Page 53 of V for Vilified (Hunter V #4)

After a long talk with the group, it was evident that everything led back to Hera.

Phillip begrudgingly confirmed it with Sloan.

Guess he’d been rather anxious to leave me for any amount of time while I was unconscious, but follow-up was necessary to ensure there weren’t any other villains waiting in the wings to strike.

Jo was pretty upset she’d missed the signs she argued had been “in her face,” but I tried to remind her that she had no reason to believe her mother was alive.

They’d found the portal Phillip and Sloan took to get into the realm destroyed, along with everything else around it.

The entire estate had been burned to the ground, nothing but the foundation and rubble to prove it’d been there.

Hera had likely gone back to cover her tracks because Aram would’ve been able to use the portal to find her, he quickly explained.

Two hours passed as we discussed how to tackle the Organization and finish what we started. They could continue to operate without Lux. He wasn’t the only mouth piece running the operation, but it did appear he was the only one connected with Hera.

With Aram and everyone on our team, it wouldn’t be a task to root out all the corruption. We’d need to clean out anyone loyal to Lux and his vision. There were still facilities like the one Phillip was held at, so they’d need to be found and taken down.

“We all agree that no more hybrids are to be made after this,” I finally said to the group. “That shit dies with us.”

Everyone nodded.

The plan was to rework the Organization from the ground up and keep the Hunters we already had loyal to us. But we’d also include every other supernatural type willing to support our new vision moving forward.

Our goal would still be to protect humans in this realm who had no idea what lurked in the shadows, but we’d do it with community in mind.

No more ostracizing groups based on stereotypes concocted by the Organization.

It didn’t matter what or who you were, your actions determined whether or not you were seen as a threat.

Every person started with a clean slate.

It was Grams’s suggestion we keep our focus simple and straightforward, and that we build a better community with the supernaturals living in our world. She was extremely well-connected, so she had a bunch of contacts who weren’t Hunters and would be happy to join. No real surprise there.

Our efforts would span both realms now that we had the Fae on our side.

Like Aram mentioned, humans were no longer enslaved, which meant they’d need protection.

Humans were already at a disadvantage against the supernatural types around them, so they’d need someone in their corner, or freeing them wouldn’t mean anything.

At the end of the day, we still all believed in one thing: keeping humans safe. And we weren’t short on supernaturals who wanted the same thing as us.

I really wished Nigel could be here to see the world he’d been desperate to unite do just that. I missed him so damn much, especially in these moments he’d helped me fight for. But I’d be doing it all in his name. I’d make damn sure it was Shifters we reached out to first.

Mia and Claude, more specifically.

Grams was next to Kris and Sungho, who were a couple feet away from Kate and Big.

The pixie hadn’t stayed the entire time I was out, but I found it funny the minute he appeared after hearing I’d woken up, the giant pixie wandered over to Kate first. Her sneaky grin my direction was the cherry on top.

She was absolutely over the moon about it.

I’d argue the crush was one-sided, but the way Big stole looks at my friend suggested maybe that wasn’t completely true. I was already shipping the two, and I’d kick his ass if he hurt her. The pixie was playing with fire, literally, if this ended in my bestie’s heartbreak.

Kate had become something of a human mascot for our new operation, saying as much to Grams when she entered. It was the most Kate thing she could do after everything, and I was so glad to finally have her in this world, too.

Phillip had me on his lap after Aram kept me in his arms and fused to his chest for the first hour. Cash cast several meaningful glances at me, but he’d gotten his phone back, so mine had been going off nonstop since I’d come into the room.

Little messages about how much he’d missed me.

How he couldn’t wait until it was his turn to spend time alone with me.

How barbaric Phillip and Jo had been the last few weeks.

How annoying Aram was when he didn’t have any right to be.

The list went on and on. Every message came with the usual assortment of emojis, and I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed them.

I didn’t fail to read a single one he sent. I opened them immediately and laughed when the one I tossed his way calling him adorable made the grumbly Dark Fae blush and smile like a goof to himself.

At least Cash never changed.

It was odd to be in a room made up almost entirely of people I was bumping naughties with, but it also felt completely right. And they weren’t fighting. For once .

Aram had been open about the Nether Fae history leading up to the fight, and it was the first time both Jo and Cash openly admitted to being wrong about him and his brothers. Neither one seemed to like him much, but at least they weren’t demanding he leave either.

