Page 30 of Bound By Blood and Lies

“Yes,” he replies without missing a beat. “My toast still stands. Now clink my fucking glass.”

He thrusts the bottle toward the centre like we’re at a wedding instead of dissecting engineered bloodlines in a cave beneath a church. None of us move. Then Victor huffs under his breath and knocks his bottle lightly against Riggs’. Felix does the same, slower. I follow, the dull tap of glass cutting through the heaviness in the room. Riggs takes a long swallow and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. A laugh slips out of me as Felix reaches for the cards and starts shuffling them.

“How’s Hazel and Emily?” Felix asks after he deals the deck to play president.

“They’re doing their best. My sister is with them. She offered a bedroom for Emily and she’s got my niece in with her, so she doesn’t wake up alone,” Victor shrugs but it looks guarded.

Not in a bad way, but possessive, as if he’s taken on the responsibility for the both of them. Riggs catches it too and raises his eyebrows at me. I give him a small nod to say I see it before looking back to my hand of cards.

“Good,” Felix nods.

“Alright,” Victor says after a beat. “We can sit in here and drink like we’re on a stag do in hell, or we can decide what we’re doing next.”

“We’re doing both,” Riggs says immediately, holding up his cards like they’re evidence. “This is strategic thinking. No actually, this is therapy… but cheaper.”

“That’s not what therapy is,” Atlas rolls his eyes.

“Therapy is a waste of money,” Riggs counters. “Also, therapy doesn’t come with a fire pit.”

I sit back, letting the heat soak into my body as I hold my glass of whiskey and watch the flames eat the logs until they glow as embers. We fall into the rhythm of the cards. Felix plays with the kind of focus he applies to everything. Riggs cheats badly and openly, and Victor calls him out every time with the same flat tone that somehow makes it funnier. My phone vibrates in my pocket and the sound cuts through the room like a blade. Felix’s gaze snaps up immediately as Atlas’ hand stills mid-reach for his drink and I pull the phone out.

Mr Longstaff:

where are you

I quickly type back.

Roman:

the underground, why?

Mr Longstaff:

I have someone for you. Meet me at the top.

Somewhere near me I hear water dripping steadily down stone as my pulse tightens. I look up slowly, meeting each of their eyes in turn.

“Looks like our night has just started,” I say with a steady voice.

Riggs grins like a man who shouldn’t be trusted with sharp objects as Felix stands abruptly. Victor’s expression doesn’tchange, but his body does like it’s muscle memory, and Atlas reaches for his laptop whilst his fingers fly across the keyboard already pulling up whatever he thinks we’ll need.

I pocket my phone and rise, the warmth of the fire already fading from my skin as the next thing takes its place. If my father has found a thread, I’ll pull it until the whole thing unravels.

For her.

CHAPTER 10

FAE

Agroan drags out of Fisher and my whole body locks up. The sound is barely more than a breath catching in his throat, but it slices through the room like glass. His head rolls slightly against the wall as his body hangs limp in the chains. I almost convince myself it’s just reflex, just nerves firing after the impact. Then his chest rises again.

“Shit,” I breathe.

My hand closes tighter around the keys as adrenaline surges back through my veins.

We are out of time.

Every instinct in my body screams that the fragile window we forced open is already starting to close. I scan the room, noting what we have to work with, then step toward Robyn and hold my hand out.