Page 65 of V for Vengeance

Sloan kept close to me. Whatever disappointment or anger he felt, it wasn’t enough to stop him from touching me. His hand found mine when we closed in on camp, and it hadn’t let go since.

And I’d never been so damn relieved.

I’d expected Sloan to ignore me the same way Phillip was, but I should’ve known he never would. He wasn’t the type. He’d try tounderstand, but at the very least, he’d listen before reacting. He wasn’t a stubborn bastard like my pierced mentor became in a fight. I’d forgotten how dissimilar they were in a crisis, but I was so glad they were. I couldn’t take it if they both pushed me away.

Phillip was still visibly angry, but he knew something I didn’t—and the asshole wasn’t talking. He barely looked at me, which really wasn’t like him when he was pissed off. If anything, he’d stare a little too much when he wanted to punish me for something I did. So, I already got the sensation that something was off.

Jo was already at camp when we arrived. She didn’t come over. She stayed in place and watched me from where she was leaned up against a tree. And while I still couldn’t read the woman, she seemed agitated. Her gaze was glued to me. It was as if she was waiting for something to happen, and I grew more anxious by the second.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed answers. “What happened? Is Theo dead? Where’s Nigel?”

Sloan brushed a hand through his hair, the muscles all over his body pulled tight. “Things…didn’t go as planned, darling. Theo managed to escape with his life, but he and his faithful few fled. Nigel went after them.”

“By himself?” My stomach dropped.

Sloan shook his head, upset by the thought. “Yes. He didn’t mention a word of it to me before he was gone. All he left was a note. He said Theo would disappear if he didn’t go, and only he could.” Sloan retrieved a little piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. “I think you should read it. It wasn’t written to me. It…”

I snatched the paper and read through it as fast as I could. I would recognize his handwriting anywhere. Nigel wrote so beautifully that it was something I’d admired about him since I started crushing on him in high school. I’d studied his notes,desperate to hold onto pieces while pining for a person I couldn’t have. His handwriting always held a special place inside my heart.

I have to go. He’ll disappear if I don’t, and only I can do this. It’s too risky with the Hunter. I’ve made so many mistakes. I’ve been someone I can’t be proud of anymore, so I want to come back and show that you didn’t give me a second chance for no reason. I’m going to do something for you this time. I’m going to be the person you always believed I was.

This is all I can do for you, and I hope it’ll be enough. I hope you’ll welcome me back like you did before. I hope this will prove I’ve got your back. Just wait. I’ll show you that you didn’t make a mistake forgiving me. I’ll be the Nigel I always was to you before I fucked it all up, and I’ll be the friend that didn’t betray you. Just wait for me.

-Forever yours, Nigel

Tears bit at my eyes as I read it over and over, sensing the sudden change in Sloan when I lifted my gaze. His solemn expression wasn’t normal. It was off. Darker than it’d ever been. The way he looked at me carried more meaning than someone who was sad that my friend was off doing something dangerous. It felt like he wasn’t telling me something, and it made my stomach twist in knots.

Phillip finally looked at me, his lips thin and his body taut. His brow was furrowed, and the second our eyes met, his blue beams dropped. I knew that look. Fuck, there wasn’t any way I could pretend I didn’t.

Something bad had happened.

I stared at Sloan, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for the bad fucking news. I could feel it in my bones that something was wrong, and I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I just closed my eyes and hoped I read their expressions wrong.

“He found them in the outer territory and fought all ten of them by himself. He killed them all. Theo was maimed and in pieces, but…” Sloan whispered, his ice-blue eyes full of regret when I opened mine. “He’s dead, V. His injuries were too significant, and he was gone before I could get to him.”

I dropped to my knees, crumbling into a mess of limbs, the strength leaving my body in a rush. Tears streamed down my face, and for once, every person in that group came together to comfort me. Every single one put aside their hatred and disgust for each other to hold me and let me cry for the friend I’d lost.

Chapter 32

She’s Gone

Istared out the window, back in the childhood home that felt a little like a dream these days. Rain pelted the glass. The rumble of thunder echoed the pain inside my heart. But I couldn’t cry anymore. All I could do when I wasn’t immersed in my duties as a Hunter taking on the Organization was to acknowledge the numb void in my heart his loss had created.

Not much had been resolved since we killed Harmony.

Phillip hadn’t cut me off entirely, but he’d found plenty of ways to stay busy away from me. Things weren’t the same between us. I hated how much I missed the asshole. I thought this time he’d find his snark again, and then we’d battle it out in one of our banter-offs, but he barely looked at me anymore, let alone tossed a sarcastic comment my way.

Guess he couldn’t find his sass in this situation, but neither could I. I let him go. I didn’t chase him this time. I learned last time that chasing didn’t matter if he didn’t want to be caught. But I hadn’t any clue where that put us. Working it out but barely? Just a pair of idiots in the midst of their millionth break up? Already done? Who knew.

Cash had stayed despite Phillip’s insistence he find somewhere else to go. His invitation came from the most unlikely of places. Grams was the first to welcome him back. I didn’t believe for a second she didn’t know about him being present for my parents’ deaths, so it didn’t really make sense.

But for some reason, it was almost as if she was happy to see him. And by the way they talked, it was as if they had history together. My grandmother was a fairly mysterious woman, so even I didn’t know a lot about what she did as a Hunter, but this felt like a secret she should’ve told me. Hell if I’d ever get it out of her if she didn’t want me to know. So, I watched in silent interest alongside the others as she chatted with Cash like they were old friends and not bitter enemies.

Nothing really mattered when Grams was finally told about what happened to Nigel, though. The happy homecoming quickly soured. Her hazel eyes lost their catty gleam. She dropped them and let loose a small breath. After thanking Sloan for telling her, Grams disappeared for a few hours to train, but I suspected she’d gone somewhere to be alone.

She’d never admit to anyone that Nigel’s death destroyed her the same way it had me, but to those of us who knew her, we could see it clear as day. She was grieving. Unfortunately, after a lifetime of being one of the best Hunters the Organization employed, Grams still couldn’t let her guard down, so we left her to it. We didn’t mention him after that.

“Here,” someone said, and I turned to find Jo standing with a couple of cute mugs. The image didn’t fit the scary woman she was, and it made me smile against my will. “I thought you could use some Irish coffee this morning.”

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