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)
The vehicle with Billy inside peels away into the night, tires kicking up sand as it disappears down the road. The whole thing takes less than a minute. One second Billy’s there, standing with his sons after years of being gone. The next he’s gone again. Taken. Just like that.
We stand in the sand, the SUVs damaged and the night suddenly too still. My brothers are shouting, checking on each other, but the shock is clear on every face. Sadie’s hand is still in mine, her grip tight. I can feel her trembling slightly, or maybe that’s me. Billy was here. We rescued Nash and Sin. We got Sadie back. And now he’s gone again, snatched in the middle of what should’ve been the end of this nightmare.
Crewe’s already on his phone, calling Sloane, his voice clipped and urgent. Colt’s checking the vehicles, his usual charm replaced by raw anger. Banks and Mack stand near the lead SUV, their expressions stunned. Nash and Sin are leaning against the side, still weak from captivity but alert now, their eyes wide with the same disbelief I feel.
I pull Sadie closer, my arm around her shoulders. The protectiveness from earlier surges stronger. She was taken tonight. Billy was taken tonight. This was never about the rescue being easy. It was about drawing us out, getting us all in one place, and then striking when we thought it was over. Vanguard Helix played us. They let us find the house. They let us think we won. And now they’ve got my father.
The ocean rolls in the distance, waves breaking against the shore with their steady rhythm. The road is empty now except for us and the damaged SUVs. My mind races with questions. Why take my father now? What do they want with him after all these years? The answers feel out of reach, but one thing is clear. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
I look at my brothers, at my father’s empty spot near the lead vehicle, at Sadie standing strong beside me despite everything. The shock is written on every face. Billy’s alive. We had him. And now he’s gone again, taken in a calculated move that leaves us all reeling. The night air feels colder suddenly. The victory of the rescue tastes bitter. We came for Nash and Sin and Sadie. We got them. But the real target was Billy all along, and we walked right into it.
Crewe ends his call and turns to us, his expression grim. "Sloane’s sending backup. We need to get off this road and back to the safe house. They won’t stop with Billy. We need a new plan. Now."
I nod, my hand still holding Sadie’s. The fear for her hasn’t left, but it’s sharpened into something harder. Determination. Anger. We’ll rescue Billy. We’ll find out why they did this. And we’ll end this threat once and for all. But right now, standing in the sand with the damaged vehicles and the empty space where my father stood minutes ago, all I can feel is the shock rippling through all of us. Billy was kidnapped. And this time, we were right there when it happened. Vanguard Helix played us perfectly. And the game is far from over.
Epilogue
SADIE
The safe house feels different when we all return. The air carries the same salty breeze off the ocean, but everything else has shifted. Jace’s brothers fill the living room with low voices and tense shoulders.
Jace keeps his hand on the small of my back as he steers me into the kitchen. The others give us space without being asked. He turns to face me, and for once the easy, arrogant charm is tempered by something heavier.
“Sadie,” he says, voice low. “We’ve got to move fast on my father. The leads are hot, but they’re dangerous. To keep you safe while we hunt him down and clean this up, we’re flying you and my mother out to West Texas. Delaney’s got you covered at the Coleman Ranch. Anniston’s there. You’ll be protected. Out of the crossfire.”
My stomach drops. I don’t want to leave him. Not now. Not after every wall between us has come down and every night has shown me exactly how real this has become. The thought of being hundreds of miles away while he walks into whatever storm is waiting makes my chest ache. But the pull to see my sister, to wrap my arms around her and know she’s truly okay, is just as strong.
I meet his eyes and keep my voice steady. “I don’t want to leave you. But I do want to see my sister.”
Jace steps in close, one hand sliding up to cup my cheek. The touch is gentle, but the look in his eyes is pure possession and promise. “I know, Wells. It’s temporary. I’ll finish this and come get you. I’m not letting you slip away now that I have you.”