by Sara Dailey
“Cade, we’ve got to move and I mean now. We have three days, max,” she said.
“Okay Cami. Tomorrow, during rec, get a message to Gage—”
“No good. As soon as they realized Teagan was missing, Nathaniel put us on house arrest. No rec time at all,” Cami said cutting Cade off.
“Shit…”
“No kidding, but listen, I think I might have a plan. Can you meet me again tonight?” Cami asked.
“Cami, you can’t be serious,” I said, standing up and running my hands through my hair.
The look Cami shot me spoke volumes, but I wasn’t about to back down.
“I have to say that I’m with Gavin on this, Cami. It’s too risky to meet again so soon,” Cade said, sending a rush of relief through me.
“We can’t afford to wait, and you know it, Cade. We can meet farther from the main road this time since I’ll be alone,” she said.
She can’t be serious about going out again. She just can’t.
“We really need a way to communicate on the estate. Can you get me some phones?” she asked Cade.
“Yeah, I can go into town and get a few of those pay-as-you-go phones for you, but will you be able to get them handed out?” Cade asked, and my stomach dropped.
I couldn’t sit there any longer and watch her eyes light up at the thought of yet another risky escape plan. I threw my hands down on the arms of my chair just a little too hard, earning another dirty look from Cami as I stood up and walked away. I didn’t want to have this conversation with her again, and especially not with Cade listening in, but there was just no way I was letting her leave here again, especially after what Nathaniel threatened today. The man didn’t make promises he didn’t plan to keep.
“Of course I can,” I heard Cami say from my new spot in the kitchen.
“I’ll get one for you and Shari, and a few for Gage. He will need to get them to Sammy, Ryder, and Jake. How is Jake, by the way?” Cade said.
“Good as new, as far as I can tell. Listen, can you get the phones by tonight?” Cami asked, sounding impatient.
Still with tonight…fuck!
“Yeah, I’ll get them. Let’s meet at one a.m. This time near the cliff on the western edge of the estate. Do you know where that’s at?” Cade asked.
“Yeah, I know the place. I’ll see you at one then.”
“Cami…thank you for doing this. I know what you are risking for our pack, and I couldn’t think of anyone better for the job,” I heard Cade say. “Luke wants to speak to you. Is that okay?”
I watched as the smile faded from her lips and her back straightened. What the hell was that about? A surge of jealousy rushed through me. I knew that Luke was mated to my sister, and Cami knew that as well, but Cade didn’t put that look on her face…just Luke.
“Sure,” Cami said biting down on her lower lip.
I held my breath and waited to hear what Luke had to say.
“Cami, are you okay?” Luke asked.
“I’m fine. Why?”
“Really? The truth?” he asked again.
Cami took a deep breath before answering, “Yeah Luke, I’m okay.”
“You’re going in human form tonight, right?” he asked.
“I’m going to have to,” she said.
“There is a lockbox under the bed in the safe room. Can you get it?” he asked.
Cami jumped up off the loveseat and ran past me to the bedroom. “Got it,” she said as she ran back into the room carrying the black, metal box.
“Good. The code is 06-11.”
“Your birthday?” she asked.
“Yeah, my dad set it. Did you get it opened?”
I walked back over to the loveseat so that I could see what was in the box. My eyes widened when I saw the four tranq guns and several boxes of tranquilizers.
I couldn’t help myself. The need to butt in on this conversation was too strong, so before Cami could answer, I said, “It’s open.”
“Oh, hey, Gavin,” Luke said as if it hadn’t even occurred to him that I’d been listening.
“Cami, can you get one of those to us, and one to Gage? Keep the other two for you and Gavin. You remember how to shoot, right?” Luke asked, and I wanted to punch the big lug in the face. He wanted my girl to not only sneak off the estate, but also carry guns with her. If she gets caught with weapons, even if they are just tranq guns, she’s as good as dead. The whole idea was ludicrous.
