The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 868

"You have my word. I will never give you the chance," Callahan replied, his voice echoing with absolute certainty.

The two men held each other's gaze as the campfire popped and hissed in the background. After a moment, the dangerous intensity faded from Payton's eyes. He gave a slow nod, the tension leaving his frail shoulders.

"Good. Remember what you said today," Payton murmured.

Having said his piece, Payton didn't leave. Instead, he shifted the topic to tomorrow's infiltration. "We're heading into the valley at first light. I walked that exact path years ago. I know the traps and triggers better than anyone here. I'll take point tomorrow."

Callahan frowned, firmly rejecting the idea. "You already agreed to stay safely at the base camp. You can't back out now." They had never planned to put Payton in the line of fire.

Payton ignored the objection, revealing a dark truth instead. "I have to be the one on point. Because the man who poisoned me was the leader of the Maengka Tribe himself."

"Back then, I was operating on the dark web under the alias 'Shadow Fox.' I took a contract to eliminate their arrogant, untouchable second-in-command."

Callahan’s eyes widened in sudden realization. It all made sense. That explained Payton’s lethal instincts. That explained why Leilani’s combat skills had skyrocketed under his tutelage. The frail man sitting across from him was once the most feared assassin on the dark web.

Lost in the memories, Payton continued. "The hit went flawlessly. I took him out. What I didn't expect was that the Maengka leader, Poison Python, cared that deeply for his brother. I also didn't expect him to track me down in the real world. He laid an inescapable trap. I got hit with a synthetic neurotoxin. I barely made it out alive, but my body was destroyed."

"I've lived long enough. My time is up," Payton said quietly. He never thought he'd share this burden with anyone until Leilani entered his life. "Leilani walked into this hellscape just for me. If this legacy has to be passed on to anyone, I'm giving it to her."

As Paulina's protégé, it was her birthright anyway.

Payton was telling Callahan all this to make him realize the sheer magnitude of the danger they were walking into. Payton knew he and Abel alone couldn't protect Leilani against an entire army. He was placing all his faith in Callahan. And after watching him in action, Payton felt he had chosen the right man.

"I understand," Callahan said softly. With the cards on the table, the gravity of the mission was crystal clear.