Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
An hour later, Gray sat in the back of one of Markovich’s cars. Saint was driving and Mikhail was in the front with him.
Fuck. He knew he had to make this call. They were expecting him. And he didn’t want to make it with Maeve around.
So he made the video call.
Immediately, Maeve’s friends answered. There was Sampson, Abe, and Jenner. And Alejandro came into the virtual meeting room soon after. They’d all agreed to leave the girls out of this.
“Well?” Alejandro demanded. “Did you find out anything?”
Gray had to swallow the urge to bite back at him. “Found out he used a false name. Grant Robson.”
“I’ll do some research on him,” Isaiah said quickly.
Gray nodded. “The apartment had been cleared out by the building manager. She claims there was no computer stuff, but I wouldn’t put it past her to have sold it.”
“Fuck,” Sampson said.
“But there was something I found.”
“What?” Isaiah asked sharply.
“A notebook. It was hidden under the couch, in a rip.”
“What’s in it?” Jenner asked.
“A list of names. All of your names are in it as well as the girls. Along with bits of information about each of you. A couple of old news clippings about the cult being taken down by the FBI.”
“Motherfucker,” Sampson said.
“And a list of rules. I’ll show you them.”
Abe and Sampson started swearing as soon as they saw them.
“Take it you know something,” he said dryly.
“Those are similar to the rules that the Deity used to give his Sentinels,” Sampson explained. “How the fuck did he get them? Who would have given them to him?”
Gray felt his frustration. They still knew so little about James. Even less about who the fuck this Deity was. If he was even real. Maybe he was a figment of James’ imagination.
So far there was no connection between James and the cult.
They also hadn’t found Andy’s body yet. Maybe they never would. At this point, it didn’t likely matter since they knew James had killed him.
“I always knew that fucker was wrong,” Abe muttered.
“Immy is taking it hard,” Jenner said. “She liked him.”
“No one knew,” Alejandro added. “He didn’t come up as a red flag on any background checks. He had a normal childhood. There is nothing to show he was involved with the cult at all.”
“This could all be a delusion of his,” Isaiah said. “Maeve said he wasn’t stable. He likely discovered about our connection to the cult and made all of this up in his head.”
“But how did he get these rules?” Sampson asked.
“They’re not exactly the same,” Isaiah stated.
“No, they’re not,” Abe said. “The Deity’s rules were to obey him. To not speak of the cult to outsiders. To protect the sanctity of the Divine.”
“These rules say, to obey his word as law. To never speak of him. And to always put the cult first,” Gray mused. “So maybe these were something James made up. Would he have known there were rules for the Sentinels?”
“Yeah, there was that book one of the former members wrote,” Abe said. “He mentioned the three rules.”
“And what about the tattoo?” Gray asked.
“I think that was mentioned in the book,” Abe said. “I only skimmed it when it came out.”
“So we are going to work on the assumption that James Saulson was having delusions and worked alone?” Alejandro asked.
Gray didn’t want to make a mistake again and risk Maeve’s safety.
“I think that it’s likely,” Gray said. “But I think that we should still be careful. Watch the girls more closely just in case.”
“Agreed,” Alejandro said. “Cat is always well protected. I’ll leave my man with Immy. Do you want more protection for her, Sampson?”
“Ah, no, I have it covered,” Sampson said. “But I want to know that Maeve is protected.”
They all glared up at him. He got it. She’d been kidnapped on his watch. He’d be furious too if he was them.
“Don’t worry, nothing will happen to Maeve again. I know I said that before. But I’m tightening things further.”
That feeling of failure still burned in his gut. But he knew he had to get past it or it would eat him alive.
“Oh, in other news,” Sampson said. “I’ve tracked down Fred. It wasn’t hard. I’ve started making his life a living hell.”
“Fred?” he asked.
“The guy that worked at the front gate,” Jenner explained. “Did Maeve not tell you that he pushed her?”
“What? Fuck no. I want his details.”
“I’m taking care of it,” Sampson said.
“Maeve is mine to look after,” he said.
“I’ve found Jenny,” Isaiah said, ignoring him. “The women who Maeve lent money too. I’m going to have fun messing with her.”
“No, wait, you all don’t get to do this. It’s my responsibility.”
“You need to learn how to share,” Alejandro said smoothly. “You are part of a family now, after all.”
They all gave him smug looks.
Bastards.
“Also, we will be there in a few days,” Alejandro said.