The Gender Plan (The Gender Game #6)(42)

Nobody objected. Who among us had ever had a problem with Henrik’s advice? He’d even been able to talk Amber down when she was in a murderous rage.

After taking a look around the room full of nods, Henrik began, “You guys have been debating this plant thing to death, and honestly, right now, it doesn’t matter. You aren’t in the city, and you won’t be in the city until you can get the rebels on your side. And we won’t have that unless you have something to offer.”

“We are planning to offer weapons, but that’s about all we have,” said Ms. Dale.

“Actually, you have more than you think. You have Thomas.”

“Thomas?” I said, just as Thomas said, “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Henrik confirmed with a nod. “Or rather, your access to the cameras in the city. You can offer them intel on something they desperately need—the city itself. Matrians, movements of rogue factions, even this water treatment plant.”

“But all my stuff… it’s in the city. In my safe house. When I left the sewers, I disconnected it so Desmond couldn’t have access to it.”

“Could someone put it back together?”

Thomas hesitated, and then nodded, tugging his shirt down over his paunch. “Yes. Provided nothing has been damaged.”

“That’s where you start, then. If you give them that gift, then they might be willing to get us more intel on the plant.”

I opened my mouth. Then I shut it. It was as good as plans got, all things considered. And it was an idea we hadn’t even thought of. Looking around the room, it wasn’t hard to see that everyone was in agreement.

“It’s good to have you back, Henrik,” announced Viggo from behind me.

“It’s good to be back, my boy,” he said with a wink.





15





Viggo





“Are you really sure that you want to go?”

I turned and smiled when I saw Violet stepping down off the porch. I gave the bag I had been stuffing into the trunk of the car another shove. “Somebody’s got to go,” I said. “Might as well be me.”

“Yeah, but it’s Maxen,” she replied, her eyes rolling and a look of perfect distaste dramatizing her face.

I fought off the urge to laugh, but a small chuckle slipped through. “You better not make that face when Maxen gets here,” I warned her playfully, taking a step forward and closing the distance between us.

She stuck out her hip and rested her fist on it. “I never agreed to those terms!”

“You will,” I promised darkly. She lifted a challenging eyebrow and took a step closer, her face angled up to meet my gaze, just within the reach of my arms but not touching me yet.

“Is that a threat?”

I smiled, a lazy, slow, predatory smile, all of my teeth showing. “Just a promise, love. Just a promise.”

“Hmmm…” Her eyes narrowed to silver slits, her finger tapping her chin. “All right, then. But if you’re making me promises, will you promise not to punch the king if he annoys you?”

“Of course not. But I do promise to feel really bad about it afterward. Well… maybe not really bad. Maybe just a smidge.”

Her chuckle was low and husky, and after keeping her body inches away from mine for so many long, agonizing moments, she pressed in close, wrapping her arms around my waist. “It’s going to be a long day, isn’t it?”

She wasn’t wrong. We were moving today, and we’d managed to secure a call with the rebel faction leaders in the city later in the evening. Technically, early morning. Ms. Dale had managed to find several farmhouses that suited our needs nearer to the city, and, after some debate, we had decided to use them as our new base of operations to be in a closer position if we had to go into the city.

But that meant our small army was being pared down to three little teams. Which meant a lot of coordination, planning, and sheer madness for those in charge. Namely, Violet. I leaned over and pressed my lips against her forehead. “I should be asking if you want to change jobs, huh?”

Violet laughed and shook her head. “You’re being a very good fiancé,” she said, “but I’ve got it under control.”

I beamed at the praise, fighting off the urge to say ‘I know.’ As much as I knew she’d laugh, I didn’t want to let humor get in the way of what I wanted to talk to her about. I pressed her tighter to me and then sighed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She leaned back in my arms, her eyes studying my face. I returned her look, not letting it deter me. “Viggo, I told you, I don’t want to—”

“You woke up covered in sweat last night, Violet. Your breathing was labored, and you were crying. Was it… Was it about the guard at Ashabee’s?”

Violet looked away, but not before I could see the flash of horror on her face. She pulled back slightly, and then completely, crossing her arms and moving away from me. She stopped after a few paces, and I waited for her to push through whatever she was processing.

After several painfully long heartbeats, she turned back and sighed. “Yes, it was the warden. I just… I can’t stop seeing her face, every time I close my eyes. The smell… I can still smell it. I’m fine when I’m awake—it’s like it didn’t even happen unless I really think about it. But when I go to sleep…”