But most of all, I’m furious he didn’t talk to me about this. I could’ve stopped all of this from happening with one simple conversation. We have panic rooms and guards, for fuck’s sake. Not that we need them. Any one of us is more dangerous than ten of our guards combined.
Me? I’m probably worth twenty.
How would Ansel know that?
Fuck. Lookslike not being fully honest and open with him is coming back to bite me in the ass. But he had to know I’d keep him safe.
Why didn’t he confide in me?
27
CADE
Rough hands spin me around. Samson is before me, a finger over his lips. I frown. “Wha?—”
He smacks his hand over my mouth. My gaze flits over my brothers. They’re furious, but eerily silent. All of them.
Harley is beside Samson, scrawling a note on the back of the envelope bearing Ansel’s nickname for me.
The house is compromised. We need to leave.
I shrug Samson off and grab the pen from Harley. I scrawl back four simple words.
How do you know?
Harley clicks his tongue impatiently, snatching the pen back. Behind him, my brothers are gathering the papers from Ansel and grabbing weapons from various hiding places.
Ansel told us. It’s in the documents. House is compromised, possibly our phones too. Laptops are safe thanks to Neo.
A chill goes through me.
Harley isn’t done, his tongue poking out as he jots down more.
Umbra didn’t just threaten you. They threatened the family, plus they named Wyatt, Jackson, Jules, and Neo.
I don’t know if there’s any blood left in my face. No wonderMatthias sounded so panicked on the phone and Dalton took off out of here.
Just when I think things can’t get any worse, my phone vibrates.
I reach into my pocket with numb fingers.Please be Ansel. Please be safe.
It’s not Ansel.
UNKNOWN
Ansel failed us but we know you won’t. If you want to see your pretty boy again, come to this address alone in two hours.
An address appears that I recognize as being downtown.
I turn my screen to my brothers. The same relief I’m feeling is reflected on their faces.
The Umbra Syndicate might expect this to intimidate me, but they’ve just given up their location. They’re about to learn that there’s only one group calling the shots in St. Dismas.
And the Umbra Syndicate has managed to piss off every member of it.
Wylder nods toward the door before taking Neo’s hand. Neo jumps like he’s been startled, but lets Wylder tote him out.
When we get into the corridor, Harley peels off. He returns a moment later, an ashen Jules under his arm.
