Dax:We don’t need them. We proceed with the extortion using what we have. If he balks, we go to plan B. Thad dies.
My head snapped up to look at him, my heart breaking as I connected the dots.
Gem. Jewel.Jule.
All this time looking, and the answer was right under our noses. The Lucas pack had extortion material, proving what Father had done.
That he’d brought Jule to them to execute.
“Well, now we have our own blackmail material,” I said, my voice sounding deceptively strong. “In writing that they’re planning to kill him.”
“Laurel. Did you scroll down? They reveal where they’re keeping the proof. Evidence of what really happened to your brother. It’s in the tunnels.”
He paused, searching my face.
“We’ll get it,” I said firmly. There was a lump in my throat, but I didn’t want to fall apart here. “I want to know. What happened in the end.”
Finch nodded and reached over to squeeze my hand. I closed my eyes, steeling myself. I could do this.
EIGHTY-EIGHT
LAUREL
Jade nodded to Kaos and me, and together, we continued our advance down the dimly lit corridor. Behind us, Finch stood at the entrance, guarding it. I’d texted Jade, and she’d agreed to come with me after her shift had ended. I was glad for the emotional support; I needed someone with me who understood as I faced whatever was at the end of this tunnel.
We were coming up on a heavy metal door, with a keypad set over the handle. Kaos dropped his tool bag and pulled on a pair of goggles, and set about unscrewing the cover from the locking device.
Jade and I were tense as he fiddled with the wires until the door opened with a beep.
I readied my gun, unsure if I should expect a guard. I thought it would be a storage room or a lockbox with a USB or documents inside. But warm light filtered into the corridor as I peered inside.
I stepped through the doors, looking around in slowlyblooming hope. It was a living space complete with a small couch, rug, kitchenette, and TV.
Jade looked at me, eyes wide.
Because it was aliving space.
“Stay on your guard,” Jade warned as we approached the closed door on the other side of the room. “We don’t know who’s down here.”
I didn’t voice my thoughts out loud; I didn’t want to say it in case I was wrong. She swung the door open, revealing a sparsely decorated bedroom.
“Did youhaveto make such a racket coming in?” a familiar drawling voice complained. “I was trying to nap.”
The voice came from a figure on the bed, a magazine covering his face. He wore a leopard-print nightgown and fluffy pink slippers. He let out a long-suffering sigh and sat up, the magazine falling off to reveal a head of golden-blond hair.
Golden eyes met mine, and we both froze as Jade let out a strangled gasp.
“Jule?” I choked out, lowering the gun.
He shook off his shock and settled into a smug smile that made my heart ache. “Yes, well it’sJewel, now. Expensive, brilliant, and sparkly; that’s me.” he said, leaning back and raising an eyebrow. His face was older now, and he’d matured into his angular bone structure, but looking at him still felt like looking in a mirror. Except for his eyes.
What had once been a blue-grey now shone a bright gold.
But golden eyes could only mean one thing.
My mind was racing, thoughts tumbling over each other as all the pieces slotted into place.
He hadn’t claimed his aura in his fight against Kaos; he had perfumed, stopping a rogue’s rage in its tracks.
