Page 82 of Obey

I glance into the rearview mirror to see Pyre duck his head.

“Yeah, well. Like you guys are any better. You murdered everybody!” He leans against the car door and sighs. “Don’t tell Nevaeh I was a fucking coward, yeah?”

“I won’t tell Nevaeh anything,” I say. “That’s all on you.”

Which is probably worse for him than if I did explain anything to her, really, but I’ll let him think this is better.

It’s a two hour drive to NewVa, and we mostly keep to ourselves. Pyre is grateful to get dropped off at his dingy apartment. Our car is miraculously still in the same place we left it, and we carefully transfer the guns to all the hidden compartments.

Now the only thing left is to actually get back to New Bristol.

“I’m going to be fucking glad to be out of this miserable state,” Knives says as we start driving. “Who thinks swamps are a good idea, anyway?”

“The universe,” I say, deadpan. “But the bigger question is why people choose to live there.” I shudder. “Never again.”

The GPS interrupts us, giving the directions to the interstate. I’ve never been happier to be on the road than I am now.

I just wish we could have flown instead.

The Cresci mansion looms in front of us. Knives and I had stopped overnight, and we’d considered taking another day before we confronted Silvano, but in the end, we agreed that it would just prolong the inevitable.

Knives leans out of the driver side window to hit the intercom on the front gate. “Hey, Trevor, or Rebel, or whoever’s on gate duty. It’s Knives. Let us in. And tell Silvano me and Maddox are back.”

There’s a pause before somebody says, “Knives? Holy shit.” The familiar buzzing follows, and the gate slowly opens.

We drive in. Knives pulls up to the front door rather than the garage or back entrance.

Evan is already waiting for us at the top of the steps. “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” he drawls.

“Nah,” I say as I get out of the car, trying for deadpan despite the way my heart is racing. “It would take several cats to drag Knives in.”

Knives gets out of the car and half slams the door shut. “Hey, Evan. Be honest—is there a point to us going inside, or should we try to get a head start so we aren’t shot immediately?”

“Did you bring the stuff back?” he asks pointedly.

“Yeah,” I say cautiously.

“Then congratulations, welcome back, etc.” He beckons to us. “Come on. S is waiting for you.”

I exchange a look with Knives. I wish I could link arms with him, show some sort of solidarity, but that would be ridiculous—and sappy. That doesn’t have a place here in the Cresci mansion.

It’s ironic that I let myself be fucked so many times here but draw the line at a public display of affection.

We follow Evan inside, my hackles up. I can’t help but feel that we’re being led to a slaughter. I don’t want to believe that Silvano would betray us like that, but I’m still bitter about the entirety of the past two weeks.

Jesus, had it been just two weeks?

Evan knocks on the door to the lounge and opens it only after Silvano says, “Enter.”

Knives and I shuffle in. He’s just as tense as I am, and I see his hand on his hip, itching to withdraw the knife he’s got in his pocket.

Silvano is sitting in the armchair, a glass of liquor in one hand. Kyran is on the leather sofa. They’re both looking at us very intently.

“You need anything else, S?” Evan asks. “I don’t mind sticking around to protect you from these two.”

Kyran scowls, casting a dark look at him.

Silvano smiles in Evan’s direction, answering before Kyran can snap at him, “I think we can handle it. Unless you think I need more protection from them?”

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