A twinge of pity ran through Brynleigh. After all, she’d been in that position not long ago.
Snarling, Jelisette shook Mercy back and forth like a rag doll.
“If you ever say his name again, I will rip out your throat and feast on your blood so gods-damned fast you won’t even know what hit you. You don’t even think abouthim. Is that understood?”
If Brynleigh had any doubts about Emery Sylvain’s existence or that the Representatives had killed him, this violent display would’ve rid her of them.
Mercy gasped something vaguely like, “Yes,” and then Jelisette released her hold.
The human dropped to the floor, gulping in deep, echoing breaths.
“My progeny desires to see the Representatives taken down a few notches, just like the rest of us.” Jelisette turned and addressed the crowd. “Does anyone else have any concerns?”
Silence was the only answer.
Jelisette nodded at Dimitri.
“Very well,” the Alpha said calmly as if a woman hadn’t almost beenmurdered a few feet away from him. “As I was saying, we have several ideas for how to make our cause known soon. First…”
As Dimitri continued speaking, Brynleigh’s stomach turned to lead. Their plans would make the attack on Jade Academy seem like nothing.
By the time the meeting was over, Brynleigh knew one thing for certain: they had to stop the rebels, no matter the cost.
It was time to tell Ryker where she’d been.
CHAPTER 24
Ruination
Shadows pooled on the living room floor, and Ryker exhaled a sigh of relief.
Half an hour ago, he’d returned home from his meeting to an empty apartment. He took Marlowe for a quick run, hoping to distract himself, but it didn’t work. His vampire was strong, but he didn’t trust her Maker.
Even exchanging messages with River hadn’t calmed Ryker’s nerves. His sister and her best friend Ember were coming over tomorrow night to watch a game of laser, along with Nikhail and Atlas. Cyrus was doing well on his meds, and River felt confident going out for the night.
This would be an excellent first step for Ryker and Brynleigh to practice for the Reunion. It wasn’t a public event, but they needed to get used to being around others again.
As soon as Brynleigh’s form materialized by the couch, Ryker strode towards her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, even as his eyes swept over her and confirmed she had no visible injuries.
Brynleigh nodded, but her gaze was guarded. She wrapped her arms around herself and worried her bottom lip.
His gut pinched. Something was wrong.
“I’m fine,” she answered. “But… I have to tell you something.”
Ryker’s chest tightened, and an alarm blared in his head. Immediately, his mind went to worst-case scenarios and ran through them one by one. Usually, doing this helped settle his mind and gave him strategies for moving forward. It was one of the reasons he was so good at chess and his job. Predictions and calculations were an integral part of strategy.
He’d never predicted that his wife would try to kill him, though, so maybe he was off his game.
Ryker was so tense that he might snap in half if she didn’t put his mind at ease soon. Somehow, he kept his voice calm and asked, “What do you mean?”
“Promise not to yell?” she asked.
Nothing good ever started like that. He drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
For her, he’d do anything.