DIVISION 52 - BOOK I

CHAPTER XXXVIII

– M A K A Y L A –

My mind hadn't stopped running through dozens of outcomes where Alex and every other member of Division 52 met their end in her home.

It had been an hour since. An hour since I had been covertly flown through an underground network and back out into the city skies. I had begged the driver to take me back. Begged any of the three wordless guards watching me closely but they did not even flinch.

I was about to do something entirely crazy but Proximo came onto the comms in time.

"I am tracking your location. The driver will bring you to me and we will discuss... our situation." He said formally.

Situation? Really. That's what this is.

"Proximo! Where is Alex?" I demanded, not even caring that I was addressing her lethal second in such a way.

Silence followed and my blood seemed to freeze in my veins.

"Damn it you can spare protecting me or other such bullshit and just tell me. I've risked enough to at least be given that much." I said exasperatedly running a hand through my blonde locks.

A sigh came from the other side and the words I really did not want to hear found their way to me.

"Hades has her."

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't even see straight. Colours blurred past me and I was sure Proximo began speaking again but I didn't hear him. Hades has her? Meaning she's not dead but she may as well be. That power mad psychopath has the woman I love and was likely doing god knows what to her now.

I braced my hands against the seats and took in deeper gulps of air.

"MAKAYLA!" Proximo's voice shouted into my head.

I leant back against the leather seats of the fusion craft and realised we'd begun to descend. We must be nearing his location. Not that it mattered.

"Keep it together. She is resourceful and smart. She will not die." He told me in complete confidence.

"Yes. I know. But Proximo it's not much use to her when she's entirely outnumbered and god knows where!" I shouted back at him, tears had started to escape my eyes and I took a much more ragged breath.

How many times was she going to do this to me before my heart just shattered entirely from the stress?

We landed and I was ushered out onto a rooftop where Proximo stood next to a much larger military looking ship. He took long powerful strides and was infront of me in moments. But he did the last thing in the world I expected.

He wrapped me into a tight hug.

But it destroyed the last bit of my self-control and I couldn't even linger on the fact that this cold, lethal and beautiful human was hugging me for support. Loud sobs racked through me and I let my tears soak his cloaked shoulder. But he didn't allow it to last.

After another minute of holding me together he drew me back sharply as if it had never happened and looked fiercely into my eyes.

"Enough of this now. You are no good to her—to either of us as an emotional wreck." He said bluntly.

Despite everything I laughed in a pained, broken way. He even dropped me a half smirk.

"You're right. God forbid—we have any emotion—in this place." I got out between sniffs.

"My thoughts exactly. What a ridiculous notion." He dismissed with a hand wave. "Now if you'll stop leaking out your eyes and nose and get in the damn ship I am going to track that bastard down and fill his lungs with enough plasma to make him melt." Proximo growled down at me.