Page 58 of Savage Captor (Deadly Devotion #1)

Grey

I shouldn’t have said it out loud. I know that much—I think my words to Scarlett scared her more than anything I’ve done before. More than when she startled me awake minutes prior, and my response was to nearly choke her to death before coming back to myself.

She’s quiet during breakfast, avoiding looking at me, and picks at her food without really eating.

“Flower,” I prompt. Her eyes dart up, and she only holds my gaze for a moment before lowering them back to her plate.

I ignore the ache that sparks in my chest. I don’t expect her to return my sentiments now, and I understand she might never return them.

That doesn’t mean I won’t work to earn her love, even knowing it might never come.

“Scarlett—a lot of shit can go wrong today. If I die, Max has orders to smuggle you out of here.”

That finally gets her to look at me. “And if you don’t, I’m stuck here for life?”

“The only way you’ll ever be free of me is if I’m dead,” I tell her bluntly.

“Nothing else will keep me from you. What I told you earlier was the truth, and I’m not noble enough to adhere to the old saying, if you love them let them go .

I love you, and I am not letting you go unless I’m gone from this world. ”

Her eyes fill with panic, and her breaths come faster.

I’m not sure if she’s more afraid that I’ll die or that I’ll survive.

I’ve given myself a solid seventy percent chance of surviving this ordeal, and a fifty-fifty on surviving it intact.

I know I’m being kind to myself, which I’m usually not—but now, I have something to survive for. I have something to look forward to.

My phone buzzes on the kitchen table next to me. I pick it up, seeing a text from Cain informing me that it’s time.

I stand and kiss Scarlett’s head, cursing my own honor. I should ignore her no-lip-kissing rule and claim her lips as I’ve been aching to for far longer than I care to admit, but I won’t. That’s one piece of control I’ll let her have—I’ve taken everything else away.

“I love you,” I tell her one last time, and then head out the door.

I’m antsy today. Far more nervous than I usually am during operations or hits, because I know I’ll be going against my own brethren. The plan that Cain’s come up with and given me is solid, but it’s not foolproof. Countless errors can be made, and any one of them could get me killed.

I meet Cain in the garage. He stands in front of a black SUV. He’s typing something on his phone, but he puts it away when he sees me. I pull my keys out of my pocket, spinning the ring over my index finger.

“Our destination is the rendezvous point,” he tells me. “We’re meeting with our new initiates there.”

I release a faint snort. “Don’t initiates usually go through six months of vetting and training before joining hits?”

“Not today,” Cain replies. “Consider today to be part of their initiation. You’re taking three of them to take care of the cockroaches we discussed, while the rest are with me.” He jerks his chin. “We’re driving separately so we can take them back together. Let’s go.”

The rendezvous point is right off a dirt path about a half hour away from the compound.

Three other vehicles are already stationed there, with seven men waiting in a semicircle.

I park the car about fifty feet away from them.

Cain exits his car first and comes over to mine, hopping in the passenger seat.

“Where’s Eric?” I ask.

“He’s on his own mission today,” Cain replies. “I’ve been in contact with him. He sent me pictures, names, and files of all the guys here. They’ve been briefed on the situation.”

“Remind me why you believe they’ll make decent candidates for Nighthawks?” I question. “Especially considering their loyalty is to Eric , not us.”

“Their loyalty was previously given out to the highest bidder,” Cain replies. “Eric tamed them, though they aren’t completely happy in his operation, because they aren’t partaking in their favorite activity.”

“Killing people,” I guess.

“Correct. I’ve vetted them each individually and spoken with them. They understand what the stakes are if they attempt to betray me. I don’t believe any of them are turncoats, though that remains to be seen.”

“And you’re sending three of them with me?” I question. “You’re willing to put my feet to the fire like that?”

Cain gives me a blank stare. “There’s only one person in this world who’s invaluable to me—one person who I won’t risk in any circumstance. You are someone I have regard for, and more importantly, trust in. If any of the ones I send with you are turncoats, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“You’re a real piece of work,” I mutter, shaking my head. Cain’s absolute lack of regard from the people around him is fucking baffling.

“Thank you,” Cain says, and opens the door. I follow him out to meet the new guys.

