Page 154 of I Will Revel in Glory (Death by Daybreak MC 3)
The smell, the feel of it against my skin, the strength of it.
I shake my hands out as we approach the door to Cat’s office, my eyes dropping down to the floor where Gaz’s body slumped, a pool of blood slowly spreading out around him like a disease. Shit. It’s so heavy; the world is so heavy.
I make myself bear it.
I raise a fist to knock on the door and Crown opens it. Good sign, right? This is more like normal, more like the good ol’ days. I suppress an eye roll as I move into the room to find that Sin and Beast are also here. René, too, and my gaze turns to his with unmasked sympathy. He isn’t looking at me though. He’s got his hands clasped in front of him and is waiting patiently as Sin hands another Daybreaker an iPad and sends the man on his way. The guy sweeps past me just as Cat looks up from his desk.
There’s a quiet, still moment there where our eyes meet and so many unspoken things pass between us. He loves me. I know he does. Even if he’ll never say it. Even if I hate him. Even if I know that the world would be better off if he were dead.
“Everybody out,” Cat says with a loose sweep of his hand. The other men in the room obey the order like they’re compelled. My men, on the other hand, hesitate. I give Beast a look first because I know he won’t move without my orders. Not in a situation like this.
My husband glances over at his president.
Cat isn’t looking at him; he’s still looking at me.
Whatever Beast sees in his president’s face must convince him that I’m not in any danger because he turns and leaves the room. Sin is next, giving my shoulder a pat as he passes by. I hear Grainger slip out behind me. Crown is the last to move, but when he does, it’s with strong, confident footfalls, as if he’d intended on leaving all along.
I watch him go, and then turn back to Cat at the sound of the door closing behind me.
The men won’t go far. If I need them, they’ll be there.
“Well, good morning, Gidget,” Cat says with a bit of a laugh. He stands up straight and looks me over. A new assessment from fresh eyes. He still doesn’t trust me. He may never trust me again, but he’s at least marginally pleased with what happened last night.
“You sent me in there to die, and I brought you the head of the don’s wife.”
Cat nods slowly, crossing his arms and then reaching up to rub at his beard with one hand. It’s impossible to miss the patch that reads President on the front of his cut. He’s been a good one, too, turning this forgotten chapter of the Daybreakers into a powerhouse when they used to be little more than a street gang.
That was mostly Cat, first as VP then as president.
Death by Daybreak is really and truly his entire world.
“What do you want, girl?” he asks, and I exhale. Maintaining my composure right now isn’t easy. My father stirs up more emotions in me than any other human being in existence.
“My friend, Reba.” I pause and then, just for Cat’s sake, I add, “the wannabe nun.”
“What about her?” he queries as I struggle to keep my breath even.
“The mafia is assembling their army, Cat. They’re coming for us.”
That makes him smile in a very patronizing but not displeased sort of way.
“Of course they are. You left a hell of a mess in that damn casino.” He moves around the side of the desk and in front of it, leaning back against it so that we’re only a few feet apart. “What about the nun?”
“With that threat, and the threat of the fire, I want her to leave the compound.” The words come out strong, but more like a suggestion than a threat. At this point, if Cat says no, then I’m smuggling Reba out myself, consequences be damned. We’re about to be so embroiled in battle with Grey Wolfe (the entity, not the person) that it won’t matter for a while anyway. “She doesn’t know anything, Cat.”
“She knows enough,” he tells me, and I feel myself cracking on the inside. Why isn’t anything I ever do enough for you? I wonder, but then I shake that off. Despite myself, I’ve wanted Cat’s approval for a long time. It isn’t right, and it doesn’t make any sense, but the world doesn’t make sense. Humans are flawed and imperfect and messy and contradictory. It is what it is. Still, it hurts anyway. Cat saved my life, so there’s a connection there, but if he won’t let himself acknowledge it, there’s nothing more I can do. “But I’ll tell you what. You tell me where to find that Grey brat, and I’ll let your friend walk.”
