Page 155 of Ravaged Soul

“I’m trying to help you, but by all means, continue to act like a prick. Push us all away. Punish Axel for being forced to tell a lie against his will as a child. See how that works out for you.”

Warner casts a cold, icy blue shard over me, a riot of conflicting hurt and confusion cracking through his attempt to remain nonchalant. His poker face is shit when it comes to me.

“Why are you pushing this? Axel lied to you too.”

“Because we don’t have time to let the past tear us apart right now.” I grasp hold of his bicep and squeeze. “Be mad at him when we’re done fighting for our lives.”

“I don’t know if he can be trusted,” he lays out. “Until he regains that trust, I will treat Axel the same way I treat Madden. He’s an asset, not a member of this team.”

“How can you say that?”

“How could he lie to us all this time?” A vein pulses in Warner’s neck.

“He had no choice!”

“As a child, perhaps not. But he’s an adult and fully capable of choosing his own path. Instead, he chose to protect a murderer and keep an innocent locked up for a crime she didn’t commit.”

“Right.” I push him away then throw my hands up. “Because life is that black and white. We’re all just good and evil, murderers or innocent. It’s really that simple.”

His nostrils flare, conveying his annoyance. “In our world, it is. That’s how we do this job. We aren’t allowed the luxury of second chances.”

For the love of God, I really hope Axel can’t hear this. He’s unstable as it is—a pacing wreck of nerves, barely functioning or even communicating—so hearing Warner’s dismissal might just tip him over the edge.

“Then what the hell am I doing here?” I hit back at him.

“That’s different.”

“One rule for me and one for him?”

Rather than find a pitiful argument, he merely clenches his jaw shut.

“Just stop and think, Warner. You’re hurt and feeling betrayed.I get it. But don’t let that tear this team apart because I know for a fact you don’t believe it’s that simple.”

“I have nothing to say to him.” He hurls the words at me as if he’s tasted something unpleasant. “That’s all. Will you get off my back now?”

“No.”

“Fucking hell, Em. You can’t fix us all.”

“Axel is your family,” I implore through gritted teeth. “And family forgives each other last time I checked. Grow up, put your hurt ego aside, and be there for him. Else you’re not the man I thought you were.”

Warner looks like I’ve swept his feet out from underneath him when I storm off, unable to deal with his attitude for a moment longer. He’s hurting. I get it. I’m fucking hurt too. That doesn’t mean we give up on each other when shit gets real.

He knows that better than anyone.

Across the top floor of the empty terrace house, our stealth team has set up camp. Hyland looms over Rayna’s shoulder, watching the live video feed of the street. Blaine speaks in low murmurs with a sour-faced Raye and Spyder. Axel lingers, the silent mountain of solitude in the corner.

Not exactly the likeliest of alliances, but we aren’t here to arrest Gunnar Slaughter. No matter how long his rap sheet is. Today, we want his help. Only evil can sniff out its own, and I’m willing to sacrifice all kinds of moral high ground to end this fight.

“Anything?” I stop next to the technical setup.

“Negative.” Rayna twirls a chunk of lilac hair. “No signs of movement yet.”

Grimacing, Hyland rolls back his shoulders, attempting to mask his discomfort. “It’s still early. He’s only half an hour late.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine,” he replies. “Just a muscle spasm.”