“Always prepare for eventualities, little butterfly,” he murmurs, pressing the second jammer into my palm. His fingers linger against mine for a moment longer than necessary.
I stare at him in disbelief. “You had a backup?”
His eyes flick toward Orlov, then back to me. He leans closer, his lips brushing my ear as he whispers, “I’m going with him. When I give the signal, activate this. It’ll jam his detonator long enough for me to take him down.”
“But—”
“Trust me.” The words are so quiet I barely hear them.
Landon’s gaze holds mine for one more second before he straightens up, his expression hardening.
“I accept your terms, Orlov,” he calls out, turning away from me. “No one else needs to die tonight.”
I clutch the jammer tightly, feeling its weight in my palm. For the first time since the Hunt began, Landon isn’t forcing me to submit—he’s asking me to help him. The choice is mine.
44
LANDON
“Iaccept your terms, Orlov,” I call out, stepping forward with my hands raised slightly at my sides. “No one else needs to die tonight.”
Orlov’s thin lips curl into a triumphant smile. His finger still hovers over the detonator, the small black device with its blinking red light taunting me with every step I take toward him.
“Wise decision, Blackwood. Come closer. Slowly.”
I move deliberately, each step calculated. My gaze never leaves his face, but my peripheral vision tracks everything—the positions of my brothers, the distance to cover, the exact moment when Sadie will need to activate the jammer.
Sadie.
A foreign sensation spreads through my chest, cold and constricting. It takes me a moment to identify it—fear, not for myself, but for her. The realization is jarring. I’ve faced death countless times, orchestrated violence without blinking, felt rage and lust and determination—but this protective fear is new.
I don’t like it. I don’t like that she’s standing there with the jammer in her hands, a target for Orlov’s men. I don’t like that her safety depends on timing and electronics, and luck. I don’t like that I’ve involved her in this criminal world of mine.
“That’s far enough,” Orlov commands.
I stop, keeping my expression neutral despite the storm raging within. I need to get closer. I need Sadie to wait for my signal, not panic and trigger the jammer too soon.
“You’ve caused quite the inconvenience,” Orlov says, gesturing with his free hand. “Your territory, your distribution networks—they should have been mine months ago.”
“Ravenwood Hollow has always been our territory and always will be,” I reply dryly.
His eyes narrow. “On your knees.”
I hesitate, making a show of resistance before slowly lowering myself.
“Good boy,” Orlov mocks. “Now tell your brothers to drop their weapons.”
I don’t need to look to know Xavier, Knox, and Vane are aiming at Orlov from various positions. My attention shifts briefly to Sadie. Our eyes connect, and I see determination replace her fear.
The cold sensation in my chest intensifies. I’ve never worried about anyone else during an operation. My brothers could always handle themselves.
I remain on my knees, my body coiled, preparing to fight as Orlov circles me like a vulture over fresh carrion. From the corner of my eye, I spot Sadie’s subtle movements—her fingers working swiftly over the backup jammer I’d given her earlier. No one else notices; all eyes are fixed on the spectacle of a Blackwood brought to his knees.
“You know what happens to men who cross me?” Orlov’s accent thickens as his growing confidence takes hold. “They disappear. Piece by piece.”
I force my gaze to stay on him, not wanting to draw attention to Sadie. “Fascinating. Is there a point to this monologue, or canwe move on to the part where you realize you’ve made a grave mistake?”
Rage flashes across his face. “The only mistake was letting you Blackwoods live this long.”
