Page 35 of Misery
"That’s what you're calling yourself now? Dedicated protection?"
Elfe comes walking right up to me and catches my arm as I move to follow. "Be careful what you say."
Strange thing to warn me about. But the concern in her eyes makes my chest tight. "Always am."
"Liar," she whispers.
"Give me your phone," I say quietly. "They'll want to see the messages."
She hands it over without argument, fingers brushing mine. "Don't let my dad see the one about playing house. He'll lose it."
"I'll handle it."
Before I can respond, Runes calls out. "Today, gentlemen."
We file into the chapel.
The room fills quickly.
Runes at the head.
Magnus as Sergeant at Arms to his right. Ivar as Road Captain to his left.
Fenrir, my father, takes his position as the VP.
Tor, Dag, myself, and the others fill the remaining seats.
"I want a full report," Runes orders.
I lay it out clean.
The texts at Bubba's.
The two scouts I eliminated.
The continued threats during the drive to Panacea.
The messages this morning.
"They know she's with me," I finish. "They identified me as the Executioner. They're not backing down."
"Show me the messages," Magnus says.
I pull out Elfe's phone, handing it over. Watch faces darken as they read.
"'Little artist,'" Dag mutters. "They know about her paintings. Been watching that close."
"Or someone told them," Kraken suggests.
Silence. The possibility of inside information hangs like smoke.
"Not necessarily," Rio says. "She posts some art online. Public Instagram. Could've found it that way."
"Still means they're researching. Digging deep." Magnus hands the phone to Runes. "This isn't random targeting. They want her specifically."
"Because of what she represents," Fenrir says. "Ivar's daughter. The girl who survived their first attempt. It's about dominance now. Showing they can take what we protect."
"They can't." My voice comes out harder than intended. "They won't."
