Chapter Forty-Four
Blade’s POV
The basement archive was a suffocating tomb of damp concrete and rotting paper. I sat on the floor, the key Preacher gave me heavy in my pocket, but I didn't open the steel file cabinet. Not yet. I couldn't bear to see the proof of my father’s end while my hands were still stained with the lingering heat of Skyler’s touch.
If I opened those files, I would be committing to the execution. And if I committed to the execution, I would eventually have to look into Skyler’s eyes and watch her world burn.
I left the key where it was, turned around, and climbed back up into the cold night air, locking the archive door behind me. I had to focus on survival. I had to become the weapon Stone thought I was.
The next three days were a masterclass in controlled brutal
