“B-Bring him in?” Baffled, the bodyguard gaped at Yvette. “Shouldn't we tie him up with Bailey?”
Yvette kicked him and said through gritted teeth,” You idiot! Don't you know who Edmund is? He's Artemis' cousin! If we tie him up with Bailey, Artemis will grow suspicious for sure! Artemis may have forgotten everything about Bailey, but he still recognizes his own cousin. Seeing Edmund tied up with Bailey might trigger his memories. Are you trying to get me killed?”
The bodyguard stared at Yvette speechlessly.
“Don't just stand there gawking! Go tie him up and bring him in! The leader will be arriving soon, and the last thing we want is for him to see Edmund!” Yvette screeched.
“Y-Yes, of course! Right away!” the bodyguard replied hastily.
Twenty minutes later, a black SUV slowly pulled up to the warehouse.
Artemis was sitting in the passenger seat, and he could spot Bailey from this distance. She was tied to the wooden post, and she was drenched and shivering.
At that moment, rage seized Artemis, and the air around him grew cold as his murderous intent filled the car.
Holden sensed that Artemis was close to erupting in anger and quickly said, “You've managed to restrain yourself all these years, so what's a little moment longer? If you blow your cover now, you'll only put Bailey and yourself in greater danger. It isn't worth it.”
Artemis closed his eyes and counted to ten. When he had calmed down, he opened his eyes, and the storm that had been brewing in them earlier was gone.
“Stop the car. I'll get down here,” he announced grimly.
Holden was a little hesitant. If he let Artemis down here, the latter would definitely pass by the wooden post, whereupon he would see Bailey's miserable state and go on a rampage.
Holden suggested, “I think I'd better drive up to the warehouse entrance, then we'll nab Yvette right on the spot.”
Artemis glanced at his watch and said, “Veikko and Sylvester are dealing with the special forces hiding in the surrounding area, but they couldn't have wrapped things up yet. We'll stall and buy them some time, and once they've taken out the men lying in ambush, we can take down Yvette easily.”
Holden considered this and agreed that the plan was a sensible one. Nonetheless, he could not help reminding Artemis, “In that case, don't let your anger get the better of you. The most they did with Bailey was drench her in ice water, but she's largely unhurt and she'll recover after a couple of days of rest. You've got to keep a cool head.”
Artemis hummed in response, then opened the door and got out of the car.
The snow crunched under his boots as he made his way over to the warehouse.
Meanwhile, over at the wooden post, Bailey lifted her heavy head and glanced in the direction of the approaching noise. The icy water on her lashes blurred her vision, but she could still make out the tall and straight silhouette in the distance.
That man had connected with her beyond body and soul. He had long since become one with her, a part so integrated that separation was impossible.
If there ever came a time when someone would use a memory loss pill on her, she did not think even the strongest drug could force her system to cut away that part of her that was already Artemis'.
The pain from such a separation was beyond anything a human could bear. It was one that tore at the skin and set the bones alight, so sharp and agonizing that it kept Bailey lucid at all times like it was forbidding her from letting Artemis' face fade out of her memory.
She loved him so much that it became an instinct. No memory loss pill, however strong, could rid her of it.
Tears sprang to her eyes as she watched Artemis draw closer to her. She had always been so vulnerable in front of him. One look from him was all it took to bring her walls down.
She was tough. All those years of hellish training had made her certain that nothing in this world could take her down.
And yet, with Artemis, she could lay down her sword and armor and allow him to take care of her.
The snow fluttered down from the sky and added to the white-silver scene before her. All she could see at that moment was Artemis' towering silhouette, clad in a black coat and boots as he blurred out her periphery.
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