Page 21 of Requiem
“He would releaseeverything.”
A cold weight settles into my stomach. My fingers curl into my palm as I stare at the tiny flash drive on the table. At something that suddenly feels like a loaded weapon.
“Why doyouhave it?” Rafe asks. “Why did Nolan trust you with a copy?”
She sighs. “He put it together when Alexei first started torturing Jude. He knew he wasn’t the big dog anymore and wanted to secure his safetyandinnocence. He wanted something that would at theveryleast, force others down with him. He never thought I’d turn on him, considering he owned everything about me. Alexei was suspicious of Nolan having something like this,” she says, tapping the table once, “even had one of his goons come and question me about it. But I refused. This was theonlything I had that couldpossiblyhelp us if we got out.” She takes a breath. “I denied everything, and his man got pissed, and raped me. Jude walked in on it and killed him.”
Everyone falls silent.My stomach fucking hurts.
“The insurance system,” she continues, “is conditional.”
I lift my head slowly. “Conditional how?”
Adriana meets my eyes. And I don’t like the look in hers. “If Nolan decided a certain trigger condition was met,” she says, “the system would activate, automatically sending pre-arranged files to authorities and the press.”
My pulse ticks faster. “What trigger?”
She hesitates. “I don’t actually know,” she says quietly. “But he threatened to use it any time Jude stepped out of line.”
Emma goes pale.
“Jude was always fucked,” Adriana mutters.
I clench my fists down by my sides again. My best friend has gone through hell. And I want nothing more than for us, the people he loves, to pull him out. I just hope the fire hasn’t entirely consumed his soul yet.
Chapter seven
EMMA EASTON
I don’t move when the conversation ends. Voices fade around me, chairs scrape across the floor, and someone walks into the kitchen. The quiet that follows should feel like relief after all of that. But I'm suffocating. I’m drowning under everything I just learned.
My hands are still clasped together in my lap. I try to loosen them, but they won’t cooperate. They're locked in place, as if letting go would mean that the carefully curated self control I’ve solidified over the years is fraying. And, I suppose it is. I can feel it thread by thread.
I focus on my breathing, but it doesn’t help. The image of Jude choking the life out of me flashes in my mind. I fear I’ll never escape that. I can’t compartmentalize it. I can’tsoftenit in any way. There’s just him, and what they did to him. And then what he did to me. I touch my sternum, rubbing when a knot forms at the memory.
“Emma.” Heather’s voice is gentle.
I blink, my gaze dragging up to meet hers. She’s watching me carefully. “I’m okay,” I say automatically.
She doesn’t call me out on it. She just tilts her head, her expression soft. “That was a lot to hear.”
I swallow, my throat tight. “I just…I need a minute.”
She nods, squeezing my shoulder once before she stands. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.” She hesitates for a second longer, then turns and walks away with Micah, leaving me alone in the quiet. He throws me a look over his shoulder, one that says,I’m here.
For a moment, I stay exactly where I am, my thoughts splintering under the weight of everything he’s been through. It’s too much to hold all at once. God…I don’t want to think about was done to him when no one was there to stop it.
My gaze drifts, landing on Adriana. Her shoulders are drawn in, like she’s trying to disappear inside herself. I should take a step back and give myself time to process this. That’s what I’ve always done. Think it through first, and then build the right approach to keep control.
But that version of me might not be best for him right now.
If that means unlearning everything I’ve relied on that’s kept me composed and careful, then I’ll let it go. Because if that’s what it takes to give him even the smallest chance of finding his way back, then I’ll become that version of myself without hesitation. He is my world. He always has been.
My body moves before doubt can catch up, pushing me to my feet. I’m unsteady, but I don’t stop. I don’t let myself pause long enough to reconsider. Not when this might be the only way I can reach him.
I close the distance and walk straight toward the woman who helped break the man I love. “Adriana.” My voice makes her freeze.
Slowly, she turns, and her eyes meet mine. I can see guilt inside them. She’s avoided me pretty well so far.