The men introduce themselves one by one.

They’re all big, six feet or taller and packed with muscles.

Most of them are sporting enough ink to drown out any visible skin.

I only remember the names of the three guys Cain’s sending with me—Tobias, Bryan, and Elijah.

They’re dressed in all black and armed up to the teeth.

I don’t trust that they don’t intend to shoot me in the back, literally , but I trust Cain’s instincts.

As much as it pains me not to be the one to vet them, I don’t have the time.

Cain has the power here, and it sinks in that he’ll have the power moving forward.

He made the executive decision to derail whatever plans he had brewing and carry out the assassination hit today , weeks before it was planned to take place.

He made the decision to cycle in the ritual of claiming women, and he forced me to choose between killing Scarlett and claiming her.

God knows what else he’ll be forcing people to do.

“The op should be clean,” I tell the guys.

“There are two parts to it; some of you will be going with Cain to the sixth floor of headquarters, and those with me will be going to the third floor. There are three hallways, and all four of our marks are in the same hallway. The rest of the Nighthawks are being made aware of the regime change as we speak—they’ll stay out of our way. ”

“Everyone who wants to live and remain in the Nighthawks will stay out of the way,” Cain says. “Max has done his job well. Our boys know to stay in their apartments. Anyone who wanders out gets a bullet. No quarter asked, no quarter given.”

“No quarter,” Elijah and Tobias respond in unison.

I narrow my eyes at the two of them. They must be ex-military.

A quick glance over the visible tattoos on their hands and necks confirms it.

More, Elijah has the markings of special ops.

He’ll be a very useful ally, and an extremely dangerous enemy.

“Elijah, stay on my six,” I say, tipping my chin at him.

He gives me a nod of agreement. “Tobias and Bryan, you two run interference on any issues we might encounter. I have codes for the apartments we’ll need to enter.

This should be a clean, in-and-out op. The men we’re going after are a bit older, so while they’re more experienced, they’re also slower on the draw. ”

“Doesn’t matter how experienced they are. They’ll be dead before nightfall.” It's Bryan who speaks, his midnight eyes glittering with cockiness. The sort of cockiness that gets men killed in the field.

“Dial back the arrogance,” I say flatly. “You can be cocky once you’ve proved yourself. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a fucking greenie all over again. Got it?”

Bryan’s eyes flash with irritation, but he keeps his lips shut.

“They are trainees,” Cain adds in. “Your trainees, specifically. If you like them, Greyson, these boys will make up your new unit. So put them to the test.”

Headquarters property is all but deserted when I return.

Apparently, Max really has done his job—a little too well.

Even the entry gate is completely unguarded.

It still opens for our SUV’s, but only because I have an FOB to activate the automated gates.

The underground garage is equally deserted, and an eerie stillness hangs in the air as I park the car.

“It’s gonna be bloody,” Elijah says. He’s seated in the passenger side seat, fiddling with one of his guns. He checks the magazine for bullets and shoves it back into the gun, keeping the safety on. “I feel it. It’s too quiet, too still.”

“You’re probably right,” I agree. I glance into the back, making eye contact with Bryan and Tobias. “Be ready for anything.”

I get out of my car and meet up with Cain at the elevator, where the rest of the guys are waiting with him.

“There’s going to be a lot of gunfire,” I say. “Are you sure the other Nighthawks will stay put?”

“They’ve been made aware of what’ll happen if they don’t,” Cain replies. “The regime change has been coming for some time. The Nighthawks know this—even Boyce knows this, which is why I’m taking four people with me to kill him. Odds are he’ll be preparing for this moment, which won’t make it easy.”

“Good luck,” I say. “Try not to die.”

Cain casts me a sideways glance. “You sure you want me to live? You haven’t been happy with me of late.”

“Of late, you’ve targeted the woman I love and made her life a living hell.

You let me harm an innocent girl while knowing she didn’t deserve it.

You’ve done terrible, sociopathic shit… and that’s what just might make you a better leader than Boyce.

You think ahead, but you need to find a moral compass. ”

Cain’s jaw ticks as the elevator arrives. “I’ll get my moral compass back soon enough.” His lips spread into a small, unnerving grin. “And then I’ll break her. ”