Ira’s jaw flexed and her eyes cast down as she dug her fingers deeper into the pillow and she started in a low voice, “You cannot…tell.”
Ray’s eyes turned solemn, and she let out a sigh, “You know I have to.” She said, “I have to tell the people I work for.”
Ira’s hesitance took only a second, “We were hired–” she paused, stumbling on her words. But Ray caught her, and said,
“You’re free to speak in any language.” She said softly, and turned to Angel who was eyeing her warily, “I swear I won’t leave out any details.”
Angel waved a hand in the air, “I’ve spent enough time with the Larsens.” He said in broken Italian, making Ray’s eyes widen in slight surprise, “I’ll understand.”
“Atrocious pronunciations.” She murmured and saw as a flicker of amusement lit in Ira’s eyes. They heightened when Angel banged the closet door close and flopped down beside her,
“Fuck you.” He said in fake cheer.
Ray looked back at Ira, willing her to continue. A part of her wilted at the amusement that died in her eyes, and she continued in Italian, “I don’t know the names of the people, or how they look. Our orders came specifically from the man you almost killed back at the hotel.”
So, she’d been right in identifying their supervisor.Ray tucked the slight disappointment of Ira not knowing who she worked for and listened quietly,
“We…Iand the other younger people were meant to have an ambush with only one intent.” Her eyes snapped up and Ray’s jaw clenched, “Kill the one with blue hair.”
Angel scoffed beside her, “And I was just thinking of dying my hair blue that day.”
Ray slammed her elbow in the ribs, and he doubled over, groaning out loud as Ira continued as if he hadn’t spoken, “We were supposed to kill you and give the people out there a good scare. Except we didn’t knowwhoyou all were.”
“So why did you participate?”
A pause, “Most of us did it for the good money.” Her eyes lowered, “I have been working for them since I was twelve. They pay well.”
A dull roaring began in her ears just as Angel’s solemn voice asked from beside her, “Who are they?”
Ira gulped but didn’t stop talking.
“I don’t know who they are. But I know what they’re all called.”
Ray looked at her, her breath leaving her lungs as Ira looked out the window and said so softly that she had to strain her ears to hear her.
“Il Senza Nome.”
The Nameless.
Ray shot up from the bed, her eyes wide. Her hands flexed at her side.This was–
“That vigilante group that brought us down last year?” Angel asked from beside her, his voice tight. So leashed. Ray loosened a breath and ran a hand through her hair,
“What about June Kincaid?” she asked, hoping,praying,as Ira looked up at her with a knowing look in her eyes.
“Si. That was them as well.”
Angel cursed from beside her just as Ray stumbled back, a hand braced against her abdomen in case her stitches stretched again. A similar curse left her lips as well, as she turned away from Ira, her eyes distraught. Her mind a mess as she looked at Angel trying to grasp it all as well.
“How are you going to–” Angel started, and paused, his eyes widening as he looked back at her.
How are you going to protect her now?
Ray grit her teeth and turned to look at the girl. Ira’s eyes had widened, her hands clenched so tightly that they’d turned into a dangerous shade of white. But foroncein her life, Ray didn’t flinch or hesitate before responding sharply,
“I’ll do whatever it takes.” She said, her voice firm, “Anything.”
She saw Angel’s back straighten at her words, a hint of pride and something else echoing in the depthless amber eyes of his eyes as he turned to Ira at the same time Ray did,
