And if anything goes wrong, Nik and I can get Nash and Leah out of here quickly and to the emergency site. My stomach flips at the thought.
Standing up, I grab the papers and start pulling them into a file.
“I’m going to my office to run some checks. I’ll take the phone with me in case Max calls back.”
Luc slides the mobile over to me and I slip it into my pocket.
The phone chimes an hour later, just as I’m digging through the security cameras at the hospital. I answer the call and flip him onto loudspeaker.
“It’s just me. I’m in the office.”
“Is it hopeless?” Max is clearly aiming for joking, but I can hear the desperation in his voice.
“Nope,” I say, popping the ‘p’ sound in my mouth. “I think we’ve got it mapped out.”
He goes silent for a moment. “You’re serious?” he says, a thread of hopefulness coming through.
“Serious as Luc when Nik eats his Froot Loops.”
Max snorts out a weary laugh. “Holy shit. Talk me through it.”
I take him through the plan that he came up with but I’ve refined based on camera locations and the research I’ve done so far. When I trail off, Max picks up on my unspoken question.
“Ava is the biggest risk in this.”
“She is,” I acknowledge. “Can she handle it?”
Of all of us, Ava will have the most difficult job. Her body will need to be able to handle a certain level of medication, enough to suppress her hormones for a short period, enough that Max can get her through the hospital without raising alarm bells, and through a side exit where Luc will be waiting.
Max’s silence speaks volumes.
“Yes,” he says finally. His voice is firm. “She can. But she’s not strong enough yet. I need a week.”
I nod slowly, tapping my pen against the page. “We’ll need the week anyway. I need to reach out and see if we can get any help with this.”
“You think he’ll help?” Max’s tone is curious. It’s a good question.
“We need him.” I hesitate before saying my next words. “This omega… she means something to you.”
Max sounds sharp. “She needs our help.”
“Max.”
We’ve known each other for too many years to hide our feelings from each other. He might be too far from the pack bond for us to pick anything up, but it’s clear from his words and actions that this is personal.
“Fine,” he growls. “Yes, I like her. She’s brave, so fucking brave, Bastien. She should be in a ball, rocking back and forth, but she’s not. She’s sad, and she’s angry, and maybe she’s a bit fucking broken, but who wouldn’t be, after what she’s been through? And—” he stops and blows out a shaky breath. “She reminds me of Emery.”
I wince. “I’m not trying to discourage you, Max.”
“It’s not like that,” he insists. “Ineedto help her because of Emery. Iwantto help her because she’s Ava. It doesn’t go any further than that for me. Besides… I don’t think she’ll ever want another alpha near her like that.”
Anger courses through my veins and I back down. He’s right. Of course, he is.
“Right, then,” I say, clearing my throat. “Let’s go over this again.”
ChapterTwelve
Ava
