants to do it herself. She’s protective of Jade, but she is going to have to start trusting us to get things done for her. She may have been able to do everything when it was just her and Luca, when they were keeping a low profile, but that isn’t the case anymore. She won’t be able to be the hacker, the assassin, the planner, the leader, the mentor. It’s just not feasible for one person.

“Thanks, Handsome,” she finally relents and I see Declan stroking her hip in encouragement for making the right call. Even if we all know she will still pour over every bit of research Noah pulls up.

At least she won’t be doing it alone.

I stand transfixedby the sight in front of me.

There’s so much rage contained in that tiny body of Scar’s. So much frustration. We haven’t seen hide nor hair of Romano since he had men attack Rachel. He’s all but disappeared. Silence in war is never a good thing. It only ever means something bigger is coming.

Scar is the epitome of controlled chaos as she circles around where William hangs from the ceiling, his arms stretched out above his head and his toes just barely reaching the stool set underneath him.

He just might be able to give us enough to help us prepare for where Romano is most likely to strike next. He’s already hit Thorns and Rachel. The message to her was about our allies, but we don’t have many as close as Rachel.

We work well with others. Our whole operation has been built on that. We help facilitate the relationships between others, of course we have good relationships with people. It keeps us right in the thick of things. Right where we like to be. It doesn’t mean we have anyone close enough that we trust them or anyone that could be used against us. Most everyone in this world is disposable to us.

I’ll have to give Max and Josie a call, but there’s no way Romano would be able to connect either of them to us. They both are connected to legitimate business that we do our damn best to stay away from.

Neither of them are located in St Graves either. Josie is in New York right now, helping set up a new branch of the foundation Letty started with her inheritance. Max is also on the East Coast with his business, Infinite Security. Neither one of them would be easy for Romano to target but we haven’t gotten to where we are by not being careful.

Scar nudges the stool out from under his feet, taking the only form of stability he had away from him. His face reddens as his mouth drops open as he struggles to breathe with all his weight hanging from where his arms are suspended from the ceiling.

“What does your loyalty to a dead man get you? Hmm?” she asks as she walks casually around him. Circling him like the predator she is. She’s been controlled as she observes her prey. We know all too well how devoted William is to Romano.

We know that he isn’t going to give up information easily. More than that, he’s well aware that he’s never getting out of here alive. Regardless of what information he hands over.

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