Page 42

DAMON

A very stands before us with his arms crossed over his chest, looking every bit the confident bastard he always is. He’s assembled a dozen men, all dregs who claim to be loyal to him rather than to Eugene. It’s not much, but it’s something. More than we already had, anyway, which is nothing.

“We need to end this once and for all. Eugene slipped through your fingers once. I won’t let that happen again.” Avery is as arrogant as ever. Still, he sacrificed himself to protect Zoey, so that’s enough for me to stand by his side rather than grabbing his throat.

Benji stiffens beside me, and his voice cuts through the room for the first time since we started talking. “Yeah? Care to share your plan with the group?”

Avery grins, like he’s about to unveil some grand master plan. “Find him. Kill him.”

Oh, brilliant. I could never have come up with that myself.

“Unfortunately, one of these men betrayed me. He stole the rotter I was going to throw at Eugene, and set it loose on Zoey instead. I don’t know who it is, but when I find out, I’ll kill him.

” Avery’s eyes turn to ice when he glares at each of his men, and that earns another piece of my respect.

He’s officially the first dreg to ever accomplish that.

Though, maybe he’s not a dreg after all.

Zoey shifts on the other side of me, crossing her arms tightly around her once again. The movement draws Avery’s attention, and his expression softens when he looks at her. “You’re not coming.”

Zoey’s eyes widen. She lifts her chin, her voice sharp. “Excuse me?”

Avery stands before us with his arms crossed over his chest, looking every bit the confident bastard he always is. He’s assembled a dozen men, all dregs who claim to be loyal to him rather than to Eugene. It’s not much, but it’s something. More than we already had, anyway, which is nothing.

“We need to end this once and for all. Eugene slipped through your fingers once. I won’t let that happen again.” Avery is as arrogant as ever. Still, he sacrificed himself to protect Zoey, so that’s enough for me to stand by his side rather than grabbing his throat.

Benji stiffens beside me, and his voice cuts through the room for the first time since we started talking. “Yeah? Care to share your plan with the group?”

Avery grins, like he’s about to unveil some grand master plan. “Find him. Kill him.”

Oh, brilliant. I could never have come up with that myself.

“Unfortunately, one of these men betrayed me. He stole the rotter I was going to throw at Eugene, and he set it loose on Zoey instead. I don’t know who it is, but when I find out, I’ll kill him.

” Avery’s eyes turn to ice when he glares at each of his men, and that earns another piece of my respect.

He’s officially the first dreg to ever accomplish that.

Though, maybe he’s not a dreg after all.

Zoey shifts on the other side of me, crossing her arms tightly around her once again. The movement draws Avery’s attention, and his expression softens when he looks at her. “You’re not coming.”

Zoey’s eyes widen. She lifts her chin, her voice sharp. “Excuse me?”

Avery steps right up to her and softens his voice.

“I need you out of here, Zoey. As far and as fast as possible.” His fingers twitch at his sides, like he wants to reach for her, but stops himself.

“You’ve done enough, firecracker. Hell, you’ve been through more than enough.

Let me take the rest of it off your shoulders for you. ”

“Where’s the best exit?” I ask.

Avery frowns. “He will have them all blocked off. Maybe it’s better if you stay hidden somewhere for a while until this is over.”

Her lips part like she wants to argue, but before she can, one of Avery’s men speaks up, brushing flaming red hair out of his eyes. “There’s a tunnel. Hardly ever used. It leads outside.”

Avery’s brows knit together. “What tunnel?”

“Not many know about it. It’s tucked away in the east wing. Should be clear, but it’s long, tight, and dark. If they move fast, they can reach the outside in less than twenty minutes. There’s a gate at the end, but I can open it from the other side. I’ll just have to go get the key first.”

Zoey looks up at me, then at Cole, then Benji. It’s our best shot.

Avery turns back to her. “I’ll send someone to meet you on the other side.”

Then, before I can process what’s happening, he steps forward and pulls her into his arms. The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s desperate and claiming. Zoey’s body softens for a fraction of a second, her fingers clutching his shirt before she pulls back, breathless.

I see it .

The way her eyes flicker with confusion and something deeper. The softness in Avery’s eyes when he looks at her, then the way it disappears when he looks at anyone else. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve been wrong about this guy all along.

