Misted (Team Zero #5) by Rina Kent

“He said he has no favours to give.”

“Shit,” Molly mutters.

Shit indeed. My mind races with jumbled thoughts. Hades can’t abandon me. Why would he? He always used any favours he had with the police so none of us are caught. Not that we had many situations where we faced imprisonment.

“Don’t alert Ghost.” I keep my tone neutral even though doubt niggles at my insides. “I’ll go with the police for now, and then we’ll think of something.”

“Misty…” Molly’s eyes rim with tears. “No.”

I clutch her shoulders. “I need you strong and with your head on our mission, Molly. I can count on you, right?”

She nods slowly.

I turn around and walk out of the office with measured steps. As Shadow said, half a dozen officers wait down the stairs, wearing uniforms and standing in a straight line. At their front, Lieutenant Liam Cole, Zoe’s foster brother stands with a defensive stance, glaring at the top of Scar’s head.

She’s still wearing the tulle yellow skirt with “Bonsoir, Bitches” written along her breasts.

“I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice,” Liam tells her in a gravelly, impatient voice.

“I was just asking if you knew how many people died in World War Two. It’s not my fault that you suck at history, police.” She twirls a platinum blonde strand and laughs as if she’s at a party. “By the way, I like the new hair.”

He steps in her face, expression taut. “Get out of my way.”

“Boo. That’s not how it works, police. You’re supposed to compliment me in return. I mean the least you can do is say you like my hair, too.”

“I don’t.”

“How about my outfit for the day?” She stretches her T-shirt down so she’s giving a generous view of her cleavage. A few of the officers ogle her openly, but Liam narrows his eyes on her face, seeming to read through her deflation tricks.

“Out of my way.”

“Come on, you’re supposed to —”

He grabs her by a slender shoulder and pushes her aside. I can’t help smiling. Someone has got to put her in her place.

His gaze falls on me and as if possible, his body tenses more. I suppress any doubt and wear my indifferent mask as I descend the stairs with Shadow, Zoe, and Molly.

As soon as I’m downstairs, Liam thrusts a warrant in my face. “Ruth O’Neil. You’re under arrest for assault.”

Of course, that isn’t my name. Just an ID I use to legalise things.

The lieutenant enumerates my rights with a stone-cold tone. Once done, he leans in to whisper, “I promise that assault is only the beginning of your problems. I’ll make sure you rot in the cell for all the mafia activity you run here.”

“Liam!” Zoe scolds, apparently having heard him.

I tuck all questions about Hades abandoning me and smile. “You’ve been watching so much Hollywood, Lieutenant. We’re a legitimate entertainment parlour.”

“We’ll see about that.” He retrieves his handcuffs.

“Do you have to handcuff her?” Zoe hisses, but I shake my head at her and offer him my wrists. It’s better if this goes without a hitch. The fewer problems I have, the sooner I can get out of this ordeal.

Heads peek from upstairs. The girls. They must’ve heard the commotion. My shoulders turn rigid, not wanting them seeing me this way.

Jessica and Sarah run down the stairs in their pyjamas. Tears stream down Jessica’s cheeks as she tries to stop Liam from handcuffing me. “No, it’s not her fault. It was me. I – ”

She cuts off when I shake my head once. I can get myself out of this. She can’t. The other girls watch from upstairs. Some of them call my name. Others sniffle and murmur in hushed, scared tones. I bite down the emotions and offer them a reassuring smile. Even if something happens to me, I have to make sure they’re well taken care of.

I cast one last glance behind me. Hawk stands with Flame at the patio on the third floor, smoking. Both their expressions are unreadable.

I’ll always protect you, he said once upon a time.

Not that I want him to, but the fact that he completely forgot about it hurts.

Obviously, I’m the only hopeless fool who remembers us.





I sit on the chair in the detention room with my legs crossed and my arms folded. The scent of coffee drifts from the cup in front of me, but I don’t reach out to it.

The lieutenant sits across from me in an equally relaxed posture, leisurely sipping from his coffee. He’s about Shadow’s built, but more Viking-like with golden blond hair and a slight beard. His merciless green eyes are like a haunted forest where there’s no way out.

Grey paints the surrounding walls. Both the table and the chair I’m sitting on are metallic. I can turn it into a weapon and take the lieutenant as a hostage to get out, but that will worsen my situation and I could put Le Salon in danger.

It’s been almost thirty-six hours of detention after he applied for an extension, but this stubborn lieutenant won’t give up no matter how much I refuse to talk. Zoe was right about how much he hates the likes of us. He did all his research and he knows more about our organisation than any of us thought.

Over my detention, he laid countless pieces of suspected evidence in front of me. Shady accounts’ transactions. Blurry images of underground organisation meetings and so on and so forth. Despite his intimidation methods, I showed no reaction. I’m not an amateur. Nearly two days into detention won’t kill me.