Chapter 54 Chapter 54
"I am not a traitor," I said and forced myself to meet Alexander's eyes. "Everything I have done has been to serve The Syndicate. To serve you."
Alexander studied me for a long moment. The silence stretched until I thought my nerves would snap. Finally, he waved his hand at Ivan. "Leave us."
Ivan hesitated. "She compromised the mission."
"She asked questions. That is not the same as betrayal." Alexander's tone left no room for argument. "I said leave."
Ivan shot me a look that promised this was not over, and then walked out. Sophia followed him and closed the door behind her. I was alone with Alexander, and somehow that felt more dangerous than facing Ivan's gun.
"You made Ivan look weak in front of a target," Alexander said. "You questioned his judgment. His authority. Do you understand why that is a problem?"
"I was trying to prevent a mistake."
"No. You were trying to save someone you thought might be innocent. That is different." He poured himself a drink, and the amber liquid caught the light. "In this world, there are no innocents, Lisa. Only people who have not been caught yet."
"James Rivera could have been set up."
"He was guilty. But even if he was not, it would not matter. Once someone is marked for death, they die. That is how we maintain order. How we keep people afraid enough to stay loyal." Alexander took a sip and watched me over the rim of his glass. "Fear is the only currency that matters."
My hands shook, but I kept them clasped in front of me. "What happens now?"
"Now you prove your loyalty. You go back to Damien, and you feed him exactly what I tell you to feed him. No more improvising. No more trying to save people." He set down his glass. "And you remember that every choice you make affects Mia. Her life is in your hands."
He dismissed me with a wave, and Sophia appeared to escort me back to my room. But instead of locking me inside, she handed me a coat.
"Alexander says you can leave for a few hours. Clear your head. But be back by midnight." Her expression was unreadable. "Do not make him regret his mercy."
I walked out of the warehouse into the cold night air, and my whole body started shaking. The adrenaline that had kept me standing finally crashed, and I had to lean against a wall to stay upright. My phone buzzed. Damien.
"Where are you? Are you safe?"
"Corner of Fourth and Main. Can you pick me up?"
"I am already on my way."
His car pulled up five minutes later. I climbed in, and he took one look at my face and pulled me into his arms. The dam broke. Sobs tore through me, and I could not stop them. All the fear and pain and horror of watching James Rivera die came flooding out.
"I tried to save him," I choked out between sobs. "I sent you that message, but it was too late. Ivan shot him, and I just stood there and watched."
Damien held me tighter. "You did everything you could."
"It was not enough. He is dead because I was not fast enough. Not smart enough." I pulled back to look at him. "How do you live with this? How do you carry the weight of all the people who die because of choices you make?"
His face was pained. "You learn to compartmentalize. To separate what you can control from what you cannot. But it never gets easier. Every death stays with you."
He drove us to a different safe house across town. This one was smaller and more sparse, but it felt safer somehow. Away from The Syndicate's eyes. Away from Alexander's manipulation.
Inside, Damien paced while I sat on the couch. His hands kept clenching into fists, and his jaw was tight with barely controlled anger.
"This has to stop," he said finally. "You cannot keep doing this. Cannot keep putting yourself in danger."
"I do not have a choice. Mia will die if I walk away."
"Then we get Mia out. We hide her somewhere Alexander cannot find her." Damien stopped pacing and faced me. "But you are done being his puppet. Done risking your life every single day."
"It is not that simple."
"Yes, it is. You walk away. Right now. Tonight. And I protect you both." His voice rose. "Do you have any idea what it does to me knowing you are in that warehouse surrounded by killers? Knowing that at any moment they could discover the truth and put a bullet in your head?"
"You think I do not know that? You think I am not terrified every second of every day?" I stood to face him. "But this is the only way to end The Syndicate. The only way to stop Alexander from destroying everything."
"I do not care about The Syndicate! I care about you!" The words exploded out of him. "I would burn this entire city to the ground if it meant keeping you safe."
"That is not who you are."