I take no time in getting out of that groggy tavern and back into the truck. This is what I expected so I don't understand why I'm so angry at the outcome. No expectations. That's how it should have been.

But there's that small part of me that just wanted my mother back.

I shake the thoughts away. I'm over it, she has been out of my life long enough that I don't care anymore. I simply don't care.

"Did you recognise her?" I question as I start the engine. We need to get out of here and quick. God knows what the woman's next move is but we need to be out of here before she decides.

"Hm?" Rose seems to be snapped out of whatever trance she was in.

"What's up with you?" I ask more gently as we start down the dirt road. We're far from the centre of town, nothing but forest to be seen for miles. That's why I was a bit sceptical about coming here but I suppose a woman like my mother needs to hide away.

A coward. That's the only word to describe her.

"Nothing... what do you think about your mother?" she asks and I can hear the hesitation in her voice. This is not about what I think right now. I need to know what she's not telling me.

"What happened when you saw her? Do you know her?" I avoid her question and ask my own.

"I... I saw her when I went to find Maximus... she was talking with some guy and then they were the ones to..." Rose trails off and I know exactly what she means.

I pull over the truck and run my hand over my face, taking deep breaths.

It was fine having my suspicions but now that they have been confirmed, I don't know what to do. There's only one thing we can do. We have to take her down alongside the rebels.

"She sided with the rebels, of course she did... we knew it even before we went there," I sigh in utter defeat. I knew it, I just didn't want to believe it.

"What are we going to do?" Rose says, just below a whisper.

"I don't know... just - just give me some time and I'll figure it out," I breathe and go to turn the engine back on but Rose's hand wraps around mine.

"We'll figure it out together okay, whatever we have to do," she says, her hand warming mine. I lace my fingers through hers and let her words soak in.

Together.

It's going to need some getting used to hearing that word. I've gotten so used to doing things myself, I've never had to consider another person.

"We need to tell my father then he can do as he pleases with the information," I explain and she nods.

"If that's what you want to do," she says softly and I brush my thumb over the top of her hand. What in the world did I do to deserve her? I don't think I will ever stop asking myself that question, nor will I ever get the answer.

***

Rose

As soon as we pull up to the facility, I can feel myself drifting towards sleep. The truck halting alerts me and I will myself to open my eyes. The drive seemed even longer than it did going there and even more tiresome.

"Go back to our room and sleep, I'll talk to my father," Colton says softly and my eyes snap to his. Ours. I can't help the grin that tugs at my lips. "Are you okay?" he asks hesitantly - obviously not realising what he just said.

"Our?" I question, still grinning like an idiot. He looks away but I see the smile on his face.

"Yes, our," his eyes meet mine again. For a moment I just stare into those green eyes. For a moment I just take in his face. Just for a moment.

But in moments like these... I feel more peace than I ever knew I was capable of feeling.

I kiss him, kiss him so deeply I fear I may drown. My whole mind and soul is consumed by him, forever his. I will never forget this feeling, the feeling of being so utterly captivated by someone and everything about them.

I pull away and rest my forehead against his. "Do you think you should be talking to your father tonight? It's going to be a lot for him to process," I say and Colton takes a deep breath.

"I've kept it from him for too long, he deserves to know," he sighs and I understand that he just wants his father to know the truth but he can't do it, not like this.

"You can't tell him, not like this, tell him when you have processed it yourself. He needs to know but you need to be in the right state of mind to tell him, it's not going to be easy," I explain.

I will support him in anything and he knows that but I just want him to consider all options before he decides on what he wants to do. I don't want him to do something that he will regret. He doesn't deserve that burden, he and I have both already been through enough.

"Yeah... yeah," he says and reaches to tuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. I lean into his touch, needing to be closer to him.

"Let's go," I whisper and he nods.

***

As soon as we got back to the room last night we were both out like a light. Now we are on our way to Andrew's office. I'm not sure how he is going to take this news but I know that this isn't going to go well.

We called everyone into the conference room. Everyone deserves to know the truth - we can't keep anything from the people who are going to with us when we take down the rebels.

Colton is sat at the head of the table instead of his father. Everyone is gathered around, intent on finding out why an emergency meeting was called so early in the morning.

Colton's eyes meet mine and I give him a small nod.

"Last night Rose and I found a new lead on the rebels," Colton starts and several people around the room visibly tense. "We found another person in relations to the rebels," I can't help but glance at Andrew.

He knew where we went last night, he must know what we are hinting at.

"The person is..." Colton trails off and takes a deep breath. "The person is Mariah Grey," an array of gasps sound throughout the room and I don't dare look towards Andrew again.

I simply can't face the pain that must be etched onto his features. His wife, the mother of his child. All I feel is pure hatred for this woman and what she has done to her family, how she has betrayed them so foully.

"She can't be... it's not possible, she wouldn't do that," Andrew says frantically and I hear his chair clatter to the floor.

My eyes snap to him and his retreating figure. "That's what we thought too, we didn't believe it that's why we had to make sure before we told you," I say, grasping for anything that will make this better.

But nothing could make this revelation any better.

"I am going to speak with her and get the truth," Andrew says and turns towards the door.

"You can't do that, it's too risky," Colton says and all eyes are on us. Everyone watching the chaos unravel before them. This was expected, I knew this wouldn't go well.

"How do you know this? What proof do you have?" Andrew questions and I sigh. He really doesn't believe us.

"I was out the other night and... I saw her talking with a man, she then proceeded to chase me and shoot at me. They chased me into the woods but I managed to get away until they found me and Colton again and began shooting at us again," I explain.

"How does this make her a rebel?" Andrew counters and I knew he would ask this.

I can't tell him that I was looking for Maximus after what the rebels did to him because then I would have to tell Andrew why. The reason being that I was going to assassinate my own father - the lead commander.

"Um..." c'mon think. Just lie.

"First of all, who has weapons of those kind and fires at people for no apparent reason? Secondly, when we brought up the subject of rebels she became cagey... then proceeded to kick me out," Colton speaks for me.

"What do we do now then?" someone speaks up and all eyes go towards her.

"We do nothing, we go about as we are and our plans with the rebels do not change... it's just another person for us to take down," Colton says smoothly, as if he weren't talking about his mother but some stranger on the street.

"She is your mother-" Andrew begins but is cut off when Colton abruptly stands up.

"She is dead to me," Colton says with a concerning amount of venom in his voice.

"You can all leave now, there is nothing to be worried about. We just wanted you to know," I say, forcing myself to smile at the faces filling the room. It's probably best if they leave before things get too heated.

Everyone files out until it's only us three left. "Your mother... she was hurt but she'd never do anything like this. You must be mixed up with someone else," Andrew says, his eyes turning glassy.

"I'm sorry but... I know who I saw," I try to say gently but he twists to face me - his face red with anger.

"You're a liar! How do you know she hasn't sided with the rebels and is only saying this to destroy us from the inside!" Andrew shouts and I step back. I can't believe he would accuse me of such treachery - after everything, he'd think of me so ill.

I almost laugh at the irony of the situation.

"Shut your mouth," Colton spits and his father turns even redder. He is beyond angry but so are we.

"Yeah definitely because I would side with the man who killed my mother, who tortured me for three weeks and held captive the person I love. Yes I'd definitely do that!" I shout back.

I'd always seen Andrew as a kind man but now I just see him as sad and in denial. He needs to get his act together if we're going to take down the rebels.

"You dare accuse her of something like that again and I'll end you," Colton says and begins to walk towards the door.

"I understand that you're in pain but projecting isn't a good look on you," I say and follow Colton's lead - not waiting for a response from Andrew.