We ride back to the compound with Sarah holding on for dear life, and the moment we're through the gates, Ava's running out of the clubhouse like her life depends on it. She reaches us before I've even killed the engine, pulling Sarah off the bike and into a hug that's tight enough to bruise.
"I'm so sorry," Ava's saying, her voice breaking. "This is my fault, all of it. I should've protected you better."
"Stop. This isn't your fault." Sarah pulls back, wiping tears from her face. "That monster Castellano, he's the one responsible. You're just trying to stop him."
"And I will. I promise you, Sarah. He's going to pay for this."
I let them have their moment, watching Ava reassure her friend while simultaneously falling apart herself. The guilt's eating her alive, I can see it in every line of her body, and there's nothing I can say to make it better except to finish this.
Falcon approaches, his expression grim. "Agent Forrister's coordinating with Illinois field offices. They're moving on the airfield in ninety minutes. She wants us there as backup."
"Then we ride." I look at Ava, seeing the determination warring with fear in her eyes. "You're staying here with Sarah."
"Like hell I am." She stands, crossing to me with fire in her expression. "Castellano threatened my best friend, tried to use her to silence me. I'm going to be there when they take him down."
"It's too dangerous."
"So is everything else I've done in the last two weeks. I'm not sitting this out, Mason. This is my story, my investigation, myfight." She steps closer, her voice dropping. "And I need to see it through. Need to know he can't hurt anyone else ever again."
I want to argue, want to lock her in my room and keep her safe while we handle Castellano. But I recognize the look in her eyes. It's the same determination that's kept her alive this long, the same fire that made me fall for her in the first place.
"Fine. But you stay back, you follow orders, and if things go sideways, you run. Understood?"
"Understood."
Vulture looks between us and sighs. "This is a bad idea."
"Yeah, well, bad ideas are kind of our specialty at this point." I turn to Sterling. "Get Sarah secured, make sure she's got medical attention and anything else she needs. And Sterling? Keep her safe. If Castellano's people come back for her, I want to know we've got her protected."
"On it."
We have forty-five minutes to prepare before we need to leave for the airfield. Ava changes into dark clothes, practical gear that won't slow her down, and I make sure she's got a vest under her jacket. It's not military grade, but it'll stop most handgun rounds if things get ugly.
"You don't have to do this," I tell her as we gear up. "No one would blame you for staying here."
"I would blame me." She checks the vest's fit, adjusting straps. "I've spent months investigating this operation, risking everything to expose it. I'm not going to miss the ending because I'm scared."
"Being scared's smart. It keeps you alive."
"Then I'm terrified, but I'm still going." She looks up at me, and there's steel beneath the fear. "He doesn't get to win, Mason. Not after everything he's done."
I pull her close, breathing in the scent of her shampoo and the unique smell that's just Ava. "Stay behind me, don't take unnecessary risks. And if I tell you to run, you run. Promise me."
"I promise." Her hands fist in my shirt. "But you promise me something too. Come back alive. Because I'm not done with you yet."
"Not done with me? Sweetheart, you're stuck with me forever." I kiss her, hard and desperate. "I love you, Ava Langley. And when this is over, we're going to figure out what forever looks like."
"I'm holding you to that."
The ride to Illinois takes just over an hour, our convoy has been pushing speed limits and is running on adrenaline. Agent Forrister's coordinating through Condor, feeding us real-time updates on the airfield situation. The private jet's still being fueled, Castellano's reportedly en route, and the FBI's got agents positioned around the perimeter waiting for him to arrive.
"This is it," Vulture says through the comms as we approach the airfield. "Final showdown. Everyone stays sharp, follows the plan, and we all go home tonight."
"What's the plan?" Ava asks from behind me, her arms tight around my waist.
"FBI moves in when Castellano arrives. We provide backup and make sure he doesn't slip away." I pull off the main road onto a service road that Condor mapped for us. "And you stay with the bikes, safe and out of the line of fire."
"Mason..."
