The Devil We Know (Ends World #5)

40. Brotherly Sentiment

40

Brotherly Sentiment

Declan

Antoinette : We need you

Declan : What?

Antoinette : It’s Dare.

Declan : What happened?

Antoinette : Nothing good.

Tony : Not a drill, man.

Declan : How bad?

Antoinette : BAD.

Declan : Is he alive?

Antoinette : Yes?

Tony : Maybe.

Declan : Well, that was clear.

Tony : Just get here, you fucking asshole.

Declan : Already on my way.

“Has that chat changed at all since the last time you looked at it?”

I turn my gaze to Issa, smiling slightly as I shake my head. “I keep thinking if I stare at it long enough that maybe he’ll pop up.”

Her smile is tinged with sadness as she nods and replies, “Given the circumstances, the likelihood of that happening is beyond nil.”

“Obviously, this was fueled by wishful thinking and incredible delusion.”

She sighs, leaning in close to me and resting her head against my arm. “Wishful thinking and incredible delusion are two things I can get behind.”

I lean close to her, placing a kiss on the top of her head as I once again turn back to the phone and stare at it.

After a few minutes of silence, I ask, “I would know, right?”

Issa straightens in her chair, giving me a speculative look. “You’d know what?”

“If he was really gone.”

She raises her brows at me, her lips pursing briefly, and then she says, “Well, you’re not twins, right?”

I frown at her and sputter, “Do I look old enough to be Darius’ twin?”

She smirks at me and then shrugs. My frown turns into a glare. “Take it back.” She laughs and shakes her head, and after another glare, her lips twitch, a sparkle in her eye making me narrow my eyes even more. “I see what you’re doing here.” Her look turns innocent, increasing my suspicions, and when she says nothing, I add, “Trying to distract me with misplaced humor.”

She smiles rather smugly. “Is it working?”

I sigh deeply, giving her a disapproving look. “Maybe.”

She smiles and pets me on the arm. “Obviously, I can’t predict the future, but you know that I’m a cup-half-full kind of girl.”

“So, you’re saying you think he’s fine?”

She raises her brows at me and then laughs a bit hollowly. “I’m not sure I’d go that far, but you know I’ll believe that until proven otherwise.”

“I’m inclined to feel the same way.” I nod.

“How’s Antoinette holding up?”

“As only Antoinette could,” I reply. “She isn’t really the glass-half-full kind of girl, but she’s definitely the not-going-to-believe-anything-until-she-sees-concrete-evidence kind of girl.”

My phone pings as a new message comes through the group chat.

Antoinette : Dec, what’s your ETA?

Declan : Should be in the building within a couple of hours.

Antoinette : Okay, we’ll be ready.

Declan : Just out of curiosity, what are the odds for him?

Antoinette : 80/20 against

Tony : 20/80 for

Matt : 50/50

Carolina : I don’t dare speculate.

Declan : Well, that was clear.

Antoinette : Yeah, just get here.

I send a token thumbs up and close out of my app.

I know asking was probably stupid, but for some reason, getting three completely different answers makes me feel better.

We manage to make it to the warehouse in just over an hour, which is exceedingly good, given the time it takes to taxi an aircraft and maneuver through traffic.

It’s the wee hours of the morning, but everyone is congregated in the communication room, our version of the family room.

I walk directly to Antoinette, pulling her into my arms and hugging her. I open my mouth to speak, but she interrupts, “I swear to fucking Christ, Declan, if you try to give me condolences, I will kick you in the balls.”

I flinch and then laugh. “I was just going to ask who we get to kill first.”

She relaxes in my embrace, patting me on the back awkwardly in her prisoner-hug position. I step back, my hands squeezing her biceps. She gives me a small, grateful smile, tension around her eyes and in the set of her jaw evident. “We’ve got a list going.”

I step back with a nod, then walk over to greet Matt and Tony, taking a mental headcount of everyone in the room.

I look around for Issa and find her standing with Jessica and two women I don’t recognize. One of the women hands something to Issa, and I take a closer look, noting a handgun. I walk over to them, stopping beside Issa as I say, “Come on now, dollface. Put that down.”

She glances at me with her eyebrows raised. “Excuse me?”

I wince, immediately realizing my error, but then I say, “That’s not a toy.”

Her eyes narrow further. I wince again, and Jessica laughs. “By all means, Dec, keep going.”

I grit my teeth, searching for words that won’t escalate the situation. I glance at Jessica and then back at Issa, who’s staring at me, and when I remain silent, she smirks knowingly. “Was there anything else?”