Small mercies.

Grams clapped her hands together and addressed Kris, “Guess the vacation is almost over. Get the Hunters ready for a full assault. It’s just about time to raid the main headquarters and seize control.

It’ll give us a perfect path to all the facilities across the world.

” Her gaze went to Aram next. “Your people will take care of the rest, right?”

Surprised to hear it, I glanced at him. His arms were crossed over his door-wide chest, and he had that kingly look about him.

“Of course. Consider it done, Hunter Rose. Rayis and Dagon will have our Fae ready to move to the locations indicated and work with your teams to secure each one.” He addressed her, but his eyes were on me. “But the favor I asked for in return…”

Grams sighed out loud. “You Fae and your deals.”

“Excuse you,” Cash interjected loudly. “What bloody deal?”

Phillip growled behind me, and even Sloan seemed bothered by the mention of a deal. Jo pinned Aram with a fierce glower, a dagger dancing around her hand in open threat.

I spoke too soon. Here came the argument.

Aram shrugged and acted like none of it bothered him, but he couldn’t hide the excitement he felt ruffling the rest with the bold statement. He might want to make me happy and be putting up with them for my sake, but he’d do it his way.

“Nothing untoward,” he answered nonchalantly.

“I simply requested a moment away with my mate before all of this business took place. Our time together has been somewhat under duress, and unlike you, our relationship didn’t start on the best terms. I’d like a little time to rectify that.

I think I’m owed at least that much after everything. ”

I laughed out loud. “Um, all of these guys were basically assholes when we met, save maybe Jo and Sloan. But it was hardly insta-love in any of their cases. You might want to revise that statement a bit, my dude.”

His red eyes glinted, and he cleared his throat, unable to argue with me. Unfortunately, the masochist also seemed to be getting off on it as another reel of fantasies played through my head—him tied up and under my command, my overtly sassy fantasy self dressed for the part and dishing out orders.

Maybe Fae men had a thing for being dominated. I was almost tempted to tell Cash he and Aram had that in common just to hear the ghoulish outcry of horror at the mere thought that he had anything in common with that “prancing winged wanker,” as he’d put it in one of his many texts.

Phillip kissed my shoulder, pulled my hair back, and whispered in my ear, “Good girl.”

I ignored the greedy thing between my legs that always clenched anytime he called me that and tried not to make my love life front and center to this conversation.

It was weird enough Aram had basically asked my grandmother for bang time.

But Grams had supernatural hearing, so I knew for a fucking fact she didn’t miss what he’d said.

Fuck my life.

I really need a place of my own.

Kate laughed and whispered to Big, her hand blocking her mouth, but I had heightened hearing so I didn’t miss a word she said. “That’s my girl. Even a god can’t conquer her.”

Big’s sneaky grin was too fucking adorable. These two becoming a thing wasn’t on this year’s bingo card, but I was totally digging it. Granted, I had my own relationships to fuck up, but at least I wasn’t alone in this crazy new world of strange love.

Grams didn’t appear bothered by any of it and simply went on, “It’ll take a week to get things in order and everyone ready, so I’ll let V decide what she chooses to do with that time.” Her eyes went to me. “Which reminds me…”

I watched her dig something out of her pocket, then walk over to me. Everyone was smiling like they already knew what was up. I had no fucking clue what it could be until a key landed in my hand.

“Your new place,” she said with a shit-eating grin. “I think it’s time you start living like an adult, don’t you?”

I beamed at her. “I thought I already was?”

She pinched my cheek and sighed. “You’ve gotten a lot sassier since we trained together. I guess I have you lot to thank for that.” Grams made a point of looking at everyone in the room, save Sungho and Kris.

None of them argued.

Because they couldn’t.

Phillip squeezed me and stole the key. “I’ll make sure she finds it.”

Sloan snatched the key from him. “No, I think it’s better I do.”

Suddenly, the key was in Jo’s hand as she dangled it. “I think this job is better suited for a woman.”

Then the key was hovering over Cash’s palm. “Clearly, you’re all underqualified for the task.”

Kate rolled her eyes and dashed out, grabbed the key from the cocky-grinned Hand of Death, snagged me by the hand, and led me out of the house while the rest of them fought. “This is obviously the best friend’s job.”

I laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders, heading for Phillip’s Mustang because I knew it’d piss him off. “Obviously.”