Page 132 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

I twist my lips to the side. “Okay.”

There goes that headache again, coming in to remind me that things are fucked up to epic proportions.

“Yes,” Riale says. “We’ve spent the last eight years plotting to take Lakeland down, and we’ve always known it wouldn’t be as simple as putting him to sleep.”

I tick my head back, stuck on one part of his statement.

“What do you mean?” I blurt out, my chest suddenly feeling tight. Eight years….

“Lakeland killed Storm’s parents,” Riale says. My mouth drops open, tears springing to my eyes.

“What do you mean? They were in an accident,” I say, denial butting up to confusion in my brain. Losing both parents is earth-shattering enough. But Storm’s parents were…murdered?

“Oh, my God,” I say, looking at the half-empty plates and placing my hand on my chest.

“Yoooo, you didn’t know that?” This comes from Axel, but I don’t look at him when he speaks.

“Stay with me,” Riale grinds out, as if he hasn’t just blown my entire world into pieces, because if Storm’s parents were not only murdered, but murdered by his uncle, maybe hewastrying to….

No. The thought is too painful to consider, so I push it away. Because if what I’m thinking is true, it completely changes the game for everyone.

“What do you want from me?” I ask, my voice rough, but I try to infuse steel in my tone. In the distance, I hear Tempest’s loud shrieking laugh, and I want to hug them tight, but I also feel…shame.

What would it mean if Storm sent me away out of some misguided sense of protection? What if he sent me away because he was scared that I’d be next?

I can’t go down that path any further, because Riale says, “This is so much bigger than his uncle, Shae, but Storm’s decidedthat doesn’t matter anymore. Not now that he’s got you and the children.”

The way he says, “the children” gives me pause—it’s almost like he finds the word distasteful.

I have so many conflicting thoughts about Riale.

Which means I also find it difficult to trust what he’s telling me. I turn to Axel.

“Tell me the rest of it,” I say, cutting Riale off.

Axel grins as if he’s happy I’m snubbing Riale, but I ignore that.

“All right, here’s the situation. We believe that Lakeland is involved in an underground organization, which we’vealwaysknown. But now, we have information that this shit goes deeper, more sinister than we ever imagined.”

“Like…?” I ask.

“Like some secret society, human sacrifice, blood ritual-type shit,” Riale adds. All I can do is stare at both of them.

“What do you want me to do? Convince Storm you all need to take down the Free Masons?”

Axel and Riale share a look.

“That’s exactly what you’re asking,” I reply, pushing back from the table.

“Shae,” Axel begins, but I cut him off.

“You want me to ask Storm to put everything on the line for everyone else, to put aside what he wants and needs and his own physical and psychological safety for ‘the greater good.’ Well, here’s my answer to that. Fuck no.” I stand, brushing imaginary crumbs off my skirt.

“What you’re asking me to do is to bend his will, to manipulate him. And I won’t do it,” I add. Axel looks confused, but Riale gives me a strange look. He’s clearly displeased, but there’s something else there, too.

“I think we read the situation between you and Storm wrong,” Axel says, and I lift an eyebrow.

“Seems like it,” I reply, picking up my cell phone from the tabletop.