Chapter 94. Denial

Rico pulled the car over at the open field beside the old slaughterhouse. He cut the engine and sat there for a moment, jaw tight, eyes fixed ahead.

The place looked dead and forgotten, just as he liked it. There were no lights, no people… no witnesses.

He stepped out of the car slowly, the smell of rust and old blood hanging in the air as anger crept up his spine.

The memory of the chip weighed heavily on his mind. It had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. And still, he couldn’t bring himself to face Calla. Couldn’t look at her and say the words out loud. Because the moment he did, everything would change. So he stayed in denial, clinging to it like it was the only thing keeping him steady.

If he didn’t confront her, then maybe it wasn’t real. Perhaps she hadn’t betrayed him. Maybe he hadn’t been stupid enough to let someone that close.

So instead, he chose the easier target.

The girls who had put their hands on Calla.

He had given Co