Darius and I were up in an instant. I couldn't imagine what Brandon wanted but I was curious to find out. We rushed over to the front door but Darius held out a hand to stop me.
"You have to stay inside," he told me. "It wouldn't bode well for the plan if you're outside with me. The only way you'll be there is if you're my equal and according to him, you're not."
I knew he was right so I nodded. I watched them go outside and I settled for watching from the window. Brandon stood in the driveway looking just how I left him only this time, there was a dangerous look in his eyes. I knew he had something planned but for the life of me, I couldn't tell what it was.
Darius went out to meet him but stopped on the front steps. "You're either very smart or very stupid to stand on my driveway when I have men right here who would not hesitate to kill you. You have five minutes before I give the order."
"I don't need five minutes, I just came to inform you that your security in this town, sucks," he spat and confusion speared my brows. What was he talking about? "For the past week, I have been with Leindra. Did she tell you that?"
I saw Darius twitch and my eyes widened. What the hell was Brandon doing? It took everything in my power for me not to rush out there and punch him in the face. I knew I played my part well so Brandon was deliberately trying to get me into trouble. If Darius truly was abusive, I would be dead. He knew that and yet he was telling Darius about our time together.
"Leindra would never do that. She knows what is at stake."
If I didn't know Darius, I would have truly believed that he was capable of hurting me. He sounded so terrifying and Brandon had the sense to notice it because he took a subtle step backwards.
"I guess your grip on her isn't as strong as you think," Brandon goaded him. "She didn't tell you of all the afternoons she spent in my bed. I must say, I really missed her. The fun part is that I didn't even have to beg. She came to me willingly."
Horror filled me and I was just about to say fuck everything and go outside when a hand wrapped around my mouth and I was pulled into a hard chest. I tried to scream and fight but I was held down tightly.
"Relax, Brandon sent me," that didn't help my case but I forced my body to relax slightly. "Take me to the office, we don't have time."
I turned to face the assailant and I recognized him as one of Darius' men. He wasn't a high-ranking soldier and I was grateful for that because it meant he wasn't privy to any of our conversations and he hadn't seen Darius and I around each other. I tried to hide the betrayal on my face as I led him towards the office.
I was relieved that Jared had already taken the laptop so I felt no guilt as I let him in.
A part of me itched to know what was being discussed outside but I knew my presence was needed more inside. The man searched through the drawers and when he came up empty, he cursed.
"Where did he keep it?" he asked and I shrugged. "How could you not know? Are you completely useless?"
"First of all, it isn't my fault that no one told me what was happening. If you had let me in on the plan I could have ensured it was here. I don't know where Darius keeps his spoils from war."
"Take me to his room then. It might be there, we don't have time."
"You're right about that part," we turned to the door immediately to see Amy standing there with her hands crossed over her chest. She turned to me with a dirty look. "Darius will have his fun with you after."
I was grateful that she was sticking to the plan and I shot her a grateful look. The man knew he was cornered and I saw him gear into a fighting stance. He took out a pocket knife and rushed her. Fear gripped my chest and I feared he was going to hurt her but at the last minute, she knocked the weapon out of his hand and slammed his face hard into the wall.
"Nice try," she mocked in a patronizing tone just as Darius and Ian rushed into the
room.
They took one look at me and the man and they seemed to piece together what had happened. Ian grabbed the guy and led him out of the room presumably towards the dungeons. I waited until he had disappeared before I threw my hands around Darius' neck. He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around me and it wasn't until I pulled back that I realized his knuckles had been busted open.
"Did you punch him?" I asked and he shrugged. "When? I was pulled away after he insinuated that we had sex."
"I punched him shortly after that," he said it as if it were no big deal but I knew a part of him was affected. It couldn't have been easy for him to hear those words even if he knew they weren't true.
"I'm sorry," I told him but he waved me off. "This seems to be causing more problems than solutions."
"We got a traitor and goddess knows if there are more. You are helping, Leindra, and I hate to admit it but this is a damn good plan. The question is, what happens now?"
"Brandon is probably going to see me soon. He knows he messed up by saying those things and he would expect me to be beaten to a pulp."
"I'm not going to hit you. I don't want Amaris to hit you. Isn't there another way? Can't you fake the bruises? This is bullshit."
"You know she has to."
"I don't like this at all. I don't care if you have to call it off."
I sighed and stepped into his space. I lifted my hand and stroked his cheek softly. I saw him ease into my hold but the hardness in his eyes was still there. I knew he wasn't going to agree and I was going to do it regardless- we both knew that- but we also knew that I would feel better if I had his permission.
"You would do anything to protect me," I said softly and he hummed. "Allow me to protect us. Brandon is a formidable foe and you know it. If this is what I have to do to ensure that we get to the bottom of this then I will do it. You won't even have to see me because I'll sleep in my room tonight."
"No!"
"I have to, Brandon will come looking and he can't see us together."
Darius muttered a long string of expletives under his breath. "My stance remains, I can't agree to this, not again."
I had expected that so I didn't protest much, I just nodded and left the room. I made my way to the kitchen where I found Amy and I told her my plan. She looked like she disagreed as well but she was easier to persuade. She helped me with dinner although I could feel the unease rolling off her in waves.
Dinner was a tense affair and Darius kept mostly to himself the entire time. It wasn't until a few minutes after dinner that it started to take effect. I noticed him rubbing his eyes a few times and I managed to convince him that it was a good idea to go to bed early. He had barely sat on the bed when he passed out. As soon as he was out, I went to Amy's room.
"Darius is going to kill me for this," she mumbled under her breath and I noticed that she had her bags packed. She noticed my line of sight and scoffed. "You don't really think I'll stay here after this, do you? I am going to Ian's because sister or not, Darius will have my head."
"I'll make sure he doesn't."
"Good luck," she muttered then she punched me.
By the time she was done, I was hurting all over. I encouraged her to punch me in the face at least once and judging by the throbbing in my jaw, I was regretting it. She had to help me into my room and into bed. Once she was sure I was safe, she bid me farewell and disappeared. I waited in bed for hours and I began to doubt whether Brandon was actually going to come when there was a knock at my window. Brandon let himself in and I was confused as to how he managed to climb up without hurting himself. He took one look at me and winced. He didn't look good either judging by the black eye he was sporting but I knew that I looked terrible.
"Get out," I told him and he sighed deeply. "You knew he would hurt me but you did it anyway."
"The laptop was important."
"Did you get it?" I sassed and he at least had the decency to look down. "I thought I could trust you, Brandon, but clearly I was wrong. I want no part in your bullshit again. Stay away from me."
"I needed to know that you were really a part of us. I needed to know that you were willing to bleed for us."
"I don't appreciate being lied to."
He reached out and stroked my hair softly. "It won't happen again. I know that you're one of us now. Once you're healed, come to me."
"Do you really think that Darius will let me out of his sight after the stunt you pulled?'
"Otto wasn't my only man here. We have one more but for his safety, I can't tell you who he is. When you're healed, send me a text and he will come for you." "Why should I trust you? How do I know you won't betray me again?" "Because this time, I will tell you everything."