Page 297 of Scarlet Wars
Caden snorted. “She’s not wrong…”
I turned my focus on the man I’d once believed to be a capable Leader, disbelief giving way to fury.
“Since when are you in bed with the Radicals?” I demanded. “You realize these people attacked our fucking Collective with a nuclear weapon?”
Stephen snorted. “Who do you think opened the gates for them?”
I blinked. Once. “Youletthem attack us?”
Maurice shrugged, gaze sliding away. “Part of a deal,” he muttered, like he couldn’t be bothered to elaborate.
Oh, but I’d fucking make him.
“They killed seven of our children,” I snarled, every muscle in my body locking as I fought to keep my rage haze from detonating. “They attacked us with anAmplifier. Your daughter almostdied.”
That finally got a reaction.
Something twisted across Maurice’s face. Irritation, maybe. Disgust, even.
“Right. Well,” he said, flicking his hand dismissively, “I didn’t know they were going to use the Amplifier. And even if I had, I assumed my daughter wouldn’t be stupid enough to jump in front of you and link her energy to it, only to save a man she stopped loving a few months later.”
His mouth curled, contempt dry and absolute. “As far as parental disappointment goes, that one definitely took the crown.”
Behind me, Caden shifted his weight.
For half a second, I wondered if he’d known about that part of Emma’s past, about ours.
If not... That was going to make for one hell of a conversation between them later.
“Why?” I hissed, the word torn straight from my chest. “Why the hell would you ever agree to something like that?”
“To avenge his daughter, of course.” Cara’s voice cut cleanly through the room.
“What?” I snapped.
Emma’s deep frown returned, her own confusion as clear as day.
“At least they had the means to avenge all of your actions against my daughter,” Maurice said coldly. “I may be rooting to unleash her power through her love for Caden, but don’t mistake me for grieving Colt’s early demise.”
“I’m touched. Now, what was the fucking deal?” Even mister I’m-always-calm-Colt was losing his patience.
Maurice straightened his spine but didn’t reply. And from the look of it, he wasn’t planning to either.
“I think,” I said quietly, turning to Emma, every shred of patience burned to ash, “it’s time to set us free.”
I met her eyes.
“And then,” I added, my tone flat with intent, “we leak your father.”
EMMA
Maurice groaned, exasperated. “We don’t have time for this.”
“Shut up,” the three of us snapped in perfect harmony, as Cara stared at us with simply an eyebrow raised.
She clearly had little interest in saving her ‘colleague’ from whatever we had planned.
I swallowed hard, while my pulse was pounding in my ears. “You really think we should?”
