Page 72 of Borden 3

He didn’t respond, but his eyes bore into mine. I ran my hands over my arms, feeling chilled to the bone by this man’s intensity.

“These lost kids,” he mused now, “they answer to Theo.”

Again, not a question.

I answered carefully, “They did.”

"What was their philosophy?"

"What?"

"What was their code?"

I went quiet for a moment. "They believed being lost set them free. Never follow the rules. Live lawlessly and stick together as one."

“Where are they now?”

“We scattered apart.”

“When did you scatter?”

I hesitated, frowning. “When I knew it wouldn’t last.”

What did this have anything to do with seeing Theo today? I kept waiting for him to interrogate me about him, but I should have known to expect the unexpected from Borden. He didn’t express his disdain that I’d seen Theo. Didn’t ask me how I felt or what was said. He simply locked eyes with me, held that gaze for so long, I could no longer keep track of time.

“Is that all?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.

He looked away, impossible to read. “For now.”

Then he slowly eased out of the room, softly humming under his breath.

Never a good sign.

“Get ready for dinner,” he called out. “I’ll pick you up.”

“Where are we going?”

I didn’t get a response.

Within the hour, he was gone again. After playing more with Link, I served lunch and then I stood there, locking eyes with Hector as he kicked around the house. He paused in the kitchen doorway, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall.

“You think he’s going to pay him a visit?” I asked him, my heart beating unsteadily.

Hawke nodded. “He already did.”

Fuck.

Did Theo clear out in time?

As if reading my mind, Hector added, “They were already gone.”

Chapter Twenty Six

Borden

They went after his warehouses next.

Hector had passed along that green-eyed fuck’s cryptic warning. About his warehouses going ‘kaboom.’ Borden scrambled on short notice, stationing his men at the several warehouses with the description provided. He paid a pretty penny for some police cars to do a drive around, too, as it was just along the borders of New Raven and out of their way. Packed with Borden’s goods he held for contacts, laundered money, and other seriously illegal shit.

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