Song, Rolling in the deep, Adele

Roman was distracted by waiting for the results from the tip-off. It happened several hours ago, and I guess that the cops had to do their investigation before they notified Noah. Waiting for Otis and Barney to call a meeting we could listen to was frustrating.

It was agreed that the tip-off would only be for the beginning of the event. The underground movement did not want to send the cops fishing in the dump point.

It would be a simple tip-off. They would give the time that I was taken, which Roman and Jasper knew because they were watching me. It led me to question if they would be seen on any cameras around my street, which resulted in shrugs from them. Jasper was on his scooter, and I didn't want this falling back on him. He was easily identified, whereas Roman wasn't. Their nonchalant attitude was a little frustrating, but I knew that if they were worried, it would have been dealt with by now.

I had to say, Roman was right in demanding Jasper use his motorcycle rather than the scooter. They were ordinary, and nothing stood out about them. No part of the bike or their riding outfit was identifiable.

The only thing we had that worked in our favour was Roman's constant need to destroy cameras. He had a slingshot and a lot of stones in the storage compartment of his bike, so he was always prepared.

The anonymous person would tell the hotline that someone matching my description was seen with a burly man. The description of Steve would be vague, but given he was a lot more broad than most, he would be their obvious choice. The person would tell the tip-off line that they saw us arguing, and the unknown man backhanded me, which sent me to the ground. Then, they would suggest that it knocked me out or possibly killed me because it appeared as if I was out cold or dead. The false scenario would include that the man lifted me from the ground and put me into the car. A rough and limited description of the car would be given, but no mention of a driver or a second person.

Jasper was glued to the news sites, watching the television and checking the internet. He wanted to know what was being reported if anything came up. It would. I figured the news outlets were watching this one, which was not a good thing. The sooner this became a thing of the past, the happier I would be. Noah would be the grieving widow who had been wronged, not just by the media but by his wife and best friend. It was a terrible thing to have my name dragged through the mud like this, but if it meant I could lure Noah out from behind his guards, then I'd let the world say whatever they liked about me.

The thoughts of Noah took me back to the night of the party. How I faced him and remembered the sweet guy I fell in love with. Memories of when we started dating and all the wonderful things he did. I could see that he was love-bombing me, blinding me with affection so that I'd overlook all the things that were now obvious.

I knew he wasn't the person I thought he was. The whole view and our life together was a lie, but that didn't mean it was nothing to me. I loved him, and to know that he had me killed was crushing me. He never cared. He didn't love me. I wanted to know why he did this, why he married me if he never intended to grow old with me. It didn't make sense, and if I could find out why, then I would want to know, even if it tore me apart. The truth would help me heal.

I wiped away the tears as I remembered the perfect moments, the dates that were fun and romantic, the way he supported me through the darkest moments in my life. All I could see was how easily he made me fall in love with him.

Roman chuckled, and as he began to turn to face me, I quickly wiped away the last of the tears. I didn't need to talk about it. I just needed to grieve alone. I'd lost my husband, my home, my marriage, my life, and my entire world. Everything had been turned upside down, and I'd come out of it with something that was far better, but that wasn't the point.

"What's so funny?" Jas called out as he hit the mute on the remote.

"Noah just found out about the video. Apparently, his work email was monitored to ensure that the cops found nothing, but when you two troublemakers sent the email to him, it was quickly redirected, and he was never notified."

"Until now though, what changed?" Jasper asked.

"The cops have officially cleared Noah. Otis called him in for a meeting to tell him that his restrictions were lifted and that he could have access to all of his emails. Of course, it was at this point that Otis informed his son that there was a video that he would not like. It matters little anyway, their company is haemorrhaging, and Otis is struggling to keep things moving. They're going to regroup after the holidays and figure out what to do. The most likely scenario is that they will call for additional staff from Europe to assist."

Never truly wiped out then. That was just great.

"They won't know the streets as well as the former hunters, but they will likely be partnered with someone from this guild to assist. As for Noah and his lack of documented training, his father has told him that he has to start again. He is bound to the rules like everyone else and will begin training once they reopen in the new year. His ban on everything has been lifted, but Otis warned him to keep it quiet for a few months. He's supposed to be a grieving widow, not some sex-starved cheater."

That was never going to happen. Going by the images on his laptop, it was obvious that Noah had a high sex drive. I could guarantee that the second he was free from his father's sight, he'd be setting up his next encounter.

Naturally, I wanted Noah to return to what he saw as his perfect world. He was a free man to do as he pleased with whoever crossed his path. It would be a little tricky now that Mon Crief was a pile of ashes, but I'm sure Noah will figure something out.

"So, that brings us to the official word from the underground movement. At five pm today, Wyatt and Jordan are officially closed for the season but will reduce to a skeleton staff who are the ones that actually run the law office. The law office will close for a few days on either side of the public holidays. As a form of punishment for bungling everything relating to your death, Otis has ordered Noah to work through the holidays. From what we've seen over the years, it's nothing overly interesting. They work shorter days and are only there if someone needs legal advice. That is the limit of what we know at the moment. More information may come in the future, but it's unlikely considering the office is shutting soon."

"What are you saying here? What's the official word from the movement?" I asked.

"Their official word is that you are not to do anything. Of course, I know that you're up to something, which is why I told you the details that I was supposed to keep hidden from you. That is your time frame. There will not be a single person at the building on Christmas Day."

"And the other days?"

He shrugged.

"It's likely that no one will be there, but the public holidays are the only ones that are guaranteed because Otis and Barney refuse to pay wages for them."

Roman leaned on the counter, spreading his arms wide as he narrowed his gaze at me.

"What are you planning, Dani?"

Not much, given the lack of time. I shrugged, which seemed to frustrate Roman.

"I adhered to your request to not keep secrets. A little give on your part would be nice."

"I don't know. You're talking about a day that is just around the corner, I can't get out of this place in any great hurry, and I'm lacking in a lot of supplies. I have a thought for Noah, but beyond that, I don't know."

"What do you need?"

"A bloody big bomb," I grumbled.

Roman grinned, shaking his head.

"I can't get you one of them, so how about we start with finishing your revenge rampage? Let's get the rat to leave his hole."

Turning the laptop, Roman lifted the lid and showed me a feature that was either newly discovered or hidden from me. It was a guild chat program, and Noah was online.