Our Challenge

Rats.

Estelle POV

I am sitting in my bathtub when Paix comes in.

I take a sip of my wine, "Hmm. I wonder how my two rats are doing?"

I laugh to myself and I stop once I see that Paix is giving me a look.

"What?"

"What was your point in having Auton turn on his long-term partner?"

I lift my leg and watch as the bubbles slide down my leg, "I wanted to have a little fun and see how everything will play out."

"Auton shot Lyric."

I freeze with my leg still in the air and I clench my teeth, "He did what?"

I put my leg down.

"She's alive."

I take another sip of my wine, "I told him to bruise her up not try to kill her. What the fuck?"

I stand up and she hands me a towel, "Your wolf ended up killing him and getting the nuke codes."

I smile as I put on my robe, "The wolf always gets its prey."

Kade POV

We are on a private jet heading to Berlin.

"Are you telling your mom you need to talk?" I ask Jasmine as I see her on her phone.

She nods her head, "Yeah, since we're going to be in Berlin she said they will all meet at the safe house there."

I nod my head and I look toward the back of the jet and see Lyric lying down and Zaiden sitting at the foot of the bed staring into space.

He blinks his eyes a few times and stands up. He walks in and sits directly beside Nancy.

He places the back of his hand on her thigh and she draws circles on his hand.

He looks at Farida, "What happened with Bunny?"

She looks at Zaiden, "Auton attacked her twice. Lyric was trying to fight him off but she couldn't."

"You showed up both times during the attack. Why didn't he attack you?"

She looks at her hands, "I-I don't know."

I see something run through his eyes, "Zaiden calm down."

He keeps his eyes on Farida, "As you can see I'm trying to be calm. See? Nancy's drawing circles on my hand."

"You show up during the first attack, okay? But the second attack doesn't make sense."

Farida's eyes widen, "Are you saying I have something to do with the attack?"

Zaiden sits back while still keeping eye contact with her, "Bunny told Ario to take her somewhere she wouldn't be attacked. I'm pretty sure Ario didn't tell you anything. Of course, Auton would know where to go, but how did you end up there? The only way you ended up there is if Ario or Auton told you."

I notice her breath hitches and her chest moves a little bit faster.

"I asked the workers." She says barely above a whisper.

Zaiden looks at RB, "Russian Bastard, do the workers talk to the women?"

He shakes his head no, "Do the women who dress the other women talk?"

He shakes his head no again, "I figure you would say that."

Zaiden looks back at Farida who is now visibly, "The employees aren't allowed to talk to anybody. So how did you know where to find Bunny? How did you know so much about the underground auction? Women who escape these places don't just go around telling stories about this place because they know there's a chance they may get found."