Page 91 of Victorious: Part 3

As if to sense us in the moment, Miranda glances up. Her eyes focus on Nighthawk’s, her face turning white as a sheet. Recognition flickers between them, predator and former student.

Miranda’s hand instinctively moves toward her pocket, butNighthawk is already moving, her weapon drawn but held low.

“Don’t,” Nighthawk commands quietly as we approach like silent sentinels.

Lock peers up at the commotion, his eyes widening as he takes in the armed women advancing on his colleague. “What the fuck? Haven!” he demands, stepping protectively in front of Miranda despite not understanding the situation.

“Step away from her, Doc,” I urge gently. “She’s not who you think she is.”

Lock turns to look at Black Swan, raising his brow while Miranda raises her hands slowly, her cover clearly blown. “Dr. Rhodes, I can explain—”

“Miranda?” Lock’s tone is confused, looking between her and us. “Jesus Christ, Haven. Is this more club bullshit, because you already took Livvy from me—”

“Her name isn’t Miranda,” Nighthawk interrupts his ranting, never taking her eyes off the woman. “It’s Black Swan. And she’s been watchingyoufor years.”

Lock’s face alternates through a series of emotions, confusion, realization, and then pure fury. “What thefuck?”he explodes, stepping back from Miranda like she’s suddenly become toxic waste. “You’re telling me that my colleague, the nurse who held her hand, who comforted me afterward, is what? Some kind ofspy?”

“Not a spy,” I say quietly, my own anger building. “A bird… an elite assassin. One of Javier’s.”

“Formerbird,” Miranda,Black Swan,says quickly. “I haven’t reported to him since Livvy’s death. When I realized what was really happening, when I knew what he was going to do to Livvy—”

“You werethere!”I interrupt, my voice rising, letting my emotion take hold. “You were there when she died, and you were reportingeverythingback to him,” I growl.

Tears well in her eyes, her bottom lip trembling as Lock glares at her with a look so deadly she might need resuscitation.

“I tried to save her. I swear I tried. When I figured out what was happening, I even tried to warn her, but it was too late. Javier already decided—”

“Oh, forfuck’s sake!”Lock shouts, running his hands through his hair. “Another fucking bird? How many of you people are there? And whythe helldidn’t anyone think to mention that my nurse was a trained assassin?”

“Because we didn’t know,”I snap. “Not until now,” I lower my voice, trying to rein in my emotions.

Nighthawk steps closer to Black Swan. “We need to talk. All of us. Somewhere private.”

“I’m not goinganywherewith you people,” Lock snaps, his voice shaking with rage and grief, causing more of his staff to look our way. “I trusted her. She was there when Livvy—” His voice breaks.

“Doc…” Nighthawk urges gently, her eyes shifting to Black Swan. “She’s been protecting you. If she wanted you dead, you’d already be six feet under.”

“How comforting,” he mutters bitterly, turning and starting to pace.

Black Swan looks between all of us, then focuses on Nighthawk. “I know about tonight. What you did to Javier’s operations. I wanna help.”

“Help how?” I demand.

“I know things. Things he never realized I was paying attention to.” She takes a shaky breath. “There’s something else, something important about how to finish this.”

I tilt my head. “Doc, you got a room we can use to talk?”

He huffs, shaking his head in some sort of disbelief. Then finally he grates out, “Fuck… fine! C’mon, it’s not like I have patients who need me or anything.”

I gently touch his arm as he leads us to the on-call room. We file in, and Lock sits rigidly in a chair, still processing the revelation that his colleague has been living a double life. Black Swan sits across from us, Nighthawk moving in and zip-tying her hands as a precaution.

“So…” Lock says, his voice tight with controlled anger. “Anyone want to explain why the woman who helped me try to save Livvy’s life turned out to be working for the monster who killed her?”

“I wasn’t working for him anymore,” Black Swan says quietly. “Not by then. I’d been trying to find a way out for months.”

“But you were reporting on Livvy,” I state. “On her relationship with Lock, her dealings with the club, everything.”

“Yes,” she admits, tension building in her shoulders. “But when I realized he was planning to kill her, I tried to warn her without telling her exactly what was going on. She thought I was paranoid. She wouldn’t listen. She was so happy with Lock and felt protected by the club.”