Broken Doll {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 25

"It was a complete and utter failure of a mission," Josie was happy to start the meeting, arms folded and head bowed, "At first it was going okay, until Oliveira decided he was better than us and tried to leave. It got worse when he demanded Manuela follow only for him to straight refuse," he lifted his head to glare at Tobias, "Maybe if we'd given the fucker back then we could've negotiated, huh?" 

"I don't negotiate if a human life is the price," Tobias stated simply, then looked over at Kailas, "When it was made clear Diego would be staying with the Syndicate, Oliveira lost it and pulled a gun. Naturally everyone reacted by pulling their respective weapons to counter, and it would have been either a shootout or a stand down, but luckily a bomb went off and the roof collapsed. Unfortunately two of the soldiers we brought along were crushed under the rubble, as was Oliveira." 

"Dead before we could get him to sign the alliance," Josie sighed in frustration, running a hand over his face, "We were trapped in the warehouse until Logan broke down part of the rotting wall. We would have suffocated or been crushed if he hadn't of shown up," he dropped his hand, glaring at the table, "Imagine our surprise when we got out only to realize the Asper weren't the ones who set the fucking explosives." 

"To be fair we should have known that," Tobias offered, "Why would the Fer-de-Lance bomb themselves?" 

"You're not helping the situation," Bryn hissed under his breath, and Kailas waved a hand. 

"What happened then?" 

"Con Rồng," Demi answered before anyone else could speak, and I glanced over at him, standing next to Kailas' seat, leaning against it so he was essentially sitting against the arm, his arms folded and his head bowed, not bothering to lift his head as he added, "There's no one else it could have been." 

The room was silent for have a second before Kailas continued, "Who shot Cormac?" he asked, "Did he die before the bomb?" 

"I don't know," Josie stated, glaring at me with a nod, "ask him." 

I lifted my head higher as everyone looked over at me, tensing up under their stared and pressing my lips together, ducking my head to hide my eyes, "Ba- Blu... Blu shot him," there were curses, and I felt Tobias' hand on my back, "It's my fault, he-." 

"Yea, it is your fault," Josie quickly interrupted me, and I gaped at my hands as his next words cut through me, "That psycho came looking for you, not the rest of us. What was it again? Thee leader of the Con Rồng, and your connection to him? You never did tell us, but I think we need to know, now, unless you want me to tell everyone for you?" 

I couldn't blame his anger at me, really. After getting Cormac killed, after learning who I really was. He was taking all his anger at the Con Rồng and at Bay and throwing it onto me because of my connection to them. At a psychological standpoint, it made perfect sense that he hated me this much, and I pinched my eyes closed in preparation for more of that hate. 

"What are you talking about?" Kailas demanded, and Josie happily answered. 

"Carter here, the enemy we've been harboring and protecting, is more connected to the Con Rồng than we thought. He's not just some high ranking weapons expert and trainer, he's the younger brother of the sociopath who runs the entire thing." 

I could feel something in my chest crack as the room hushed, opening my eyes and peering up through my bangs. Everyone was staring at me with wide eyes, but Dakota was glancing off to the side, and when I followed his gaze I saw he was sharing a look with Demi. While everyone else in the room was speechless from shock, they didn't look even a bit surprised.