Page 197 of Ashes of Treachery

I swallow a laugh. “I didn’t want her. I wanted her to go free. I don’t think that was on your agenda.”

I think about that statement. It’s another lie, honestly. If Pandora didn’t care, I wouldn’t have cared either. Not like Asch, not like River.

I’m such a fucking asshole.

Maybe the one without a heart is me.

“So, what now? You know she can’t stay free. She’s a liability. Give me her location, and I’ll send somebody to pick her up,” my father says.

“She’s with me,” I answer. “But you aren’t sending anyone. She’s going to keep going to Dyschord. She won’t tell anyone. Don’t worry about that. I promised her she’d be safe, though, and I’d hate to break that promise.”

“I’m not…?” My father makes his familiar disappointed sound. “Stop speaking nonsense. Who cares about a promise to some cunt?”

“I do, apparently.” I straighten my shoulders. “I have all the files, by the way. The years and years of collected data. All the secrets we’ve gathered here.”

My father scoffs. “So what? I have backups, and that’s only the Dyschord chapter anyway.”

“Yeah, I know.” Fuck, I can’t believe what I’m about to do. “But that includesyoursecrets too, right? And those of all your friends. It would be a shame if they ever became public. It would be an even worse shame if these secrets landed in the hands of the FBI… or maybe the Corroux? The Rosa di Sangue? The Pavones? I think some of the biker gangs in NewVa would love to hear these stories.”

There’s a long silence.

I try to imagine my father’s expression. Flabbergasted, except I’ve never seen him even remotely surprised. He alwayspretends to know exactly what’s going on, no matter the situation.

“Are youblackmailingme, Blaze?” my father asks in a low voice.

“I guess I am.” I laugh. “It’s easy. Just stay away from Samantha Lawrence — and Asch, and Rafael Rivera, and?—”

“Pandora Pavone,” my father finishes. “This is all about her, isn’t it? You’ve let yourself get brainwashed by a fucking Pavone.”

“Nah. I’m just doing what you taught me. Using information to my advantage. Taking what I want, when I want it. Be proud, Dad.” I smile as I talk, but my hand is so sweaty the phone could slip out of my hand at any moment.

“I see.” My father lets out a harsh laugh. “Enjoy it while you can, Blaze. You want to go up against me? I’ve been playing this game much, much longer than you have. And I’m not going to go easy on you simply because you’re my son.”

“I’d hoped, but y’know what? I didn’t expect anything else. I didn’t get my sociopathy fromMom, that’s for sure.”

I hang up before he can say anything else.

Well.

I guess I’ve burnedthatbridge.

“You aren’t a sociopath,” Asch says from behind me. “Not like he is.”

I turn and wave to him. “That’s really naive of you to say, Asch.” I get closer, and he doesn’t back down at all. Our lips are almost touching. “I’m the same as Pandora, through and through. Looks like you’ve got a type.”

Asch huffs out a laugh. “Guess I do.” He regards me steadily. “Do I still fit into this equation, Blaze?”

“Duh!” Pandora says from the top of the stairs. “Blaze would get himself killed without you to take care of him.” She looks over her shoulder. “River, stop lurking.” Without waiting for aresponse, she comes down the stairs to squeeze in between me and Asch.

River follows, his hair mussed but at least he’s dressed in pajama pants.

I wrap my arms around her from behind. “What’s the plan, Pandora?”

Pandora squeezes my arm. “You, Asch, River and me. We’re going to saveallthe women and stop this stupid school recruiting bullshit.”

“Hope you have a plan for that,” River says. “Because I think we just pissed off the whole Bouchard Syndicate, and they’re not going to take that lightly.” His eyes lock onto mine. “Are they, Blaze?”

“Nope. So it’s a good thing we’ve got the destroyer of worlds with us,” I say cheerfully.

Pandora has the right idea of it.

Forget burning bridges.

Let’s burn the fucking world.