“Of course, I remember. I’ll bring them tonight.”
“Okay, thanks Cami. You be careful,” Luke said before giving the phone back to Cade.
I stopped listening at that point and went into the bedroom to lie down. Asking Cami to do that was wrong. Allowing her to do it was wrong. Why was I the only person able to see that?
A few minutes later, Cami walked in and sat on the bed next to me. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t even acknowledge her presence in the room. I knew that I was being an ass, but I didn’t care.
“Are you okay with this? Do you want to talk about it” Cami asked.
That was it. I completely lost it. I climbed out of the bed and stood over her.
“Yeah, let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about how you storm in here and don’t say a word to me. Let’s talk about your asinine plan to smuggle goddamn guns off the estate on the same fucking day that Nathaniel warned everyone that he would begin killing members of your pack. You really want to talk about how you made all these plans and decisions without discussing anything with me beforehand? Really, because I don’t think you want to know my opinion on the subject, Cami. And while we are at it, let’s talk about why you got so nervous and timid when Luke wanted to talk to you, and don’t deny it because I saw you with my own eyes.”
I watched as the different emotions crossed her face: surprise, guilt, irritation, anger.
“You’re right. I don’t wanna talk about it,” she said as she stood and began to leave the room.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “It’s not safe. If you get caught, they will kill you. I will lose you, Cami. Can’t you see that?”
Cami walked over to the surveillance equipment and ejected the latest video and grabbed a few from the desk.
“I’m sorry, Gavin, but I have to do this. I really hoped that you finally understood that,” she said before leaving the safe room and me.
CHAPTER 30
Kendall
Not long after Nathaniel’s supposed final warning was declared, the lodge mostly cleared out, but I decided to stick around for a while to see if I could overhear any new information about Crescent Hills’ plans to takeover Red Ridge now that their alpha had declared a timeline. Obviously, no one intended to tell me anything, but I’d been learning how to be a fly on the wall. Right place, right time, and hidden from sight seemed to be the best recipe for success.
I needed to know if anyone else connected the dots regarding the reason behind Teagan’s escape. Or was I the only one here smart enough to put two and two together? If so, these dumbasses needed me way more than they thought. If our great and powerful alpha had half a brain, he’d have realized that there was only one viable reason for the domestic to risk escaping the confines of the estate—to get to her mate.
There’s nothing else out there for her beyond these gates, but if Aiden were still alive, she wouldn’t have any other choice than to get to him before he became too sick. And if this was true, it only meant one thing. The rest of them were out there too.
Nathaniel may think he had the upper hand here, but he had no idea what the members of Red Ridge were capable of. There was no doubt in my mind that Cade, Aiden, and Luke were working on a plan to take back their pack, so Crescent Hills better make their move fast before it was too late. It’s unfortunate that Nathaniel and Drew decided to keep me in the dark since our arrival because it only made my decision to return the favor all the easier. For now, this tidbit of information would remain mine and mine alone. Besides, they should be smart enough to figure it out on th
eir own.
The meeting had only been over for a half hour or so before a sleek, black town car pulled up in front of the lodge. I knew it had to be Natalie and her family inside, and I was more nervous than ever about her being here. After what transpired with Drew earlier, I wasn’t sure I could keep up the everything-is-fabulous façade, and Natalie was the last person in this pack that I wanted to know about my trouble in paradise. She’d love nothing more than to see me fall from grace and would most likely try to slide right into my place if things really did go south with Drew.
I watched from the window as my long-legged frenemy stepped out of the car. Her wavy, black locks shined like she just stepped off the set of a Pantene commercial, her makeup was flawless as usual, and even in a coat, her figure screamed look at me, boys, because it doesn’t get any better than this. Yeah, I totally hated her.