I bite the inside of my cheek and shake my head, realizing there’s nothing else I really can say so I turn back to Antoinette, who’s smiling at me teasingly. I glare at her. “Don’t fucking start with me.”

“What could I possibly say?”

“I just don’t like seeing her with weapons,” I reply grumpily. “It just doesn’t fit for her.”

“I get it,” she replies. “She hasn’t had to be part of this world, and I totally understand you wanting to keep her away from it.”

“I tried to get her to stay home, but she wasn’t having it.”

“I don’t blame her. She knows if you’re coming over here to fuck around, anything could happen.”

I laugh and nod. “And that’s exactly what she said.”

Antoinette levels me with a serious look as she says, “You do realize if she decides to come with us, there’s nothing you can do, right?”

I bristle, frowning as I sputter, “Don’t remind me.”

“I’m not saying she’ll want to,” she replies with a laugh. “Just making sure you know what’ll happen if you try to interfere.”

I look back at Issa, who’s now holding a bigger gun and talking animatedly to Jessica, and I sigh. Antoinette rests her hand on my arm, drawing my focus back to her, and she says, “We won’t let anything happen to her.”

“If only it was that simple.”

She snorts. “Ain’t that the fucking truth.”

“Any buzz on the streets?” I ask hopefully.

She shakes her head and says, “No one’s saying anything at this point. We don’t want to divulge any possibilities, so we’re waiting for chatter to come up on its own.”

“And nothing on his watch?”

“No,” she answers. “But Matt and Tony said they took his watch, so that being out of commission doesn’t actually confirm anything.”

I glance around the room again, settling on Carolina, who’s sitting on a chair in the corner, looking morose. “What’s up with her?”

Antoinette looks over at her, her lips pressing together, and then she turns to me and responds, “She blames herself.”

“For Darius?” I frown.

Antoinette nods. “Yes, she was trying to get him out, and he made her leave. Made her promise she wouldn’t let anyone come back.”

I grimace, glancing back at Carolina briefly before turning to Antoinette and saying, “Well, it’s not her fault. Lord knows when Darius makes up his mind, there’d be no changing it.”

“That’s for fucking sure.”

“Should I go talk to her?”

“Yes,” Antoinette replies firmly. “Some reassurance would probably be good.”

I walk across the room, stopping in front of Carolina, who’s still sitting in the chair. She stares off blankly, apparently not even noticing I’m there. I reach out with my foot and tap her on the ankle until she starts, her gaze flying to mine. “What’s up?”

Her eyes immediately water, becoming glassy but not overflowing. I immediately kneel in front of her, saying soothingly, “None of that, now.”

A short hiccupping sob escapes, along with a tear that she wipes away hurriedly. “It’s my fault.”

I shake my head. “No. It’s no one’s fault, but it’s certainly not yours.”

She shakes her head slowly as she whispers, “I shouldn’t have left him.”

I laugh bitterly and raise my brows. “We all know you didn’t have a choice in that.”

“Of course I did. I should have just told him to fuck off and got him out.”

Her hands clutch together in her lap, and I rest one of my hands on top of both of hers as I say patiently, “You know it’s not that simple.”

“No. I should have stayed the course. I should have done my job.”

Now, I glare at her, my hands moving to her upper arms. I yank her to her feet as I rise, then I lean down so I’m right in her face as I hiss, “You know for a fact that wouldn’t have done you any good.”

She shakes her head some more, and I give her a tiny shake and then add, “If Darius thought for one second you could have gotten him out, he would have helped you try. The fact that he gave up and made you leave and promise to keep everyone out means in his eyes, he was doomed.”

She meets my eyes head-on, searching intently, and then she deflates a bit as she says, “But maybe he’s alive?”

It’s hard to tell if it’s actually a statement or a question, but still, I pull her into a hug. “Maybe.”

Her arms come up around me, and she clutches me briefly before pulling back and giving me a watery smile. She clears her throat and then says, “I never thought a maybe would make me feel better, but here we are.”

I grin at her, tilting my head in agreement. “We’re going to find out one way or another. And until then, let’s not speculate too much on the end.”

She nods and then pats me on the chest as she says quietly, “Thank you.”

I frown down at her and ask, “Thanks for what?”

“Giving me a little shake. You always know how to bring me back down to reality.”

“One of the many services I offer.”

I turn back and look across the room, noting more people have arrived, and then I look back at Carolina. “Are you ready for it?”

A sudden coldness goes over her features, and my eyes widen at the glint in her eye. She steps back from me and it’s like she’s grown a foot taller as she lifts her chin and replies, “I’m ready.”