Page 40 of Faith Among Monsters

I flick my gaze to Wilkes, my mind racing. “How many are in the building over the armory?” I demand.

Wilkes shrugs, his lips twisting wryly. “Assuming they haven’t been eaten by their own monsters?”

“Yeah, assume a full staff,” I say.

“Maybe ten,” Wilkes guesses.

“Bullshit,” Dax cuts in. “Fifteen easy.”

“With the chaos, the last thing they’ll expect is us,” Wilkes says, his voice calm and steady, like this is all just another shitty day on the job.

I shake my head, holding up a hand. “If the chaos has even reached them,” I counter. “No. Zombies first.Coupif we survive. Use the bastards to help us.” I step closer to Dax, holding his gaze. “Think about it. They’re extra men on the catwalks. Extra eyes in the shadows. They can help us clear this island. Self-preservation.”

Dax’s jaw clenches, the muscle ticking as he stares down at me.

“She makes a point,” Wilkes says, his voice careful, almost tentative. “I could go in solo. Play frantic. No one heard us talking about leaving them for dead but us three.”

Dax doesn’t take his eyes off me.

I reach for his hands, pulling him closer. The heat of his skin steadies me even as my heart pounds. “Dax,” I say softly. “It makes sense. I know these men hurt you. And I promise you, I want them to pay for that. I wanted it before I even laid eyes on you. It’s why I’m here.”

His hands tighten around mine, the tension radiating off him like a storm about to break.

“You have to survive to help me punish them,” I whisper. “Please.”

For a moment, he doesn’t move. His breathing is steady but deep, his grip firm, his gaze locked on mine like he’s searching for something.

Finally, he nods, just once.

“Wilkes,” he says, his voice sharp and controlled. “Take her with you to solitary. Lock her in with the group. Then go to Sinclair’s wing and play it cool. See if you can pull any of those bastards onto the catwalks. Don’t trust a damn word they say, but if they’ll fight, let ‘em fight.”

Wilkes nods. “You?”

Dax’s eyes flick to the door. “I’ll meet you in here after I check the towers. I want to see if any of the guards up there are still breathing. Then we regroup in private, plan the next steps.”

I tighten my grip on his hands. “You come back to me,” I say, my voice trembling despite my best effort to stay calm.

His gaze softens, just barely, and his thumb brushes over my knuckles. “Always,” he says.

The vow wraps around me like armor, even as the chaos outside presses closer.

Chapter Fifteen

Faith

Dax stays with us until we near solitary, only vanishing once we’re close enough that he’s sure it’s safe. His goodbye is quick, just a kiss pressed to the space between my eyes, and then he’s gone, swallowed by the shadows.

I hate it. But I understand.

He has things to do, and I’d only be in his way.

As we near the heavy steel door leading into solitary, I hand Wilkes his gun back.

“Just for a little while,” he says, slipping it into his holster. His voice is low, almost conspiratorial as we linger just outside. “If the shit hits it, Zachs knows he can arm you. Just Zachs. You don’t want to lean too heavily on the other guards. They’ve all got Dax’s back… until they think it’s not safe to anymore, if you follow.”

I nod, even though my chest tightens at the implication.

“And the inmates?” I whisper. “Is Grip okay? Who, out of all of them, can I trust?”

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