AFFLICTION- LRH

Deal.

Maeve's POV:

Keeping the hood of my jacket above my head, I began my journey toward the home I've come accompanied too for the last week.

My heart raced with a mixture of anticipation and dread as I approached Darian's house. The evening air was cool against my skin, carrying a silence that seemed to press in from all sides.

I had been down this path many times the last few weeks, each visit a carefully calculated risk designed to forge an unexpected bond with the one person I never thought I would ally with.

I just hoped this careful scheme had been working all along.

Tucking the new book I had brought for her under my arm, I knock gently on the door, which causes the wooden frame to creak open.

"Who is it?" Her voice was high, childlike.

"It's me," I call out, shutting the cold air behind me as I enter the room. I feel a sudden twinge in my chest at the sight ahead of me.

Darian, with her wild, untamed hair partially tamed into a messy bun, was gently rocking her baby brother.
The soft coos and the rhythmic creaking of the rocking chair were hypnotic, and for a moment, I felt an alien sense of peace in the chaos that had become our lives.

Darian had told me her mother left the two of them a few months ago on a mission, and never returned. She didn't know her father, nor the babies father.

She was always on the lookout, and to me,

It reminded me of the bond between Arabella and Luke.

"Hey," I whisper , careful not to startle the baby into wakefulness as I step closer.

Darian looked up, her eyes reflecting a mix of weariness and warmth. "Hey," she replied, her voice a soothing murmur. "He's just about asleep."

Nodding, I head toward the torn apart chair with the ripped fabric, taking a seat across from her. "He looks... content."

"He's been a menace all day," Darian sighs, rubbing her tired face as she continues to pat the baby's back, "but, he's the one good thing from this whole mess my life is."

She had told me once that her mother was the prettiest woman that stayed in this world. Her mother would do anything she could do to provide, whether that was risking her life on the jobs,

Or sleeping with the powerful men here.

Meaning, my grandfather.

He knew what a cruel world he caused for her, manipulating her to believe that she would have a better life for her two young children if she did as she was told. If she just stayed at his side whenever he needed her.

And, she did.

Yet, as I sit here, my eyes examining the dirty and broken home Darian and her brother sit in, the home her mother once raised these children in, all I could think about was the broken promises he left behind for her.

The fire crackled loudly, causing my head to return back to earth, my eyes landing on Darian, who was already staring my way, "do you have any more information?"

Clearing my throat, I sit up a bit straighter, "I overheard Luke tell the others that no one here really stands by Burke anymore. Burke is now just a man who holds nothing but fear over the others heads."

Darian snorts, finally relaxing back into the chair as the baby sleeps peacefully in her arms, "you don't have to tell me twice. Burke has cameras, microphones, men, anything you could think of constantly just watching...listening. There is no escape."

"Not quite," I lean forward, "Luke said Burke only has one man right now, his name is Alex. But he doesn't even think Alex is by his side-"

"No one here has ever liked Burke, Maeve." Darian cuts me off, her eyes a mix of fire and ice as she stands slowly, grasping her brother tight "Burke only reigns terror. And everyone is afraid."

"We need to get rid of Burke," I blurt out, though my voice stays steady despite the thunderous pounding in my chest.

Darian's eyes narrowed, a flicker of something dangerous passing through them before she sets the baby in a cot, "I'm listening."

"It's not just about escaping anymore,"  I continued, watching Darian closely. "It's about taking back control, about not letting him—or anyone—dictate our lives."

"And you think I can help with that?" Darian asked, a hint of skepticism lacing her tone.

"Are you kidding?" I smirk, "you are one of the strongest ones here. For a kid your age, you know more than half the adults running rampant around the compound. You have your shit together."

"I had no choice but to grow up."

Darian and I may not relate on a lot.

But, that statement hit the closest to home.

"What does Luke say about all of this?" Darian asks, "what does he think of your plan? Do you have a plan?"

Did I have a plan?

"Of course I have a plan."

No, no I didn't.

But why waste the time trying to come up with something, then taking the time to get the job done.

"Alright," she nods, "I'm in, but you owe me."

"I would never do anything without a deal, D." I laugh, "I know the game, don't worry."

She moves back and forth in front of me, her finger tapping slightly against her chin as she thinks, "I want that house when you guys leave."

"Deal."

"And!" She continues, "I want everything inside it. Books included."

"Okay, that sounds fair." I nod.

"You could leave Luke too." She giggles.

My brow raises quickly, but a smirk tugs at my lips, "I think you know the answer to that one. You should've asked me a few weeks ago."

"I just wanted to see how long I could keep ya going." She shrugs, "worth a shot."

"I should probably head back," I say, standing from the seat as I wipe my pants down, "Luke probably knows I'm not there anymore, and he will give me a lecture."

"Tell him to be nice to you," Darian says, "I might be needing new heads to keep in my garden."

Making my way back to the house, I keep my head low, trying my best not to gain any attention.

The sound of footsteps running up behind me has my ears alert, my breath hitched as I listened.

Closer.

Closer.

Before I knew it, my elbow rams into a body, specifically their ribs.

"Ow, fuck!"

"Ashton!" I gasp, turning around to see Ashton laying against the dirt, his hands holding tightly to his chest as he rocks back and forth, "oh god I'm sorry, don't run up on me!"

"At least we know you are always paying attention," he coughs, grabbing my hand as he stands back up, "get back to the house. Luke is going crazy."

"I'm not surprised." I shrug, "he needs to know he can't be my little savior. I know how to hold my own."

"Obviously," Ashton snorts, "but, just do it for now. At least until we leave this place. He worries about you."

"Let him worry," I say, "it's about time it was his turn to take over that job while I did what I needed to do."

And that, was to kill my grandfather once and for all.