Page 180 of The Devil's Thorn

I turned slowly, facing them both. Ash had already made himself at home on the edge of the couch, legs spread andhands resting on his thighs, gaze sharp. Kellan stood closer, eyes pinned to my face, reading it like a map he’d studied too long.

Neither of them said a word.

But they didn’t have to. They knew something was wrong. And now… they were going to hear it all.

I leaned against the closed door, the cool wood pressing into my back as I tried to organize the storm in my head. Kellan and Ash were both watching me—waiting.

But the moment I opened my mouth, the words tumbled out like something I’d been holding back for years instead of minutes.

“I was walking along the edge of the beach,” I began, voice low. “Past the trees. Not too far from the cliffs. I heard voices—two men. One of them sounded nervous, panicked even, and the other was trying to calm him down. They were speaking in hushed tones, but I got close enough.” I paused, locking eyes with Kellan. “They were talking about Damyen.”

Ash’s brows pinched together. Kellan’s eyes darkened.

“They mentioned the night Rafael was ambushed. They said it wasn’t supposed to go like that. That the cartel was only supposed to send a message, not start a war. One of them said Damyen made promises, and they have no choice but to show up at some location tonight to ‘clear the smoke.’ That was the phrase.”

I could still hear it—etched into the back of my mind like the echo of a gunshot.

Ash straightened on the couch, his voice quieter than usual. “You’re sure?”

I nodded once. “Positive.”

Kellan ran a hand through his hair, starting to pace. Then he stopped abruptly and turned to face me. “But why are you paying attention to all of this, Isa?” His tone wasn’t cruel—just sharp. Just real. “Why do you even care what happens to Rafael? Isn’the supposed to be your enemy? That’s what this was. You were supposed to be watching, not… giving a damn.”

His words stung, not because they were wrong, but because they weren’t. Still, I met his gaze, jaw tight. “You think I’m doing this for him?”

His silence was answer enough.

I exhaled slowly, trying to shove the burn in my chest back down. “I’m doing it because the closer I get, the more trust he gives me, the safer he feels beside me… the better chance I have of getting what I came for. Answers. The truth about what happened to my parents. And if that means playing the part until he lets his guard down, then so be it.”

Kellan’s eyes narrowed. “You’re playing it a little too well.”

Ash raised a brow but didn’t speak—just watched us.

“You’re getting too close,” Kellan added, tone lower now, rougher. “That wasn’t the plan. You weren’t supposed to get tangled in his bed or his goddamn mind. You were supposed to stay ahead of him.”

“I haven’t forgotten the plan,” I snapped.

“But you forgot what he is?”

I flinched at that, just slightly. He saw it.

Silence stretched like wire. Ash finally leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Then what’s the next move? Are you planning on following them tonight?”

I didn’t answer right away. My head was already there, ticking through the possibilities like a puzzle laid out under moonlight. I could still hear Rafael’s voice from earlier. Could still feel the pull I hated that I didn’t hate.

“I haven’t decided,” I murmured.

Kellan let out a breath, sharp and tired. “You already have.”

I didn’t deny it. Because he wasn’t wrong.

I didn’t need to look at Kellan to know he was still glaring at me. I could feel it—like the burn of a match just before it touches skin. But I kept my voice even. Cold. “I’m going tonight.”

Ash shifted on the couch, but it was Kellan who spoke first. “No, you’re not.”

I turned to face him fully, my arms crossing. “Yes. I am.”

He ran a hand down his face, pacing again. “What the hell is wrong with you, Isa? You don’t know how many people will be there, or how dangerous it’ll be?—”