Page 47 of Oakheart

I bit back a groan. I hadn’t. Hadn’t been that smart.

But if I’d given her this one, she could’ve found Jax herself. I could have done one fucking thing right, but instead, I failed her.

Marcus took the information he wanted and tossed the phone down. It might’ve hit me, but it was hard to pick one pain out from all the rest.

My eyes stung, grief drowning my every last breath. I could only hope that one werewolf girl in a city this big would get lost. She’d be safe.

If she was safe, it wasn’t all for nothing.

CHAPTER 24

Aleks

The first thingI did in San Francisco was make sure everyone had a phone on them, charged and ready for use. Since we’d gotten Viktor back, we’d had limited use for them out in the woods, but here? We needed to stay in contact.

I’d no sooner handed them out, along with instructions about how often everyone needed to text to check in with the group, than I saw Grant and his most loyal assholes heading back toward the trucks.

I cursed under my breath, not ready for everything, but also, without any other choices. “Leo,” I said, switching to Russian to make things easier, and more private between the four of us. “Follow them. Keep your distance and don’t get caught, but see what they’re up to and where they go. Report every half hour regardless of what’s happening.”

He gave me a sharp nod, his expression as serious as it had ever been, and loped off after the truck.

Without a single bit of prodding, Mama held up her phone and took a step back. “I’m going to watch that spider Giselle. I wouldn’t put it past her to use this opportunity to kidnap somegirls living on the streets. I’ll make sure we don’t go home with any extra victims.”

I nodded to her, because I hadn’t even had an assignment in mind for her, but she was entirely right, someone needed to stop Giselle. Honestly, the woman was in the same category as Marcus for me. All people who hurt children were, and she was one of the worst.

When they were both gone, Viktor looked at me. “Are you ready?”

“No. But it doesn’t matter. No one is ever ready. We move forward regardless.”

His smile was the only response, but those were rare enough from him. He was with me, entirely. Viktor would have my back till the end.

Just over an hour later, after two relatively banal updates where both Leo and Mama said nothing was happening, and I said the same, Leo dropped a text to the group that said the inevitable change wasn’t coming anymore. It was upon us.

I killed Barry.

Viktor and I both froze, looking at our phones, then each other.

Leo?

Leo had killed a man? Not to question it, Barry was one of Grant’s most loyal goons, one of the people I’d always known would die for my uncle. And Leo? Leo would never so much as offer a cruel word if it weren’t entirely warranted. Killing someone was a whole other thing. Frankly, I’d never expected him to be able to do such a thing, even without another choice.

“I always thought I would have to do it for him,” Viktor muttered, echoing my sentiments.

We both waited, barely breathing, for one minute. Five. Ten.

Then a wall of text appeared.

They went to a motel that smelled like Cash and Evie. I went around back, found Evie climbing out a window. Barry was there and tried to grab her. I had to stop him. I couldn’t wait for Cash. Got Evie, and we got away, but... what do I do now? I can’t go back. Definitely can’t take Evie back, even if I’m willing to go myself.

For just a second, I froze. Then I looked up at Viktor, who had slipped his phone back into his pocket and wasn’t even looking at it, let alone answering his brother. No, he was standing at parade rest, looking at me. Waiting for orders.

And it was time.

I’d barely had time to text Leo back when I heard the truck arrive outside, but in that minute, I had decided my future, and that of every person who would follow me. Leo was the man for the job I’d sent him to do, though.

And Viktor was the man I needed at my side in this unfolding disaster.

When Grant walked in smelling of Cash’s blood, I could barely suppress myself. I wanted to shift and rage and kill them all, but even with Viktor, I couldn’t fight Grant with all of his loyalists at his side and hope to win. I had to wait. To be judicious.