Page 40 of Asphyxia
She never mentioned anything to me, but I guess, then again, she was never an open book when we were together—except for that one night…
“She was there when Eli broke the news to Derek, but beforehand? Not a clue. She didn’t even know Derek and Alexis were that close.”
“Didyouknow he was screwing her?” I couldn’t help but pry with my follow-up question. I enjoyed hearing office gossip; the receptionists back at the CIA were full of it. A new story every other morning.
Atlas had run off with Chyler, Derek was chasing Alexis, and Dean and I were figuring our shit out with Madison. You couldn’t make this shit up.
We were all living in a movie—or dream.
The four—lucky as fuck—CIA agents who fell for the three women they were tasked to arrest for violent crimes. I guess we all like to stick our dicks near hornets' nests.
“Not until two days ago, and let me just say… That’s a short story on its own, but unfortunately, we don’t have time for it right now, so let’s get the fuck over to Sergeant Drake’s office and see what he has planned.”
“Now you’re speaking my language, bro.” I grabbed my keys before pushing myself off the counter and swaggering towards the door where Dean was still standing. “I’ll drive because, for the first time in what feels like years, I know something you don’t.” I teased with a wide grin as I opened the door and stepped out of the apartment.
Dean sarcastically rolled his eyes as he chuckled and followed me out of our building to the car.
“SincewhendidtheCIA start protecting contract killers like Alexis Lochlan?” Drake addressed Dean and me as we entered his office.
“How do you know who she is?” Dean quizzed, crossing his arms over his chest as he stopped in front of the desk, not even bothering to take a seat.
I followed Dean into the room, stopping beside him and facing Drake, who remained comfortably seated and relaxed.
“Alexis has hacked the Minneapolis PD system more times than I’d like to count. Should I assume that Madison and Chyler are also involved in this?”
How the hell did he know all three of these women?
“Only with the interest of saving Alexis. They’re not working with Anathema if that’s what you’re asking.” Dean’s demeanor was all business, with one goal: to rescue Alexis. Taking down Adrian and Anathema was Drake’s bonus from it.
“Fucking Christ…” Drake grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. “With Charlotte gone, I assumed those three would finally be out of my hair. Evidently, I was wrong—”
“Why has it taken this long for you to do anything about Anathema? You can’t tell me you didn’t have the resources to stop them sooner.” Dean rushed out his words, cutting Drake off.
“What would you do if a group of murderers came into your city and started ridding it of those you had no legal authority to touch? Anathema was like unleashing feral cats into the streets to eliminate the plague of rats we weren’t allowed to poison.”
“So you just let this secret society run the fucking show because you wanted a clean city?” Dean scoffed, rolling his eyes in disagreement with Drake’s thinking.
“I’m failing to see how two wrongs make a right here…” I added under my breath, sounding more like a mumble if anything.
“You two can think and believe what you want, but at the end of the day, they were doing this city a service that we felt was necessary.”
“And now?” I questioned, arching my brow at him.
“And now that Adrian has assumed control of Anathema, he is taking things too far. Instead of being mere vigilantes, they are now working to control everything—a dictatorship.”
Dean’s phone went off, and he checked it before returning his full attention back to Drake with a deep sigh.
“That was Derek. I need to go. How soon can you execute your plan?”
“I don’t know if there is anything we can even execute as of right now. I’m still working on it. I need enough guys to infiltrate their ranks without making it obvious or giving our plan away…”
“So what you are saying is, this was a total waste of my time? Great…” Dean hissed, squeezing his phone in his hand, grinding his teeth out of anger and frustration.
“I said I was still working on it. Go. Do whatever Derek needs you to do, but say nothing of what we discussed here.”
“Like that would be hard to do…” Dean huffed before turning to leave. “I’ll update you as soon as I can.” He whispered to me, patting my shoulder and squeezing it before exiting the room.
“I’m a man of my word, Dean. I will figure something out.” Drake added just as Dean passed through the threshold.
