DECEIT (B723) by Hazel Grace (ebook reader for surface pro .TXT) 📕

it comes with the peace of knowing that no one from B723 will suffer any consequences for the bad choices I’ve made. Without them comes the solace of not having to worry about them so I can do this job and get it over with.

On our way to my new temporary place of residence, I had to listen to every single one of Mills’ phone calls—to Marty, Kyson, Blue, and Ledger—about plans and arrangements for my last hoorah.

It was cryptic and awful. I’ve double-guessed my decision every time Mills repeated the words but reminded myself of why I’m doing this in the first place.

Mills is at his wits’ end with me, and now he has to go up against B723 as he fathers my twins in secret.

That’s what we’re hoping for anyway.

The half-ass plan is that I’ll be done with Alexander before the twins even get out of the NICU. No one will know. All I need my best friend to do is make sure Atlas and Alaric never get put into my ex’s hands.

When Mills is done with his calls, we drive in more deafening silence to the address I gave him. The air between us is so thick that it's suffocating, and I loathe the absence of sound as much as I do with what I have to do to keep my kids safe.

“I know you don’t want to hear this,” I start, filling in the car with words. “But I owe you. Anything you ever—“

“Shut up, Ems,” he mutters through a growl and readjusts his grip along the steering wheel of his tinted out BMW M4.

I gently turn myself in the passenger seat to face him, feeling my stitches pull. “Will you send me pictures? Can you call me so I can talk to them and they hear my voice?”

He gives me a curt nod but keeps his eyes on the two-lane road outlined by tall pines and too many miles between me and my squishies.

I set my jaw, allowing my tone to sound however it’s going to because I’m exhausted, devastated, and draining of hope. “I know you hate me right now. I hate me too. I’m so sorry that I had to—“

“Stop it, Emmy.” My nostrils flare in frustration. I need to make sure Mills knows how much I appreciate him. That this means everything to me and my babies.

Communication and talking about things—mainly this—make me feel better. There is no room for error, especially with something as important as my children's lives.

I swivel myself around to look out my window, giving Mills the space he needs. The further we drive away, the more I feel my heart crack open.

These are the vital and happy moments where I should feel blessed that I gave birth. That I’m a mother to two beautiful babies that need me as much as I need them.

Not cruising away with one of my best friends and throwing him into a shitty situation while I’m alone as if I did something wrong in my and Alexander’s relationship.

Well, you did. 

A cell rings, and Mills pulls his out then glances over at me for the first time. “It’s not mine.”

Reaching into the pocket of my hoodie, I didn’t realize that I had taken it with me and must’ve shoved it there out of habit.

The screen lights up, and my stomach drops.

It’s Bishop.

“I…” I practically choke the phone with my fingers so that I can’t speak to him. That he’ll feel it and hang up.

“Who is it?” Mills asks before I drop the phone in the cup holder of his car like it’s burning through my skin.

“I thought you told everyone,” I reply.

“I did.”

“Then why...why is Bishop calling me?” I swear I hear Mills lightly scoff as he turns left and continues down a dusty gravel road. “Didn’t you?”

“Yes, Emmy. I had the pleasure of letting everyone know that you’re dead.”

“I know this fucking sucks and I suck, but—”

“You do suck,” he agrees, locking his jaw. “You wouldn’t let us help you, so you decide to put our family through hell so you can—”

“I need you to respect that I want to do this on my own,” I snap, my heart seizing up from being such a bitch to him, but I don’t want to agree about it anymore. It’s too rough. “That I don’t want everyone to be used as collateral damage.”

“That’ll still happen. If you think he wants those kids so much, he’ll only try to kill me with legal fees or for real try it.”

“Look what happened to Stormi and Marty. Eli used us to lure Marty to him. I’m not doing that with Bishop, Kyson—“

“We would’ve taken our chances.”

“I wouldn’t have. I’m not losing anyone over a fucking asshole. I just lost precious time with my children because of him.”

He doesn’t say another word as done with this conversation as I am with this situation.

I can’t say that I blame him.

“I’ll be done by the time the kids get out of the NICU,” I remind him. “No one has to do about you on the birth certificate.”

“You better hurry the fuck up. I already feel the target on the back of my head.”

“I’m going to do this as quickly as I can. I promise.”

“I know.” He peeks over his shoulder to me. “I know. We’ll…I’ll make sure the babies hear your voice twice a day when I visit at the hospital.”

“I’d love that.”

“I mean, what’s two to three weeks? You and I might have to disappear after the gang finds out you’re alive, but you’ve forged passports and new identities before. I can pick out my own name and shit.”

“This will work.” I lean back in my seat and cross my arms. “I take care of him in that amount of time.”

“Now wait a minute—“ Mills’s voice transforms from just being a smart ass a moment ago back to skeptical. “—you’re not going to be doing that alone.”

My brows knit. “That’s the whole point of the squad not being involved in this.”

“Then I’m calling in