The Leverage

Chapter Fourteen

Landon's eyes are judging as he watches me return to his room, surprisingly at his request, even if he's frustrated. My own eyes are wet and stinging from desperate crying, the sort of sobbing that wracked my entire body until it was too shocked to move. Trevor can't be dead, but my body reacted as though he did die.

But he couldn't have. I refuse to believe that.

"What do you want from me, Ally?" Landon demands, beyond irritated by my distraught presence. He's glowering at me as he stands beside the door to his apartment, as if ready to open it at any moment to kick me out the second he becomes too tired of me. His glare leaves me shrinking and cowering as I back up to the couch covered by strewn blankets, trying desperately to stop my tears. It isn't helping anything. And, I don't know what I'll do if Landon refuses to help me. The thought is terrifying.

Landon's apartment is as cold as it is unwelcoming. It feels wrong being in the confine with him as he glares at me with that sickening, disgusted glint in his narrowed eyes. He isn't pitying me as I wipe under mine, my skin still freshly slick with tears. No, Landon isn't capable of that sort of mercy or understanding. He only judges any form of humanity, with a lack of respect for it.

"What do you want from me, Ally?" he repeats in a hard voice, one which leaves no room for questions. He wants me gone, to be left undisturbed. Landon sees me as only a bother, a pest which won't go away. I'm indifferent to caring about his image of me, though, so long as he still offers me the hope I'm desperately clinging to. If anyone can help me figure out what happened to Trevor, Landon is the one and only connection I have who would be capable. As a president, his abilities to reach out to Reno authorities is too great to ignore.

Even if he's a complete asshole about it.

"I want Trevor back, Landon," I answer in a voice equally as sharp as his, which hopefully leaves no room for questions as well. I also hope it didn't tremble or reveal my unfamiliar timidness. I don't have time for his bullying attitude or angry eye rolls, so I can't afford to feed him anything that would provoke such behavior, even if it's inevitable. This is serious, it's a real problem which help for can't be prolonged.

Landon then lets out a barking laugh. It holds no humor, but is still rich in his condescending manners. "And how do you think I can assist with that? Maybe your tragedy of a love story is the cost of you planning a raid on a Company establishment. A girl like you doesn't understand the respect required to survive in this world, and unfortunately, my best fighter was the casualty of your stupidity instead of the culprit herself."

I flinch at his words, a long and painful grimace spreading across my expression. I don't want to believe Landon's words. What I did for the victims downstairs is a victory I can't admit to regret. But a small part of me does. It's wrong of me, and evil — but I'm too trapped in Trevor to dwell. If I could go back in time, I'd listen to Landon and never touch the Company's prostitution building. Who am I to risk the lives of the units I've grown to love? I don't care if they're murderers, or if they're evil. They're still human. To me, they're brothers, the family I lack. And I failed them. I lost Trevor. I lost —

No. I can't do this. I'm trembling as I clench my teeth to stop them from chattering and ball my fists to prevent their shaking. I need composure. I need a deep breath, a moment of clarity. This isn't me, doubting myself and falling victim to regret. What is happening? If I can't act for the victims of Reno, a girl who was tortured there herself and planned a raid to save everyone left behind, who else can I expect to protect them? Maybe, maybe, I lost Trevor. But in this mess, I can't lose myself. Not yet. Not until I see Trevor's lifeless body in front of my own eyes. Only then will I believe he's gone.

"Landon," I address carefully, while almost relieved to feel a surge of rage flood through my veins like adrenaline. It almost overwhelms my panicked desperation. "You have your opinions about what's happened, but you still helped me. You had to have seen something worthy in the raid if you participated, so stop blaming all of this on me. You have some accountability. So you also have the responsibility of finding out what's happened to Trevor."