Page 37

Bobby drops me off on the dock closest to the parking lot, and I jog toward the truck.

My phone is off, although I’m too conscious of it in my pocket.

And the way to contact Daniel, which includes using a public computer—or a borrowed one, she scribbled—and messaging a public forum with a set of phrases.

It seems a little weird, but I think I need all the help I can get.

Once I’m in the truck, engine rumbling, I turn my phone on and dial Saint’s number.

He answers almost immediately. “Where are you guys?”

My gut churns. “Can you meet me at Apollo’s house?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. Turn off your phone after you hang up.”

The line goes dead, and I follow my own instructions. I’m tempted to chuck it out the window, but it’s currently my only lifeline to Artemis.

I can’t believe I just left her there.

What the fuck was I thinking?

Heroin, Reese. She’s addicted to heroin .

Of all the fucked-up things I thought Gabriel did to me, it pales in comparison to the iron grip he has on her. Addiction is no joke. And it seems like, even when she fought it, he was there to twist the knife and drive her right back into it.

I squint at the address at the top of the page. She said it was between the Hell Hounds’ compound and Olympus, so I head in that direction. It’s slow going on the curving road from South Falls. There are no streetlights out here, and my truck takes the turns precariously.

I hold my breath past the Hell Hounds’ compound. The last time I came this way, Artemis was unconscious in the back of her car, and I was surrounded by bikers.

And then Kade saved my ass, intentionally or not.

There’s no sign of them now. I even peer down the long gravel driveway to catch a glimpse, but it’s so dark, I can make out nothing.

Finally, I find their driveway. I pull in and park in front of the large white house. It has a wraparound porch and double front doors. I kill the engine and head up the steps.

Key in last hanging plant on left, she wrote. Security code is 5674663.

After a minute of feeling around the soil, I find it. I unlock the door and type the code in at the security panel.

This is weird.

I clench the key and move deeper inside.

“Hello?” I call. “If anyone is here, Artemis sent me.”

Nothing.

Still, I check all the rooms. Everything has been left orderly and neat, like they prepared to be gone for a while. One of the bedrooms upstairs has an extra-wide bed, three different matching comforters, a million pillows, and two closets.

I guess I don’t really want to know.

Instead, I go downstairs and await Saint.

Saint doesn’t arrive alone.

Antonio and Vittoria accompany him in her car. They’re both in the backseat, hunched together, but the glow from the porch light illuminates their faces.

I hurry down the steps and open the back door, offering my hand to help them out.

Vittoria takes it and allows me to guide her out, with Antonio close behind.

Saint frowns at me.

“What?” I question.

His gaze moves past me to the doorway, then back. “Where’s Tem?”

I should’ve expected that to be the first thing out of his mouth. “That requires more than a simple answer,” I say carefully. “But I have some stuff in the back of the truck; can you help me bring them in?”

His gaze is skeptical.

Can’t blame him for that either. If I got such a non-answer, I’d be pissed.

Yet he follows me to the back of the truck while Antonio and Vittoria head inside.

We carry the dozen boxes up into the living room, stacking them against the back of the couch.

It isn’t until the last one is inside, the door closed and locked behind us, that Saint plants his hands on his hips.

“Answer time, Avery.”

I grimace.

Antonio and Vittoria watch us from the other couch.

“Let’s sit,” I mumble.

I didn’t think I’d have to be the one to break the news to them. My other option, though, would’ve been to let Artemis live through it. If she could even find the words to tell them.

No, no. It’s better this way. She’s getting help.

“Gabriel was keeping her unconscious in the hospital with heroin,” I start. “Saint figured out the nurse was giving it to her through the IV, and she woke up once it worked its way out of her system.”

Saint narrows his eyes.

“However… Gabriel planned for that. He snuck in at some point during our stay and gave her more at the height of her withdrawal. He told her where to find him for more.”

I focus on Saint, because the heartbreaking expressions on Antonio’s and Vittoria’s faces are almost too much to take.

“For the next few weeks, she would meet him and…” I rub my eyes. “He taught her how to inject it. Gave her pre-made syringes. And when she would resist, he pushed her into thinking she was all alone.”

“She wasn’t.” Saint’s voice cracks. “She’s not alone.”

“I know. I told her, but amidst this, we were dealing with Kade’s betrayal, and…”

Saint blushes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him turn so pink so fast.

I point at him. “What is that?”

“What?”

“Why are you embarrassed?”

He glowers at me, but even the tips of his ears are changing to red. “It was my fault with Kade’s tattoo, that’s all.”

