Claudia
The drive out to Everlasting Hart Ranch is tense. George and Gabriel stay behind at Malloy Manor, with Tiberius watching over them. They both wanted to come, but I feel better knowing they’re far away from whatever happens tonight.
I’d feel better if Noah and Eli were back at the manor, too. This is between me and Antony and Brutus. But Noah seems determined to prove he can wade into blood alongside me, and Eli… he’s impossible to read. He says he wants to be here, and I don’t want to say anything to make him leave again. But he insisted on bringing his kitten with us and he still can’t bear to look me in the eye. I know things are still broken between us.
At least he’s no longer a danger. At least he’s part of the family again.
I just hope he doesn’t see something tonight that will make him run. We’re about to invade his personal space. His sanctuary. And I don’t know what will happen when I see Brutus. I can’t turn back from that.
Tough shit.
Brutus invaded it first.
Alea iacta est.He cast the die. Now he needs to play the game to the bitter end.
We pull in the towering gates. Weeds grow up around the stone pillars, and the words on the sign are so battered by the sandstorms that they’re nearly indecipherable.
Antony leans over the wheel as he slows the car along the winding, broken driveway. “This place is enormous. It’s going to take us hours to search.”
“Not necessarily.” Eli points to the collection of outbuildings behind the main homestead – three floors of broken panes and battered wood siding looming over us, with two dormer windows like eyes watching our every move. The outbuildings look in even worse condition – the barn had a giant hole in the roof and caved-in doors. “Last time I came out here, Gizmo was hanging around the outbuildings. She came back and didn’t want to eat her dinner, which almost never happens. I thought she’d been catching mice, but now I wonder if he’s been feeding her, which means she knows where he’s hiding.”
I peer at the tiny cat pawing at her cage. “You want to get her involved in this?”
Eli puts the cage on the ground and opens the door. Gizmo bounds outside and lifts her pink nose into the air, as if to say, “I’m ready for action.”
Eli gives her a nudge with her foot. Gizmo peers up at him with wide eyes. He bends down to pet her but she tears off toward the outbuildings.
Antony slides his gun into his holster. He holds out a second weapon to me. I shake my head, lifting my wrist to show him the knives. I want Brutus to believe I came unarmed, like the silly little girl whose innocence he stole.
I want to get up close and personal.
Noah grabs the gun from Antony. Eli lifts a rotting board in the porch and pulls out a locked case, from which he withdraws an assault rifle. My eyebrows go up. Noah’s eyes bug out of his head.
“Why are you looking at me like that for?” Eli can’t help but grin as he engages the weapon. “Iamfrom the South. I practically grew up on a gun range.”
“Yes, but—”Look at you, you’ve never pointed that gun at someone and considered pulling the trigger. But before I can say anything, Eli stalks after his cat, keeping close to the dilapidated stone buildings as he points the weapon ahead of him.
I rush after him, my heart leaping into my mouth. I flatten my back against the wall behind him. Eli’s body tenses as my arm brushes his. An electric charge shoots through my veins from his touch. Seeing him carry that gun is hot as fuck.
I’m completely messed up.
Luckily, the moon is high and full, and there’s no light pollution out here to obscure our vision. We have a clear view of the little tuxedo cat as she explores. Gizmo sniffs around in the weeds for a little bit, then chews on a blade of grass. She looks completely nonplussed with the four of us pressed up against the barn with our weapons at the ready.
Finally, she catches the scent of something and darts off toward one of the furthest outbuildings – a low stone lean-to with a pile of rusting tools stacked out front. She wiggles her ass into a narrow gap in the wall and disappears inside. A few moments later, I hear a voice murmur.
“Here, kitty, kitty. Brutus has some nice tuna for you…”
Fuck.
We found him.
He’s really here.
My body tenses. My fingers slide into my sleeve to caress the blade I’ve hidden there. Antony grips my arm, his eyes boring into mine. He gestures that he and Noah will move around the rear of the building to close off his escape. Eli and I are to follow Gizmo in the front.
I nod, counting to twenty in my head as the pair of them slip away, giving them time to get in position. When I reach one, I tap Eli’s hand. He looks over at me. Our eyes meet, and it’s like a bolt of lightning striking my soul. He’s burning me to a crisp, but I can’t stop drawing him in.
We move toward the entrance. I can hear the man murmuring inside, cooing at Gizmo. Eli’s finger trembles on the trigger, and I know he’s regretting putting his cat in the middle of this. I raise an eyebrow at him, wishing I knew a facial expression or sign language that could convey, “I’ll die before I let anything happen to Gizmo.”
