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“Wake up, Brynne.”
My eyes fluttered, still gummed with sleep. For a moment I didn’t know where I was, but then the familiar bedroom faded into view.
“It’s time.”
Those two words did more to wake me from my slumber than a bucket of cold water. I swung my legs off the bed and stood up, blinking rapidly as I sought out my clothes. With each beat of my now-racing heart, I was growing more and more excited.
This is it!
Cody tossed something to Silas, who tucked it into his belt. It gave off a dull metallic flash in the brief time it spun through the air.
Evan…
The idea that I would be seeing my brother in just a few short minutes spurred me on. I was ready to roll out before any of them. Ready and charged up and practically vibrating.
“Let’s go.”
Sebastian glanced up at us from his warm spot on the couch, yawning tiredly as we filed through the doorway. He had that universal look dogs had when they thought their owners were acting crazy.
“Be back soon, buddy,” I promised. “And with a surprise for you.”
A minute later we were in Santiago’s car, racing through the mostly-empty streets of very early morning Oakland. I had no idea what time it was, only that the sky was still dark and moonless. The sun wouldn’t be up for another few hours, ensuring that whatever mission we were on was blanketed by darkness.
“The call came half an hour ago,” Silas explained. “Warehouse. Down near Hunter’s Point.”
“The old Navy shipyard?”
He nodded slowly.
“That’s ironic, don’t you think?”
“It’s better than meeting out in the middle of the desert,” he responded. “That’s what we were expecting, anyway.”
Santiago guided the wheel with a steady hand. “Doesn’t matter where it is,” he called back. “They’re going to strip us down, take our weapons. So be ready for that.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Cody asked.
“For now, yes,” Santiago replied. “But if things go south, well…” His voice dropped into a more ominous tone. “You both know what to do.”
I couldn’t even imagine what that meant, and I didn’t ask. They’d explained the gist of their plan, as Silas had promised. True to his word, it really wasn’t much. Almost anything we did would be contingent upon the Ancellas, their mood, and whatever their intentions toward us might be.
“First things first, though,” Santiago announced.
The car slowed down, then pulled off into the next side-street. As it rolled to a complete stop, I noticed all three of them were looking at me.
“What is it?” I asked fearfully.
My stomach sank. Suddenly I knew.
“You’re not ditching me,” I said acidly. “If you think I’m getting out of this car—”
“No baby,” Cody interjected. “It’s not that at all.”
I swung my attention his way only to find his blue eyes unwavering. In fact, all three of them were still meeting my gaze.
What the…
I didn’t know what they wanted, but there was one thing I was absolutely sure of: If they were about to throw me out ‘for my own safety’, none of them would be able to look me in the eye.
