Page 80 of Radiant Exception
“Ready to go?” I knocked on Cassidy’s door after we’d successfully docked.
“Sure thing.” He beamed, snagging my hand as we made our way to the cargo hold.
Jordan and Ethan, who were preparing to oversee the payload transfer, eyed our hands warily from the opposite side of the cargo bay door.
And somehow, without turning, I could sense Vaughn’s presence behind me, confirmed a moment later when Jordan glanced toward the entrance to the cargo bay, giving him a brief nod, her face tight with worry, likely over the physical closeness I shared with Cassidy.
I couldn’t afford to turn around, or I’d break. I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Vaughn since the day I packed up my things from our quarters. My heart beat pounded in my chest. I wanted to run to him, but I had a job to finish.
Painfully slowly, the cargo bay ramp began to lower. I held my breath as I watched the dock gradually come into view. Ganymede’s port was one of the nicest in the system, and also one of the largest.
The sensation of Cassidy’s hand at the small of my back as he escorted me down the ramp seared through my uniform. And for a moment, I thought there had been a mistake—that something had gone wrong.
But the second both of his feet were firmly planted on the dock and not theRadiant, we were swarmed by men in black uniforms and tactical gear. I was wrenched from Cassidy, while he snarled at the men, reaching for me in the chaos.
“What the fuck is this!?” he screeched.
“What you deserve,” came a booming voice from the ship.
Time seemed to stand still as Vaughn made his way down the ramp, his gaze firmly trained on Cassidy. I couldn’t help but let mine linger on Vaughn. He was such a sight for sore eyes.
“YOU did this!?” Cassidy roared, his fury aimed at Vaughn.
But when Vaughn’s route redirected to make his way to me, Cassidy’s expression faltered. His eyes met mine, blazing with betrayal.
I was glad to know he felt it, although he’d never know the depths to which I’d felt his.
Finally at my side, Vaughn wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him. I felt like I could breathe again.
“Wedid this.” My tone was frigid.
“You said you loved me!” Cassidy argued, as if that would somehow change things.
“You KILLED my family!” I cried in response, my voice twisting with the words.
“I would have given youeverything.” Cassidy seethed, still trying to fight against the men that held him hostage, some securing him while others kept their weapons dutifully trained on their target.
Lacing my fingers with Vaughn’s, I kept my gaze steady when I told him, “I already have everything I could ever want, except for Xavier.”
Vaughn squeezed my hand as I blinked back tears.
“You haven’t won,” Cassidy sneered, his attention still focused on me and Vaughn. “Meridian’s reach is beyond comprehension. I’ll be released in a matter of hours and you’ll regret the day you were born.”
Darren appeared behind him through the throng of shoulders. He strode forward, giving Cassidy a pat on the shoulder as he passed. “We’ll see about that, son.”
Cassidy bared his teeth and continued to fight as the soldiers turned him and began their march toward the awaiting prisoner transport.
“He doesn’t know I’ve spent the last week preparing to have every last corrupt official named in the decrypted correspondence you passed along suspended pending formal investigations. We started arresting people less than an hour ago, when you landed, and I’m already getting reports of the Phoenix’s network crumbling.”
More hope flooded in.
Because it was not with a bang, but rather with a whimper that Cassidy was apprehended, none of it felt real. The mission didn’t feel as though it had been completed.
“Looks like the two of you are getting along.” Darren smirked, his eyes flicking down to our entwined hands.
“Oh, like this wasn’t some matchmaking ploy from the start.” Vaughn huffed behind me.
Darren threw his head back in laughter, but I was still watching the soldiers and Cassidy recede from view.
