The conversation with The Bull went better than I had expected. He didn’t outright say he’d help me, but I knew he would. That man would burn the whole world down to find his sister, and if helping me meant getting her back, he’d do it. Even if it killed him.
Still, the whole thing left a bitter taste in my mouth. People always came to me asking for favours. They came to me, asking for something and offering something in return. And now, my ego had taken another hit because of Roman. Again. The bastard had taken everything from me, reduced me to this, needing and begging help from people who, in a normal scenario came to me for help. He cornered me and left me relying on people I barely trusted. I wasn’t used to that. I wasn’t built for it.
But I’d make damn sure Roman regretted ever breathing in the same air as me. I’d rip everything he had from his grasp. Brick by brick. Dollar by dollar. Life by life. Until there was nothing left of him.
Hermine and Zinnia had been watching me since I walked back into the main, waiting. They knew better than to pounce immediately, but they were itching for answers. I ignored them.
Not because I wanted to play some kind of game, but because I didn’t have an answer yet. The Bull wasn’t a man who made promises lightly. Moreso, twice to the same person who had yet to keep their end of the bargain. He was weighing his options, his risks, and his benefits before committing to anything. Until he gave me his word, there was nothing to say.
But Zinnia? She wasn’t one to wait. And as usual, she had thoughts.
“You’re not going to tell us, are you?” she asked, arms crossed, her keen gaze piercing into me.
“Not until I’m sure he will help us. We shouldn’t rely on his response and keep finding out ways to ger Roman,.” I replied.
She scoffed. “Now you want to be sure?”
I ignored that, too. Hermine opened her mouth, probably to try and pry again, but Zinnia spoke first.
“What if we bait him?” Zinnia interjected. I barely processed what she was saying before she kept going.
“What if we make it look like we’re falling apart? That we’re desperate. That I’m desperate.”
My entire body stiffened. “No.”
Zinnia narrowed her eyes at me. “You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“I don’t have to. If it involves you willingly walking into the lion’s den, then it’s not happening.” She exhaled sharply, but I wasn’t done.
“Roman won’t buy it. And even if he does, it won’t matter because he’ll kill you the second you step into his line of sight.”
She didn’t even flinch. “Not if we do it right.”
“Zinnia-”
“Hear me out.” She took a step closer, her voice lowering. “What if we fake an altercation?”
I didn’t respond. Not because I was considering it, hell no, but because I knew arguing with her was pointless when she had that look in her eye and oh fucking God did I want her on my knees worshipping my cock. Roman took more than he should from Zinnia. He ruined and broke her beyond repair, not even an expect could mold her back to perfection. But it didn’t matter to me because despite being broken, she rose like a phoenix. She dangerously imperfect and I love every broken part of her.
Zinnia turned to Hermine instead. “Could you upload a video on the dark web? Something that makes it look like we’re turning on each other? Something to make sure Roman or one of his men sees it?”
I felt Hermine’s gaze flick toward me before she could answer. And that was all I needed. I gave her a look, one that said don’t you dare.
Hermine hesitated. “I mean, technically, yes, but-”
“No,” I cut in. “Absolutely not.”
Zinnia turned back to me, her jaw tightening. “Why not?”
“You know why. I am not letting that man near you.”
“Reed,” she exhaled, exasperated. “Don’t think about what he did to me. Trust me, there’s nothing he can do to hurt me again. But, this could work and I need you to be on board with me. If Roman thinks I’m a liability, he’ll want me alive. He’ll think he can use me. That’s how we get in.”
I shook my head, stepping toward her. “Or he’ll just put a bullet in your skull if he knows you are of no use to me.”
“He won’t,” she insisted. “Not if we plan it right.”
She truly believed that. I could see it in the way she held her ground, in the fire behind her eyes. But she was wrong.
Roman wasn’t some amateur. He wasn’t someone you tricked into making mistakes. He was calculating, vicious. If he even thought Zinnia was a liability, he’d take her off the board permanently.
“Drop it,” I said, my voice leaving no room for argument.
But Zinnia? She never knew when to back down.
“I won’t drop it.”
I clenched my jaw. “Zinnia-”
She crossed her arms. “Don’t you get it Reed? That man ruined my life. He is the reason we have nothing left. So, if I have to serve as bait to end his fucking miserable life, then so be it. I won’t drop it.”
Neither of us moved. Neither of us blinked. The air between us was thick, neither of us willing to be the first to look away.
Hermine shifted awkwardly beside us. “Uh… maybe we should-”
“Stay out of this,” we both snapped at the same time.
Hermine sighed. “Yeah, okay. Sure. That’s healthy.”
Zinnia lifted her chin. “We’re out of options, Reed.”
I shook my head. “No. You think we are. But I’m not about to hand you over to Roman like some sacrificial lamb.”
She threw her hands in the air. “I’m not asking you to hand me over! I’m asking you to let me play him just like he played you. To make him think he has the upper hand.”
I took a step closer, lowering my voice. “I said no.”
Zinnia stared up at me, frustration rolling off her in waves.
I could feel it. The way the tension between us crackled, the way neither of us wanted to give an inch. This wasn’t just about the plan. This was about control. It was her own way of taking back control of her life, but she was going about it the wrong way.
She wanted me to trust her to handle herself. I wanted her to stay alive. Neither of us were willing to bend.
The silence stretched between us, unrelenting. Then, finally, Zinnia exhaled and took a step back.
“Fine,” she muttered. But I knew that look. That wasn’t surrender. She was waiting. Waiting for the right moment to execute her plan.
And that scared the hell out of me because I don’t know when she will
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