Chapter 121: Believe
Lucas dropped into a chair, his eyes never leaving Zoe. "Why are you telling us this now?" he asked.
Zoe didn’t answer him immediately. Instead, she turned to Dennis. "Because of you," she said quietly. "Believe me, I’ve thought this over a million times since the moment I set eyes on you and felt the bond." Her fingers twisted together in her lap. "If I don’t complete the mission, someone else will come in my place. And that person won’t hesitate. And me?" She gave a bitter smile. "I’ll be locked in a dungeon and probably tortured until I forget my own name."
Ava’s eyes darted between them. The vulnerability in Zoe’s tone surprised her. For a woman who’d just threatened to knock Lucas out, she looked suddenly small and terribly human.
Zoe continued, "But if I stay here—if I try to be with you—I put all of you in danger. Not just Ava. You. Your brother. This entire rogue camp." She swallowed hard. "That’s why I told you."
Dennis sat down slowly, his shoulders slumping. It wasn’t anger on his face. It was the quiet devastation of someone who’d just had hope peeled from his chest. His hand rubbed his temple.
Lucas stood up again with that ever-annoying air of control. "You’re coming back to the fortress with me," he said, pointing at Ava.
Ava blinked. She didn’t want to argue—not right now—but her mind was racing. "Okay," she said finally, nodding. But she had questions. A lot of them.
Zoe leaned toward Dennis. "Say something," she begged. "Please. Anything."
Dennis exhaled long and slow. "Ava’s life is in danger," he said quietly. "I want to hear what she thinks."