I roll my eyes. “And that prompted her to burn down his house. It seems to line up with what I’ve heard about heroin withdrawal. It can make even rational people do stupid, spur-of-the-moment shit.”

Saint shifts in his seat. “He deserved it.”

“Yeah.”

Antonio clears his throat. “You still haven’t said where she is now.”

Right.

“There seemed to be only one place to go.” Pause. “I brought her to the Isle of Paradise.”

Saint swears under his breath, and Antonio seems equally stricken.

“She’s okay there,” I say. “Gabriel would’ve kept hitting her where it hurt—now he can’t find her.”

Vittoria nods at me. “You did the right thing, Reese. Getting her professional help while all of this is going on…”

I focus on them. “Not to sound too abrupt, but why are you two here? What happened after I spoke to you on the phone, Antonio?”

“Maybe a drink first,” Antonio suggests.

Saint and I jump up and both go into the kitchen.

I elbow him. “Do you know a Daniel?”

He eyes me and nods.

“Tem suggested I contact him.”

“You should,” he says. “He might not come back for anyone except her or Kora.”

“Have you talked to Jace?”

He bites his lip and checks that Antonio and Vittoria are out of earshot. “We made a run for it. Before you texted.”

My eyebrows lift. “And?”

“The road out is blockaded.”

Shit . “How the fuck did that happen?”

Saint leans his hip on the counter while I rummage for alcohol. Not sure that’s what Antonio meant, but it sure as fuck seems appropriate.

“Jace, Wolfe, and Apollo used to monitor it. They had a toll booth—not much, really. It slowed people down enough for them to catch their plates, which they’d keep track of. It was a fascinating subset to their business. I think the Cyclopes somehow got into it.”

I run my hand down my face. “Okay. So it’s a good thing we got out by boat.”

Saint shakes his head. “I think you were lucky the marina wasn’t under lockdown… but Kade had something to do with it, I’d bet.”

“What?”

“He said you and Artemis weren’t part of the deal. Right before his freaking boss showed up and killed Alderman Baron.”

I frown. The name isn’t familiar, although the term alderman is. It’s essentially the title for those on the city council. They each have different wards.

“Then he made sure the sheriff was completely on their side by drugging his sister in front of us,” Saint adds. “So I’m pretty sure we can count on the police to turn us in on sight.”

“Turn you in.” I’m not part of the deal, Kade said?

This cannot go back to saving his life. It was a fluke. Something I didn’t want to be held over my head. He was convinced he owed me this blood debt.

And now…

“What’s this guy’s name?”

“Justice Marcus Graves,” Antonio says from the doorway. “Otherwise known as Ouranos, as he’s chosen for himself.”

I stiffen. “From Emerald Cove?”

“You recognize the name?” Saint steps toward me. “How?”

“I—” I grimace. “He’s a justice. Which means he’s not on some lower circuit.

He rules on federal cases from Emerald Cove.

While he didn’t directly oversee trials where Cyclopes were defendants, they almost always got a lighter sentence than some of the other organized crime groups in town.

Sometimes they were moved up to his circuit, and they were usually sent to a private prison out of town. ”

“And you know this because…”

“I ran with the Cyclopes. Not on Kade’s level.

I was doing jobs that felt harmless at the time, and it kept my lights on.

They kept trying to dig me in deeper, and I finally heard a rumor that they intended to move on Sterling Falls.

I left before I could meet the boss, although everyone on my level was excited to finally see the infamous Ouranos. ”

Not the whole truth, but they don’t need it right now.

I’m ashamed of how I handled myself in Emerald Cove. I was running from my past, and that’s the only excuse I have. But it’s true—I didn’t know Kade was involved, and I certainly didn’t know Ouranos was Marcus Graves.

“We need to get ahold of Apollo,” Saint says suddenly. “And Daniel.”

“Tem said I needed a public computer.”

He makes a face. “She’s careful.”

“We should be, too,” I point out. “We don’t know what kind of tech access Graves has.”

“Kade—”

“We can’t rely on him to protect us,” I argue. “Why didn’t he warn us? Why didn’t he say anything when they set up the blockade on the only road out of town?”

He blows out a breath. Then, “ Fine .”

“Fine,” I repeat.

“What’s in the boxes?” Vittoria suddenly asks. She brushes past her husband and easily locates the liquor cabinet. We watch her crack open a bottle of vodka and pour it into four glasses. “Reese?”

I wince.

“It’s something bad,” Saint guesses. “How bad could dusty old boxes be?”

“Bad,” I say under my breath. “Real fucking bad.”

I gulp down the vodka Vittoria hands me. She, Antonio, and Saint follow suit.

Then… well, the only thing left to do is show them the evidence from Terror.