Page 155 of Inside the Wicked

And what cuts the deepest is that I keep failing Ana.

I stand, wanting to punish myself so badly, but I don’t know where to start.

“Maybe you’re right,” I say to no one in particular. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“Rhett Kaiser,” Allie snaps at my back. “Get some coffee, go for a walk, do whatever you goddamn need to, but don’t youdareleave her now because you think it’s better forher.”

My teeth grind. I don’t want to lash out at her, but she’s prodding a dangerous nerve. “She’s in there because of me.”

“No. She’s in there because of Alistair. We’re all here because of him. And he’sdead. Ana needs you, she wants you, and you’re a coward if you turn your back on that out of some selfish guilty conscience.”

Liam gravitates closer to her when I turn with a heated stare. It flares me more that he would think for a second I would hurt her—verbally or otherwise. Allie is precious to me, and he’d better fucking get that soon.

“You know how much I hate it when you’re right about me,” I grumble.

Allie’s posture relaxes, and with all the shit right now, I’m so glad to see her real smile showing off her playfulness. “Which is why you need me,” she chirps. “Best hacker and motivator.”

“Best what?” Rix challenges.

“You know it’s true.”

“We drew.”

“That’s just what you say to help you sleep at night.” Allie pats Rix on the shoulder. “You’re a lot taller than what I imagined, by the way.”

“What did you imagine?”

“Some short kid who sees sunlight about twice a year and is too skinny from a sugar diet.”

Rix squares his shoulders like he’s wondering if that’s a description he lives up to. He doesn’t. While lean, he packs good muscle and has deeply tanned skin.

“First of all, I’m older than you by two years. And I thought you’d be a short, too hot for her own good, arrogant— Yeah, you’re exactly what I pictured.”

She slaps his arm with a blooming smile.

Rix flicks a look at Liam, who’s pinning him with a glare. “Best work hard, Forbes. You might have competition,” Rix says, giving Allie a wink.

It’s only to rile him. Rix has never been interested in women, sexually or romantically. Allie knows that about him, but her deviance sparkles in her eyes as she doesn’t relax the tension in Liam by letting him know.

Behind me there’s a new burst of commotion and thundering footfall. I knew this moment would come, but it strikes me to come face-to-face with Archibald Kinsley. His expression turns haunted to see me, then absolutely furious. He’s flanked by a scary amount of security, but I don’t move. I don’t see the President of the United States; I see Ana’s dad and how I can’t possibly be hers, while he sees me as nothing more than a criminal.

“What are you all waiting for? Detain him!” Archibald roars.

Security skip ahead toward me, but to my surprise, Liam and Adam rush forward as a barrier between us.

The president does a double-take at Liam, then they start talking in quick, hushed speech, but two security guards grab my arms. One snaps a cuff around one wrist behind my back.

“Wait,” Archibald says before the second can be secured. “Take him to a conference room for now. Nothing about this gets out yet, and keep a close eye on him.”

At least I’ll still be in the hospital. I’ll fight them if I have to, if they try to take me out of here.

“Liam Forbes, we have a warrant out for your arrest,” a police officer interrupts.

Allie pushes past me. “On what grounds?” she demands, slipping into her lawyer persona, which I’ve never seen before. It makes her stern and authoritative in seconds.

“Suspicions about his involvement in the conspiracy against the president with Gregory and Matthew Forbes.”

“Suspicions don’t mean shit. Show me.” She holds out a hand, but the officers clearly don’t expect to be challenged. They fumble to find the warrant, which is a scrunched-up piece of paper with lunch stains on it.

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