I turn toward Matthias and Wyatt. “I want you to move in here for now. We’re safer together.”
Matthias goes to argue, but Wyatt nods, placing a hand on his arm. “I would feel safer here too. Just until we get this resolved.”
Jackson glances over at Dalton, almost hopefully, but the look isn’t returned. When nothing is said, I continue as if I didn’t notice anything. “I’ll have Dotty arrange your rooms in the west wing?—”
“Fuck! I found it.” Neo interrupts. “This is how they’re getting in,” Neo traces a line through the map. “This section of the southeast barrier wall was hit hard in that storm a few weeks ago. If the alarm system was knocked out in that area, then it explains how they’re making it over the boundary undetected.”
Ansel has his own laptop open now. Cade’s allowing it, likely because he hasn’t moved from his lap. He lets out a soft curse. “Yep. It’s dark in that stretch. Fuck, how did we miss this?”
My brow pinches. We shouldn’t have. This is on me. My gaze drops to my hands fisted under the table.I’ve let them all down. This is on me. I should’ve been better. I should’ve?—
“Stop it right the fuck now.”
I glance up in surprise to see Neo glaring at me with his hands on his hips.
“Stop what?”
“Stop beating yourself up,” he says firmly. “This isn’t on you.”
“Is that what he’s doing when he looks like that?” Dalton remarks. “I always thought it meant he was constipated.”
“If that were true, he’d be constipated ninety-five percent of the time,” Neo responds.
I sniff. “My bowel habits are perfectly normal, thank you very much.”
Matthias winces. “Could’ve lived without knowing that, to be honest.”
“Wait.” Samson turns to Neo. “Are you saying that when he makes that face, it’s because he feels guilty or some shit?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Neo says, not looking away from me. “I don’t think you all realize quite how much responsibility Wylder carries. He takes any failings of The Firm personally.”
Harley gives a small moue of dismay. “But he looks like that all the time.”
I slink down in my chair. “I do not. This is my face.”
“We told him ages ago we want to help him more. Why hasn’t he asked?” Cade demands, stabbing his knife into the table. “Does he think we’re incompetent?”
My brows rise. “I’m sitting right here.”
Everyone ignores me. I may as well not be in the room.
“It’s not that,” Dalton says heavily. “I think we’re all forgetting that while Wylder was able to protect us from the worst of Father’s training, there was no one to protect him.”
A heavy silence falls over the room. I don’t like it. It’s making the back of my neck itch. I don’t want or need their pity.
“Enough,” I say curtly, rapping my knuckles on the table. “Let’s focus on the problem at hand. Harley, can you get the alarm circuit reconnected?”
He nods. “Yeah, it won’t take more than an hour. Ansel, want to give me a hand? Might be faster with two of us.”
Cade growls, and Harley laughs. “Simmer down, dude.”
Ansel sighs, patting Cade’s shoulder. “Sorry, Harley. Maybe it’ll be better if Neo helps you.”
“Sure,” Neo says with a nod. “I’m almost as good as Ansel.”
My fist clenches under the table again. I want to growl just like Cade did. My monster is furious at the idea of having Neo so close to the boundary of the property. The place where weknowthese fuckers have been infiltrating our land.
But, unlike my brother, I can’t make such a demand of Neo. He’s not mine, even if I chose him.
