Page 106 of Unlocking Ruin

“Wrong.”

His eyes turn into narrow, sharp slits. I reach into my pocket and pull out a flash drive. I walk back to him and hold it out.

He doesn’t take it, so I toss it onto his lap. He grins, holding up his ax.

For five months, I’ve trained with The Rites of Passage, but I haven’t started collecting dirt on the members—yet. I need their trust, their alliances, just as Alister advised. So I set my sights on their enemies, the ones who masquerade as friends on the council. All the leaders are new, untested. Anders and the others need to purge the council of those plotting to overthrow them.

“When I hack, I have to listen to music,” I tell him. “I need a playlist, one made for each hack. I included the playlist I listened to when I got you that information.” I look at the flash drive.

His fingers uncurl from the ax as he palms the flash drive.

“Do you want to know who wants to usurp you and your brothers? Here’s a hint. Look closer to home, Anders.”

Dante is one of the rulers in The Rites of Passage. Each ruler has a specific role that keeps The Rites functioning; together, they make an unstoppable unit, and the ruler’s teams are loyal. Dante is the banker, however, Dante’s mummy has been very naughty. That flash drive is loaded with data that makes her look very guilty. She’s been trying to dismantle Dante’s team for years, and it seems she’s finally found a way.

“You give me this information”—Anders’s eyes drop to the flash drive—“without a spoken promise. A foolish mistake, just like that bomb.”

I shake my head and walk to the door. “That’s not the usurper, Anders. It’s just the man she is using. And if you want the name of the woman, you’ll work with me.”

I grab the door, feeling the kiss of fresh air and freedom for one second before he’s on top of me, slamming the door shut and pinning me to the wall with his ax digging into my belly.

“I could carve the name from your lips.”

“You could,” I say on a trembling breath. “But I’d rather have you as my ally. If I found one enemy in this short amount of time, imagine how many more I’ll find in the years to come? I’m better left alive.”

I wait with bated breath, unsure whether a painful death will greet me or a baited friendship.

He runs his finger along his jaw. “Next time you plant a bomb, make sure it’s real and not a bluff.”

“Isn’t that the whole point of a bluff?” I shoot back. He lifts a brow streaked with blood, eyes glinting. “It keeps you guessing, never sure whether I’ll risk everything or play it safe. So, Anders, are you in or out?”

CHAPTER 28

Rylan

Pine trees tower above, the fjord’s briny breath weaving through damp soil. My emotions choke the air from my lungs. I watch the man—my hostage, the one Anders snatched for me—kneel, motionless. He doesn’t flinch, beg, or even blink. He just waits.

Anders did it; he kidnapped Steffen without asking the other rulers for permission.

A year has passed since Steffen caught me. Twelve months of him paying for using me.

I learned the truth and let it fester. Maybe that was the final straw, the reason I dragged him back. If anyone should punish him, it should be me.

Tonight is Halloween, but this time, we’re not on my turf. I want Steffen to feel safe, so I’ve brought him to his own territory—a trick wrapped in comfort.

This year has been merciless. Some days, it feels like everything happened just hours ago; other days, I’m a ghost in my own body, drifting through a life that isn’t mine—screaming for it to end. Give me peace!

I look at Steffen and feel it for the first time since we were separated. Respite. Hope.

It’s wrong, but those who do wrong gain a lot in this world. Therefore, I’m going to take it and not look back.

I prowl around Steffen, mirroring the way he haunted my life for years, always a shadow at my back. He still doesn’t move his neck, but I notice how he tries to keep his ears angled toward my footsteps.

Some nights, I even wished he’d burst into Alister’s compound and steal me away, but that would have broken everything.

Steffen proved himself. Noble, sincere—a man who kept his word. He stayed true and set me free. Waited for me to decide.

Ding, dong, who’s there? Judge and jury, Steffen!