Page 63 of Degradation (The Brethren Lords #3)

Devin

I t’s not as reckless as it feels, despite the odds being against us, I know I can get us away from this place and safely hidden away before anyone has a clue that we’re gone.

Lucky for me, Collins is on the door when I get to her room. He doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t even raise an eyebrow when I tell him I need access. He just steps aside and acts like this is all perfectly normal.

She’s curled up in bed, not that that’s surprising. Afterall, it is the middle of the night.

She gasps when I wake her up but when she realises it’s me and not her husband, she relaxes. And that tells me everything I need to know.

“What, what are you doing here?” She whispers.

“I’m going to end this.” I say.

She frowns, looking confused, as though she’s still half-asleep.

“I’m going to end this.” I repeat. “I’m going to get you out of here.”

She sinks back against the pillow letting out a low breath and I can tell she’s trying not to panic.

“No one will find us.” I reassure her. “We’ll get away, far away, where the Brethren can’t reach.”

She shakes her head, starting to shake and I realise she’s hyperventilating. That she’s having a full blown-panic attack.

I pull her into my arms, engulf her with my body. “It’s okay.” I reassure her, “I’ll protect you. I’ll make sure there are no clues, nothing to get a trace from. We’ll be like ghosts. We’ll just vanish and no one will know where we went.”

Only, my words clearly don’t have any effect. She crumbles more, she starts whimpering, gasping like she can’t breathe properly.

I brush her hair back from her face, grip her chin in my hands and plant as soft a kiss as I can on her forehead. “I’m a Blake and a Reaper.” I tell her. “I have enough money, enough resources, I can ensure we’re safe.”

She nods back, even as the tears stream down her face. “When?” She whispers so quietly I barely hear it.

“In a day or two.” I reply. “I just have one last thing to sort.”

She gulps, looking so impossibly beautiful and yet, so petrified at the same time. My poor little malktā, I can’t wait to free her, I can’t wait to get her out of this prison and show her what real living is.

From the door, Collins makes a slight whistling sound, and I know my time is up, that someone is coming.

I plant one final kiss on her hairline and then let her slip out of my arms. She just needs to be brave, needs to trust me, and by this time next week, we’ll be free of all of this forever.