Page 147

Strong arms grip my shoulders and my body shakes. It's like I'm seventeen all over again.
"Lily, look at me!"
My eyes snap open at Blake's voice. He gazes down into my eyes and tears spill over, running down my cheeks. Something white flashes next to me and I flinch.
"It's a towel, baby— calm down," he whispers.
Wetness touches my face and I convulse, thrashing out of his arms. "Don't!" I scream, sinking to my knees.
"What the fuck happened to her?" Hyde says, confused.
"Khoui waterboarded her," Dresden says, moving to kneel next to me. "Lily, listen to me. We need to clean the blood off you. Just breathe. Okay? You're fine. Everyone is fine."
I nod as Blake kneels next to me. I gaze into his eyes, the pain there matching my own. Slowly, he uses the towel to wipe the blood from my face. He throws the towel on the floor and leans back on his heels.
"Are you okay?" I ask quietly.
"Yes, baby. I'm fine. Worried about you."
Launching into his arms, my body melds into his. His arms tighten around me and I push back, kissing his lips, cheeks, eyes, and nose. Gathering him against my chest. He reaches up and grabs my head in his hands, bringing his lips to mine. Tilting his head, the kiss deepens, and his tongue invades my mouth.
"Mom! Mom!"
Sorina barrels toward us, falling to her knees, she collapses into our arms, sobbing. We squeeze her tight and gently, Blake rocks both of us.
Interpol agents move around us— bagging bodies and cleaning up blood. Banging from the back rooms silences those of us in the living room. In a blur, Hayato lands in the hallway, sprawled on the floor. Sammi steps out of the office, pointing her gun at his head. I jump off the ground, running toward them.
"Sammi, what the fuck are you doing?"
Tears stream down her face. "He's the one who hacked and rerouted my system. I found him trying to sneak out the fire escape. Get up! Show them!"
Shakily, Hayato stands, glaring at me. He reaches up and rips his shirt open. I tear my eyes away from his and glance down at his chest. Over his right pectoral muscle, blue flames surround a tattoo— a black Taurus sign. I stop breathing.
"No," I whisper.
"You’re so blind, Lily," he says. "Your real enemies are closer than you think."
"Kneel," Sammi growls through gritted teeth.
Hayato lowers himself to his knees.
"Sammi, don't," I say, softly.
"He was family. We trusted him."
I move toward her, jumping back as she squeezes the trigger. The blast bounces off the walls, and an eerie silence fills the room. Blood pours in a line from Hayato's head.
How did I not know? I never . . .
Sammi turns and shuffles back to her office, slamming the door. I wince. Sammi and Hayato were close for the better part of ten years. I can't imagine how she feels right now.
"Everyone go get cleaned up. They won't attack here again," I say in a defeated tone.
"Lily, Dresden, we need to speak. Privately," Hyde says walking toward my office.
"I'll join you in a few. Get Sorina taken care of," I say to Blake, turning to follow Dresden.
Hyde slams the office door and I slump into my computer chair getting blood all over the chair, the desk, and the floor.