His jaw tightens, and he nods once before stepping back, his mask sliding into place.

“Go. Before I change my mind and tether you to me.” Lola barks, and he gives Zoey a lopsided grin.

“Take Lola, too. I feel better knowing that she’ll protect you over any other person.

Plus, I don’t think she’ll ever leave your side again. ”

The tunnel is narrow and damp, but the worst part is the air that’s thick with decay. The scent of mildew and rot clings to every breath.

Benji carries our only light source, a flickering torch that throws eerie shadows against the stone walls. He and Cole walk ahead. Their voices are low, not much more than a murmur I can’t quite make out.

Zoey walks beside me with her hand still in mine. She hasn’t let go since we stepped into the tunnel. Not that I want to. I’m perfectly happy to walk the earth without ever sliding my hand out of hers.

I glance down at her and notice the tension in her shoulders, and the way her fingers have a slight twitch, like she’s deep in thought. “You doing okay?”

She lets out a slow breath. “Excited to get out of here.”

“Could’ve fooled me. You don’t sound excited.”

She sighs and slows her pace to fall an extra step behind Cole and Benji. “I’m worried about Benji. Things didn’t end well between us the last time we were together, which is partly my fault, with needing extra time to think and process some things.”

I frown. I wasn’t there for whatever initially happened, but I saw the end of it when she wasn’t talking to him. Benji has been oddly quiet ever since, but we’ve all been on edge. Still, it could help to talk her through her side of things. “What happened?”

She slows her pace even more. Now we’re on the edge of the area that’s illuminated by the torchlight. If we fall any farther behind, we’ll be swallowed by the dark.

Her fingers tighten around mine, and I pull her closer to me while we walk. “He told me he knew Nathan before.”

I tense. I knew that much, but I hadn’t thought about what that would mean to her. “…And?”

Zoey looks up at me with furrowed brows. “And what? He knew Nathan was going to attack my colony, and he didn’t try to stop it. Which, okay, he didn’t know me back then, but he still kept it from me. He still did things to me and made me fall for him and shit.”

“Is that all he told you?”

She lets out a sharp exhale. “No. He wanted no part in it. All he wanted was to live in peace and not get involved. I know it’s irrational to be upset, but knowing everything could have been prevented?—”

I pull her to a stop and turn to face her. “Look at me, blondie.”

She does, and her electric blue eyes search mine before the torchlight dims. “Your feelings are valid.”

Something shifts in her expression. Her shoulders slump, like she’s been carrying the weight of the world and can finally let it go.

“You also have to understand the reason we ended up in those cells is because we refused to go with Nathan,” I continue.

“We refused to hurt people who we believed did nothing wrong. I wish more than anything we would have gone with him and then fought against him by your side, but our priority was to protect each other because that was all we had. ”

Her lips part, and she watches me in the disappearing torchlight.

I take a breath. “I’m sorry we didn’t go with him to help you, but I’m not sorry we stayed out of it.

The only people I care about are the ones closest to me.

That was true then, and it’s true now. Except, back then, it was two people.

Now it’s three.” I squeeze her hand. “Well, maybe three and a half. Avery’s growing on me. ”

She laughs and squeezes my hand back.

I sigh and lower my voice even more. “The only regret I have is not stopping you from making that deal with Eugene in the first place. I should have?—”

Zoey cuts me off by pushing up onto her toes and kissing me. The torchlight is gone now and we’re engulfed in darkness. Her lips are soft, urgent, and needing. Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around her.

I pull her tight against me, feeling how good it is to hold her like this without those damn bars between us. My hand tangles in her hair. A shiver runs through her, and her heart pounds against my chest, almost in sync with mine.

We’re engulfed in darkness again, but for the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve found the light.

When we pull back, she’s breathless. Her fingers clutch my shirt, and I rest my forehead against hers, and breathe her in. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“Damon…”

I cup her cheek, brushing my thumb over her skin, careful to avoid the bruise I know is still there. “I love you, Zoey.”

Her breath catches, and for a second, I think she might say it back. Then Lola’s frantic barks ring out down the tunnel.

A low, dragging noise.

Benji cursing.

An eerie moan.