Exported [Book 3 in the Expiring Series]

33 He Doesn't Have an Expiration Date

Colton~~

I freeze. One moment I'm ready to take on the world. The next I don't know if I'm supposed to lock Vienna in a room or in my arms. For so long the answer was clear, but ever since she betrayed me, I don't seem to know my up from my down.

Which is a problem.

Vienna's wrists are bound in front of her with rope.

Head titled, Andrew steps forward. "Vienna." His tone is that of a wary parent. He lifts his hand toward her face, and she backs up, only to run into Basile. Andrew trails a single finger down Vienna's face. She jerks her head away, her hair moving as she does so, and my eyes land on her neck. Blue and purple bruises dot her throat.

My stomach plummets while my blood pounds in my ears.

Andrew draws his hand back. "Basile, was it really necessary to tie up one of our favorite people?"

"Don't tell me she's now on Andrew's side," Iris mutters. Bently snorts.

"Where did she come from, Basile?" I ask, my gaze glued to her neck. Basile couldn't have been the cause of them.

"Hell?" Bently offers.

I glare at him.

"She found me." Basile shoves her forward, letting go of her. "She came up to my car."

"And you tied her up?" Iris sounds unconvinced.

Vienna finally raises her eyes to mine. "I want to help."

"Now you're betraying Abella and Alix?" I take in the rest of her, her wrinkled long-sleeved shirt, her knotted hair.

"I'm trying to save their country, and I know you're the only ones who can do that."

"Sebastian and Tobias are there."

"They're too busy placating Alix. He's—he's losing his mind."

My eyes land back on her neck. "Who did that?"

She swallows. "Tobias had to pull Alix off me."

I see red. Alix doesn't have an Expiration Date—I'll kill him.

"That doesn't sound like Alix." Bently's voice sounds muffled.

"I told you he's losing his mind." She drops her head down, her hair falling in front of her face. She huffs, and her hair blows outward. "I don't want anyone else to die, and you're the only ones who understand this murderer."

"Amoris," I say. "Basile knows."

"What can you offer us?" Bently asks her.

"There have been more murders than you know about. I know where they happened."

Andrew taps his finger against his arm, eyeing her. "How does that help us?"

"Isn't any information better than none?"

Iris crosses her arms and walks away from our group.

Bently shakes his head at Vienna. "Too much information and you get lost."

"Are you in danger of having too much information?" Her blue eyes meet his. There's a spark in hers.

"The French don't know what to look for," Iris says from the kitchen. "But most of us know Amorian. If the crime scenes aren't active, maybe we can find a clue."

Bently rolls his eyes. "And what happens if the Amoris shows up, and we're all on our knees digging for clues?"

"Why would the Amoris show up?"

"She seems to enjoy her murders. Maybe she'll want to take a trip down memory lane." He takes a step toward the kitchen. "Besides, she seems to show up when you're around."

"We all go," Erik says. It's the first time he's spoken since Basile and Vienna arrived.

Iris blinks. "If we're all captured—"

"Then Tobias and Sebastian will take care of it. Besides there's only one of her."

"I highly doubt she's working alone," I say.

"Well"—Andrews pulls out a pocket knife from his pocket and slices through Vienna's ropes—"if there's one thing that my time in the Society taught me, it's that it's always better to be prepared."

Vienna rubs her wrists, the ropes at the ground on her feet.

"Did you learn to always be prepared after you tried killing my brother on a day that wasn't his Expiration Date?"

Andrew tucks the knife back in his pocket. "Maybe I have something planned for his actual Date."

I lunge but Bently is suddenly before me, holding me back.

"What the hell happened to you, Andrew? What did Jonas ever do to you?"

Andrew stares at me, silent.

"You know," Erik says, "he's not the only one who betrayed Jonas. And I'm not just referring to myself."

His words strike, and I fall back. Bently remains fixed between me and Andrew though.

I went after Iris for what I thought was the good of Elleany, the Society. Erik and Andrew only wanted to bring down the Society.

"You all have gotten off topic," Bently says. "The question is if we can trust Vienna." That's a question I've been asking myself for months.

I cross my arms. "Well we sure as hell aren't sending her back to Alix."

Vienna lets out a deep breath and looks at Iris. "Show me a map."