Drew was there to greet her with a kiss on the cheek, and the way those two looked at each other made me wonder how many other not-so-innocent kisses they had shared when I wasn’t around. Nathaniel, Brian, and Clayton chatted with her parents, leaving Drew and Natalie to “catch up” for a few minutes. Sure, I could have gone out there to join them, but I couldn’t help but watch as my so-called closest friend and my boyfriend had their little moment. The sad fact that Drew said more to her in those few minutes than he had to me since we’d arrived wasn’t lost on me.
When Nathaniel finally decided to lead the group inside, I knew I couldn’t stay hidden forever, so I ran may fingers through my hair, smoothed out my clothes, and smiled like I couldn’t be happier to see my bestie as I hurried over to greet them at the door.
As if on cue, Natalie squealed when she saw me, and like always, she grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me for a kiss on the cheek. “Oh my God! Kendall! I’ve missed you so much! You look gorgeous as always, love. But have they been working you too hard around here? You look a little tired.”
Her backhanded compliment didn’t surprise me in the least. She’d perfected that little tactic and never failed to find a way to make anyone in her presence feel like shit while simultaneously telling them how “gorgeous” they were. I wanted to tell her what an evil bitch she was, but as expected, I kissed her back and said, “Natalie, I’m so glad you’re finally here. I’ve been counting down the minutes ever since I found out you were coming.”
During our little frenemy reunion, the men had continued walking and were now surely tucked away to converse away from prying eyes and ears, having the exact conversation I was hoping to hear. But alas, I was stuck making nice with the pack’s head mean girl, a title I used to be a proud owner of right here on this very land.
To my surprise, only a few minutes passed before Drew came around the corner and was headed our way. I purposefully avoided eye contact, fearing the hatred lurking there would be my undoing. My heart rate soared to astronomical heights as he approached, knowing only seconds from now he was going to make me look like a complete fool in front of the girl he was probably screwing behind my back. And if he weren’t hooking up with her, he’d most likely do it now just to spite me after the stunt I pulled earlier.
When he was only a few steps away, I braced for impact, but instead of totally humiliating me like I anticipated, a warm smile spread across his face. Then he wandered up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and gently kissed my cheek before he said, “I hope I’m not interrupting you ladies, but my arms just felt so empty without my baby in them.”
Natalie giggled and then gushed, “Oh Drew, aren’t you just the sweetest thing.”
Drew trailed a few kisses down my neck and pulled me tighter. “Not near as sweet as this girl right here.”
Oh my God. Who the hell was this guy? It was like I’d been dropped into an alternate universe or something. If only I could read his mind, I’d love to know what little game he was playing. He was as fake as the wicked wench standing in front of me, who was smiling brightly as if she actually was happy to see me wrapped in the soon-to-be alpha’s arms. I call bullshit…on both of them.
CHAPTER 31
Cami
Why did I have to be such a stubborn ass? It wasn’t as if this was our first argument, but it was definitely our first fight since everything had changed between us. And it was my fault. I knew Gavin was just worried about me, and obviously, I should have included him in my plans before I busted in the house and called Cade, but my head was flooded with everything that needed to be done and what would happen if we missed our tiny window of opportunity to take back our pack.
Then when Gavin went all alpha-male on me, I knew I couldn’t back down. My plan with Cade needed to happen, and it needed to happen tonight. Truth be told, the fear in Gavin’s eyes was almost too much to take, and it wouldn’t have taken much to convince me to change my mind. If it was him taking off in the night, I’d be freaking out too and begging him not to go, but there was no one else to do it, so what other choice did I have? Unless I planned on allowing my own pack to go down in flames, I had to do this. There was no other way.
Trying to ignore the overwhelming urge to run back into the safe room and throw myself into Gavin’s embrace, I scrounged around the kitchen for something to eat, but there wasn’t much to choose from. Didn’t our captors realize that we needed to go to the grocery store every once in a while? Not that they gave two shits about what we had to eat. They probably figured we could survive a few more days on whatever we had stocked up before the attack. Only a few more days…
Three days before Red Ridge’s time was up. At least we had an answer to the question of how much longer we’d be confined to the estate. But the most important question had yet to be answered and most likely wouldn’t be until it was too late. What happened next?
