Page 115 of Silent Heart

Well, I’ll be damned.They were good.

The wind picked up, ruffling the loose flannel of my jacket. By all the saints, these six were lucky. Even in the midst of challenge, bonds were already forming. I couldn’t help but smile slightly, though I quickly buried it beneath my usual stern expression. The field was alive with effort, failure,determination, and grit. I knew what it was to be alone, and yet I wasn’t so jaded that I couldn’t appreciate the comradery.

I barked a sharp command, silencing the clatter of feet and drawing their combined attention. They began high fiving one another, smiling and joking.Thatwas good. Beth had assembled a fit crew of ex-military who were willing to work as vigilantes. Today was the final assessment. These recruits pushed hard since the middle of the night without complaint. After completing a wilderness survival situation, I had this rigorous physical fitness course to push them through.

The cadets moved like a current, some surging ahead with smooth, practiced movements, others lagging, muscles trembling with the effort. But all six of them came trotting over to where I stood.

“I’ve watched you grapple, fight with knives, and shoot. Tonight proved you can survive the worst-case scenarios and not turn on one another,” I said, admiration trickling through my voice. “Well done on staying composed and confident—it’s a good start.”

“A start,” Jackson wheezed, bald head damp and ears bright pink.

“A start,” I repeated. “It proves you’re willing to do whatever is necessary to accomplish goals; you didn’t question the commands, no matter how insane; and no one turned on their brothers and sisters in arms. I can work with this.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” a sweet voice chirped behind me. Beth ambled to my side. “As soon as you clear out this equipment into the moving truck, there’s breakfast waiting for you back at base. If—” she turned to me “—they’re dismissed, captain?”

Captain. A leader. The word feltdamngood. Bright sunlight glared off the course equipment, making me squint. It was the kind of light that hinted at optimism despite the biting cold, a small contrast that wasn’t lost on me. These cadets were roughnow, no doubt about it, but I could see flashes of potential—a natural leader here, a resilient fighter there. There was no way in hell I could resist lending a hand to mold this mottled crew into the best saints’ damned vigilantes in history.

“Go eat, you’ve earned it. Dismissed!” I clipped out.

A cheer broke out and the half dozen souls scrambled away, dividing the work of packing the equipment into equitable tasks.

The petite force of nature shifted in her boots. Beth could shoot, but this physical exertion was not her forte. That was fine. What that wicked sharp mind could do on a computer was far more impressive than spending a night in the freezing Wisconsin woods without any supplies followed by a demanding push of exertion on the gymnasium equipment.

“You hauled nearly everything from the warehouse out here,” Beth observed, voice mildly impressed. “With no help?”

I grunted. “I asked them to do an impossible task.”

“Why not do one yourself, I get it,” she laughed.

The wind fluttered her braids off the back of the puffy blue coat. I felt her keen gaze assessing me, but I didn’t look directly at her. I knew what was coming next. My answer was ready.

“Are you ready to be my partner, Wraith?” The quiet question slipped through the brisk air, dancing like a snowflake around me.

I slid the leather gloves over my chapped, reddened hands. “I am.”

Beth’s whoops of delight drew the attention of the others. The truth was, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. This woman had big dreams and wasn’t scared to chase them. My pessimism always said there were no organizations like this willing to fight for what was right. Beth didn’t accept that. She might not be able to physically fight, but she did all of this, bringing together ruthless individuals to be vigilantes in the fight against evil. We would start small, but soon, we couldhave operations thriving, not only over the country, but over the world.

“We’re going to be the thing the demonic sons of bitches fear most!” Beth spun on the tip of her boot.

My new partner had only shared pieces of her story. I sensed the pain was too raw, carved too deep, for her to talk about her past with the trafficking ring that hurt her. In time, she would trust me enough to talk about it. I could wait until she was ready to share.

“We need to think of a different name,” I muttered.

“Wouldn’t think you’d care about that,” she laughed. “We’ll see how the effort goes and brand ourselves accordingly.”

Chapter 48 – Harley

It was the third time poor Camilla moved this semester. Such a disruption from routine gave her a head cold. She tried for a week to muscle through classes, but by the time Thanksgiving break came, she was well and truly sick.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tugged her up the central staircase of the Vlasov Manor.

Voices fluttered behind us, and in a whirlwind, Cami was plucked from my hold by her grandmother.

“You go to bed too, dolcezza. I can’t have you catching whatever this is,” the signora tsked.

I bobbed my head in agreement, turned down the corridor, and climbed to the wing where Kolya had a suite of rooms. Since I’d come to live here a week ago, it became our space. I walked into the large open concept today to find the newest surprise.

Kolya installed an electric fireplace in our sitting area. It completed the nook, making the western ranch feel more cozy. I slipped my shoes off and ventured onto the faux cowskin hide that covered the floor. Everything was dark wood and rustic.With a sigh, I dropped to the couch and pulled out my phone. There was something I had to do and avoiding it wouldn’t make it easier later.

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