As I get dressed, I can’t help but feel excited at the prospect that this might be Jay. I knew eventually he would go back to that house, as only a sick fuck like him would. I switched out the guards in favor of Ghost’s guys because they didn’t stand out as badly. Ghost put them in a house down the street discreetly, and they have been watching it ever since.
It might have just paid off.
Once I’m dressed, I meet Ghost outside while the others are getting ready. “What do you know?”
“They don’t know if it’s Jay or not. Someone slipped past the first motion detector at the front door.” Ghost grins. “They didn’t know about the others spread out through the house. You want them to go check?”
I shake my head. “Nah. If it’s him, he’ll just run like the fucking coward he is.”
“You think this is him?” Ghost asks, leaning back against the hood of his Challenger.
“I don’t know. But itfeelslike it is.” I can’t explain it. It’s like the feeling I had when Holden found the house the first time; I just knew Les was there.
“How are we playing this?” Ghost asks, waving at some of the crew that helped him sit on guard duty last night. “We’re ready, and I have more.”
I rake my hand down my face. “I need to talk to Les. No way she’s going to sit this out.”
No matter what kind of progress we made last night with her taking better care of herself, this is Jay. She isn’t going to sit with her thumb up her ass while we take care of it, no matter how much we beg. And even if I don’t want her to go, she deserves her revenge, and so does Zane.
The front door opens, and Les steps out dressed in a black tank top, black cargo pants, and combat boots. “Les, I’m really sorry…” Ghost starts.
She holds up a hand. “Save it. It’s okay. Maybe knock next time because Zane is kind of trigger-happy.” I snort at that. Zane is more than a little trigger-happy. “What do we know?”
“Not much,” I answer. “Just that there was motion at the house.”
“You feel it too, don’t you?” Les asks, walking to stand beside me. “That this might truly be over soon?”
“I feel it,” I agree. I sling my arm over her shoulders. “We need a plan.”
She nods. “Get your guys and come inside,” she says to Ghost.
I lead her back into the house with her still tucked into my side. The guys must have put everything back where it belonged and pulled the coffee table back to its spot. We all pile into the living room, sitting wherever there’s a seat. Holden and I tuck Les between us on the couch. “If we go in hard, he’s going to run,” Les says. “But if we don’t go in, we might miss our chance.”
Zane sits down on the arm of the couch beside me. “The tree line can provide cover. Some of us can go in that way for the element of surprise, and the rest can rush it once we give a signal.”
“Such a cop thing to say,” Gage mutters, earning a glare from Zane.
“Do you have any other ideas, Crazy boy?” Zane asks.
“Oh. For sure.” Gage sits up. “We blow that motherfucker up.”
“So, you want to draw more attention when we’re trying to go in quiet?” I ask, raising a brow.
“We don’t have to go in if he’s dead,” Gage argues.
“What if it’s not him?” Les asks. “We just tipped him off that we’re still there.”
“Fine,” Gage grumbles, flopping back in his chair.
“We go with Zane’s idea. We know those woods.” Les swallows, gathering herself. “I’ll call Alexey, Dmitri, and Mateo to see if they want in.”
“Not Evander?” Leo asks.
Les snorts a laugh. “He has Micah babysitting duty.”
“What about the other Italians?” Dex asks. She used the other Italians when she knew Viktor would come after her like she did him. Watching how fast Viktor’s guys backed down when they came spilling out was gold.
“I sent them back home after Viktor,” she answers. “Between us, Ghost and his crew, and Caden’s crew, that should be enough.” She looks at Ghost. “How is Caden?”
