Page 29 of Property of Mercury

We retreat through the brush, taking a wide loop back toward the hidden trail where we stashed the quads. My thoughts race, calculating the gear we need and the heavy weaponry locked in our armory. This isn't just about clearing a shack anymore. It's about dismantling a network.

“When we get back, we call the others,” Orion suggests as we reach the tree line. “We need to give everyone a full briefing. No more half measures.”

“Agreed,” I tell him. “Load the ATVs. We ride back, we plan, and tonight, we return to hunt the hunters.” We kick the engines to life, the roar tearing through the quiet forest. It's time to show these people that they picked the wrong group to target. We aren't victims, and by the time we're done, they'll regret every second they spent planning their sick games.

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

Finley

The high-pitched hum of engines fades as the guys cut the power to the ATVs. I watch from the edge of the tree line as Mercury swings a leg over his quad. I shouldn't be here. I know that. But staying in that house while they risk their lives makes my skin crawl. I step out from the shrubbery, my boots crunching on the gravel. Boötes lets out a low groan, stepping out from behind a thick cottonwood, looking more relieved than annoyed.

“I'm not waiting in that house anymore,” I mutter as I start walking toward the guys, my pace determined.

Mercury pulls his helmet off and shakes his dark hair loose. His eyes scan the area, landing on me a second later. His expression shifts from focus to pure irritation. “I told you to stay put!” he bellows, stalking toward me. “You’re putting yourself at unnecessary risk by roaming around without protection, Finley.”

“I'm not a prisoner,” I shoot back, digging my heels in as he nears. “And I wasn't alone. Boötes has been shadowing me the entire time.”

Mercury doesn't break stride until he's standing right in front of me. His scent, dust and gasoline, washes over me. “That doesn't change the fact that I gave an order.”

Gemini walks up, his arms crossed over his chest. “She's not a soldier, Mercury. She's a survivor. Let her breathe.”

Mercury glares at him before he sighs, the tension bleeding out of his shoulders. He looks back at me, his gaze softening. “We're done for the day, Fin. We found the hideouts, but we aren't going to storm them without a real plan.”

“I need to know what you saw,” I insist, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to hold it steady.

“It's bad,” Gemini admits. “They've rigged the perimeter with sensors. It's a trap, and they're waiting for someone to trip the wire.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “Then let's make sure it's not you who falls for it.”

Mercury reaches out, running his thumb along my jawline. “It won't be. We're going to dismantle them piece by piece.” Mercury drops his hand, but his gaze lingers on mine. He rubs the back of his neck, his jaw working as he struggles to find the right words. “Look, I'm sorry I blew up at you back there,” he murmurs, his voice uncharacteristically rough. “That wasn't fair. I just... seeing you out here, away from the house, it makes my blood run cold.”

I look up at him, searching his eyes for the truth behind his anger. “You're terrified I'll get hurt again.”

He lets out a harsh, humorless laugh. “Terrified is an understatement, Fin. Knowing what they did to you... it eats at me. Every second you're out of my sight, I imagine the worst. I'm not angry at you, wildcat. I'm just trying to keep you safe, and sometimes I don't know how to handle the fear that something might happen to you.”

His honesty hits me harder than his yelling did. It strips away the tough exterior and leaves something raw and vulnerable. I step closer, resting my palm against his chest. “I'm not a liability, Mercury. I'm with you in this. You have to trust me, or we won't get through this together.”

He exhales a long, shaky breath, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. “You're right. I know you're right. I'm just protective of what's mine, and I hate that I can't wrap you in bubble wrap and keep you from seeing this world.”

“I don't want bubble wrap,” I insist, my voice gaining strength. “I want to help you take them down. That's the only way I'm going to feel safe again.”

“Sorry, but that’s not happening. I know you need to feel like you’re part of this, and I get it, I do, Finley. But I won’t ever willingly put you at risk.”

I pull away, my jaw tightening as the rejection stings. “You don't get to decide what I can handle, Mercury. That is exactly what those men did to me. They decided I had no say in my own existence.”

He flinches, his eyes narrowing as the weight of my words hits him. “That’s not the same thing. I’m trying to keep you breathing, Finley.”

“I’m already breathing,” I counter, crossing my arms to lock the tremor out of my limbs. “But I’m not living. Not if I’m stuck behind four walls or locked in a room while you guys play at being warriors. I need to be involved. Even if it is just logistics or intel. Let me help.”

Mercury rubs his face with both hands, a low, frustrated growl vibrating in his chest. “Logistics means listening to the comms. It means hearing exactly what they are doing and knowing I might be walking into a grave. You think that’s safer for you?”

“It’s better than the unknown,” I insist, stepping into his space again. “The not knowing is what kills me. If I’m part of the team, I have some control. I have a purpose.”

He studies me for a long beat, his expression unreadable. Gemini steps up beside us and comes up with a compromise that he thinks we’ll both agree to. “We can put her in charge of the walkies and answering the phones in case the Blackfeet chief decides to reply to our message.”

Mercury’s gaze snaps to Gemini. He looks frustrated, but the logic clearly hits home. He knows he can’t keep me locked up indefinitely, and having me on the radio means I’m connected to the mission instead of just waiting in the dark. It’s a compromise, but it’s a start.