A Crown Of Smoke And Ash - Sloane Murphy Page 0,131

the new council to sit down together, yet another future Remy problem. That bitch is going to hate me.

But now Colt is coming around, and Creek’s family are coming around, if I can smooth things over with Bauer, then I only have my dad left to try and win over. I can’t even imagine that.

I turn the music up, and survival by Eminem is blasting. Man I love this song. I put the windows down and enjoy the drive, feeling more carefree than I have in a while, even with everything that’s yet to come.

The drive passes quickly, and before I know it, I’m pulling up next to Bauer’s truck, a huge smile on my face. He opens his front door before I’m even out of the car, the grave look on his face makes me pause. Whatever it is he wanted to talk about isn’t going to be good. I can feel it in my bones.

I climb from the car and watch as he scopes our surroundings before rushing me inside and locking the door behind me. “What is going on, Bauer?”

“Remy, I made a huge fuck up. I have no idea how to fix it.”

“Take a deep breath. Start from the beginning, and we’ll go from there.” I move us to his sofa but he just paces in front of me when I sit.

“We don’t have much time. I thought I could stop it, I tried to warn you, but I guess you didn’t get my letter. It’s all so out of control, Remy. I don’t know what else to do.” His breathing increases and I worry he’s going to have a panic attack right in front of me.

“What letter?” I ask, confused.

“The letter I sent you, in the black envelope, from before Dad got hurt. It doesn’t matter now. It’s too late for that. We need to find a way to stop it.”

I’ve never seen Bauer like this before. He’s always the calm and collected one. I swallow my own panic that threatens, because if Bauer is acting like this, it’s going to be fucking earth shattering.

“Stop what?” I ask tentatively. My phone buzzes in my pocket repeatedly, but I ignore it while I wait for him to answer. He starts and stops a dozen times before looking me straight in the eye. I’ve never seen him look so broken.

“Archer. Stop Archer.”

I drive faster than I thought possible back to the manor, breaking every speed limit, and not giving one fuck. I weave through the traffic, wishing I had wings to get there quicker.

Bauer just blew my fucking mind, and I need to tell the guys. We need to get ready. I don’t know what Marie saw, but if what Bauer told me is right, everything is about to change, because there is no way in hell I’m letting that go down.

The car kicks up dirt and gravel as I brake sharply in front of the manor.

“Levi! Roman! Where the fuck are you guys?” I run to the hall into the sitting room and jam my finger on the bell to the basement door. It’s only seconds but it feels like a lifetime until the door opens, and I see Roman’s face, speckled with blood.

“We need to talk. Now.”

“But…”

“No fucking buts, Roman. Get your asses up here, now.” I spin on my heel, and run towards Levi’s wing of the house, calling out his name. He can’t have gone too far surely.

I run up the stairs to his room and pound on the door.

Nothing.

Where the fuck is he?

I grab my cell and practically smash the screen, jamming my finger on it to pull up his number. It rings out, so I redial.

A knot starts in my stomach, and dread seeps through me.

This can’t be happening right now.

I make my way back to the main of the house, and find three of them in the kitchen, each with a beer, looking confused.

“Where is Levi?” I ask, moving to the windows to search the grounds out the back.

“I have no idea. What the hell is going on, Princess?”

“Archer. It was all Archer.” I squat down and put my head between my knees, trying to regulate my breathing, and fail miserably.

“Who the fuck is Archer?” Levi asks as he strolls into the kitchen, and I feel like I can breathe again. They’re all here. They’re not hurt.

“Archer Dotoro? Bauer’s friend?”

“Bauer’s lover. And apparently boss, or accomplice, I don’t know but Bauer changed his mind or something, he didn’t want to