I hoped we wouldn’t have to find out. If nothing else, Red Ridge would go down fighting. There was no way Cade, Aiden, and Luke would sit back and let Crescent Hills not only steal their land and business, but hurt their pack as well. We could do this. All I could do was pray that we’d all get out of this alive.
After deciding that unless I planned on actually cooking something, a bowl of cereal would have to do, I shoveled it down and headed upstairs to get ready. I jumped in the shower even though I knew I’d probably need another by the time I made it back. I thought taking a few minutes to relax under the stream of hot water would help, but it wasn’t long before everything that had happened and everything that could happen invaded my mind.
Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe even though I sucked in as much air as possible over and over again. With my heart pounding in my chest, I doubled over and tried to slow my shallow breathing, but it was like I was suffocating, and before I knew it, I was on my knees sobbing as the water rained down on me from above. I sat back and let it all out figuring—hoping—that was what I really needed. I’d been holding it all in, all the worry, the fear, the pain, and the sorrow. I’d finally given in and let it out.
By the time I stood back up, the water had grown cold and my fingers were shriveled prunes, but I could breathe again and my tears had long dried up. After shrugging on some clothes, I blow dried my hair and pulled it up into a ponytail. I collected everything I needed to hand off to Cade and shoved it into a backpack. I’d have to do this on two legs, but I already knew it could be done, and I was going to do it again—for my family, for Gavin, for myself, and for my pack.
On my way out, I passed my parents’ bedroom and wanted nothing more than to go inside, find Gavin, and have him wrap his arms around me and tell me that everything was going to be okay. I wanted to say I was sorry and that I’d be careful and not to worry. I wanted to feel his lips against my own, knowing they’d give me the strength I needed to get through this. But I didn’t stop. Instead, I walked on by as a single tear slid down my cheek.
I couldn’t risk him talking me out of going. One look from him could sabotage
my resolve, and it was a chance I couldn’t take. This had to be done, and it had to be done tonight. Time
was ticking, and I couldn’t make decisions with my heart. All I could do was hope that he’d be waiting for me when I returned.
CHAPTER 32
Gavin
I kept hoping that Cami would walk back into the safe room and, at the very least, tell me goodbye and let me wish her luck, but she never did. Instead, I watched her through the surveillance camera as she finished packing her backpack and got ready to leave the house. As much as I tried, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Watching as she moved around with such purpose and determination only managed to both piss me off and freak me out even more. I wanted badly to try to stop her one more time, convince her she was crazy, convince her to stay, or at the very least, let me go with her, but my pride wouldn’t allow it.
I wanted her to choose to stay with me or want me to be with her when she left. I didn’t want her to change her mind out of guilt but because she knew how important she was to me. And I wanted to be that important to her. Maybe that was the real reason that I didn’t go after her even after I saw her stop and look toward the safe room. I needed her to come to me, to pick me, to stay safe for me, but she didn’t.
She only looked my way for a second before turning and walking out the back door. What hurt most of all was that she didn’t even care enough to stop and tell me she was leaving. Nothing, not a word.
I flipped to the exterior cameras so I could keep an eye on her as she made her way through the trees. Every time I lost her, my heart would stop beating and my lungs would freeze up. It was excruciating, and I didn’t know how much more I could stand. Maybe it would be better for everyone involved if I just left. I could sneak off the estate and find Scarlett. At least then I wouldn’t be stuck in this fucking room anymore. Why was I even here? What was the point? If it weren’t for Cami, I would have been out of here days ago.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, Cami would appear through the trees. My breathing would return to normal again, and all thoughts of leaving her would vanish. I took advantage of her time on camera to calm down before I punched a hole through the wall of this goddamn safe house.