Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Sloane's team sweeps the rest of the house while we move everyone outside. It’s too easy. No traps. No backup. Just two guys who went down without much of a fight and three hostages left almost unguarded. As we load into the SUVs, I pull Sloane aside.
"This was too clean," I say quietly. "They took Sadie in the middle of a crowded concert and then left her and my brothers here with almost no security. It feels like they wanted us to find them. Like they took her specifically to draw us in. But why?"
Sloane's expression is grim as he checks his radio. "I don’t know yet. But we’ll find out. My team’s pulling everything we can from the van and the house. We’ll set up a full debrief back at the safe house. For now, get everyone out of here. The lockdown at the concert is still in effect. We’ll coordinate from the office."
We drive back in silence at first, my rescued brothers in one vehicle with Billy, Sadie and I in another with Crewe. She sits close to me in the back seat, her head resting against my shoulder. I keep my arm around her, my fingers tracing small patterns on her arm. The fear I felt when I realized she was gone is still fading, replaced by a fierce protectiveness. She was taken because of me. Because she got pulled into this world of secrets and danger when all she wanted was to help her sister. But she’s here now, safe, and I’m not letting her out of my sight again.
The road stretches ahead under the dark sky, the ocean a dark line to our left. The SUVs move steadily, the low hum of the engines filling the quiet. Crewe drives with his usual focus, his eyes on the road ahead. I glance out the window at the passing dunes, the way the moonlight catches on the water in brief flashes. Sadie’s warmth against my side is the only thing keeping the tension in my chest from spiking again. We got her back. We got Nash and Sin back. Billy’s with us. The rescue was too easy, though. It keeps nagging at me. They took Sadie to draw us in, but why? What do they gain by having the whole family in one place?
I tighten my arm around her slightly, my thumb brushing over the fabric of her sleeve. She shifts closer, her breathing even now. The concert lights are long behind us, the music faded into memory. Up ahead, the other SUV carries my brothers and Billy. I can barely make out their silhouettes through the rear window. Nash and Sin are finally safe. Billy’s back after all these years. It should feel like a victory. Instead, the ease of the rescue sits wrong in my gut. Like the real play is still coming.
The first sign of trouble is the headlights. Bright and sudden in the side mirror, coming up fast from behind. Too fast. I turn my head as the vehicle slams into the side of our SUV. The impact jars through my body, metal crunching and tires screeching against the pavement. Sadie gasps beside me, her body pressing into mine from the force. Crewe swerves, fighting to keep control, but the other vehicle hits again, harder this time. Glass shatters somewhere. The world tilts for a second as we skid.
I reach for Sadie instinctively, pulling her closer as the SUV spins. Adrenaline floods my veins. This isn’t random. This is deliberate. The second SUV ahead takes a hit too, swerving wildly before correcting. Through the chaos I catch glimpses of figures moving in the other vehicle. They’re not stopping. They’re herding us, forcing us off the road toward the dunes.
Crewe curses under his breath, his hands white-knuckled on the wheel. We lurch to a stop in the sand, the engine still running but the world suddenly too quiet after the screech of tires and metal. I push the door open, adrenaline flooding my system. Sadie’s right behind me, her hand finding mine as we stumble out onto the uneven ground. The other SUV has stopped a short distance ahead, its lights cutting through the dark. Figures are already moving around it. My brothers. Billy.
Then I see it. Another vehicle, dark and unmarked, pulling up fast beside the lead SUV. Doors open. More figures spill out. They move with purpose, heading straight for Billy. He’s standing near the front of the vehicle, his expression hard even in the dim light. Crewe and the others are shouting, moving to intercept, but it’s too late. The figures grab him, dragging him toward their vehicle with brutal efficiency. Billy fights, his voice carrying over the night air, but there are too many of them.
I start forward, pulling Sadie with me, but Crewe grabs my arm. "Jace, wait. They’re armed. We can’t rush this."