Page 103 of Sweet Deception

My heart falls all the way down to my toes.

I nod, but I can’t meet his eyes. His voice harbors no urgency, no outrage. As much as I don’t want to believe it, I don’t think Darren cares about these women either. They’re an afterthought. A complication the Kings will deal with after the business of the day has concluded.

The bitterness inside me acts as a balm for some of the guilt I’ve been battling.

I’m grateful for my foresight in setting up a hidden tracker that’s still pinging data to my private server. But other emotions churn too. Mainly betrayal and the bone-deep ache of disappointment.

After everything Darren and I have shared and been through together, after the way he’s defended me to his family, risked his life to keep me safe…he does this?

I helped his family get what they wanted. Now I’m voicing my only desire, a request that should be simple enough for them to grant—use their manpower, weapons, and technology to protect the vulnerable people in need—and what do I get? Noncommittal, wishy-washy answers.

The reaction cuts deeper than I expected.

I truly believed that Darren and I shared a connection, but what I care most about is clearly only an afterthought to him.

Darren’s a loyal member of the Irish Kings Mafia. Why am I so surprised?

But maybe I’m disappointed because somewhere deep inside, I had hoped he was more. I’ve seenmore in himthan this.

Darren isn’t just a violent, brutal, killing chaos agent or explosives expert. I know he’s not. But whether he’s a better man than the others, well, that doesn’t matter if he’s not going to act that way.

And the reality of that hurts.

For me, it contains the ugliest truth of all. The one I don’t want to face.

I truly am alone.

Later, after Darren’s gone to wash up, I retrieve my phone, engage my VPN, and access my backup feed. With fury in my belly, I pore over everything Rory showed us for the second time.

Scrolling through the photos of the women pierces at something deep inside me.

I’m about to put my phone down when a new file appears on the server titled,Transport Protocol. I tap on it.

As I read, my throat tightens.

They’re moving the girls tonight.

This must be in response to our infiltration effort, an attempt by Troy and his cronies to outmaneuver us. With a bit more scrolling and toggling, I manage to get the new transport location. Shock pries my eyes wide open.

After all this effort and everything that’s gone wrong, I finally know where Lucy is…and where she’ll be tonight. This may be my last chance.

If no one will help with the rescue, then I guess I’ll just have to save her and the others by myself. It’s not as if tackling difficult tasks without assistance is anything new for me. I should be used to working solo by now.

I’ve been on my own ever since my grandmother died. Alone. Why would I believe for a single second that shacking up with a man like Darren would change that? Or waste a moment thinking this time might be different? Darren might enjoy me in his bed, but that doesn’t mean he wants anything more. He never made promises, and I was a fool to allow myself to hope that, finally, I found someone besides Maya who would have my back. Someone who I could share my life with.

Pressure builds in my throat. Truth be told, I don’t think I’ll ever forget this past week.

Darren’s eyes are burned in my memory, where they shall remain long after I leave him and his entire world behind.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

It’s obvious that Nika’s sick over her friend and the other women mixed up in all this. She wouldn’t even look at me after I mentioned bringing her cause to Shane. What really kills me though, is that even though I’d die for her, I can tell she still doesn’t know if she can trust me.

For some crazy reason, I want to prove myself to her. Need to.

She has to know how much she matters. No, I haven’t said that to her. Not in those exact words. But actions are what count.

That’s why I’m going to see my father first.