“Liar,” Kalin whispered. “We know all about them—and that their security will be down after our first, sad and unsuccessful, attempt on headquarters.”
How in the hell? Nobody with that knowledge would betray the Kayrs family. “You’re wrong.”
“Am I?”
Who was the spy? Fury curled Garrett’s fingers into fists. He’d kill the traitor himself.
Kalin patiently waited as Garrett worked it out.
Reality hit with the force of a punch. Janie. She hadn’t.
Kalin coughed out a laugh. “You should see your face.”
Fire heated Garrett’s breath. “You bastard.”
“Ah, now what kind of talk is that? Your big sister would do anything to save you, now wouldn’t she?” Kalin sauntered toward the door. “You may give her hell when she gets here.” The door closed with a final
Damn it all. How could Janie do such a thing? He could handle himself. He was the damn vampire—she was just a human. It was his job to protect her. His spine straightened, his mind finally clear. Time to get the hell off the boat.
Gathering his strength, he punched the wall. Fiberglass cracked and shattered. His knuckles split, and he shoved the pain into a box like he’d been taught.
He might be young and untried, but he’d been trained by the best.
Time to grow up.
The scent of Brenna surrounded Jase as he jogged toward his gym. The woman was a dangerous distraction, and he needed to get a handle on his attraction. He appreciated liking his mate, but his mind couldn’t be filled with her. Neither could his heart.
Revenge lived there and would until he’d killed Suri, Willa, and Malco. Especially Malco.
Deep down, where fear resided, Jase wondered why they’d let him live. Until Brenna had brought warmth into his life, every second of freedom had felt like walking through hell. Though instinct whispered it was more than that.
They wanted something from him.
He shoved open the gym door. The scent of burned metal and cotton assaulted his nose. Brenna sure could damage a room.
A Kurjan hung from the ceiling, his arms over his head. Blood dripped down his face, and pain scented the air. Talen stood over to the side, a bloody knife in his hands.
Jase paused. “Where are the other two?”
“Didn’t make it.” Talen circled the remaining Kurjan. “Guess what? Franco wasn’t at the Kurjan headquarters because he’s on the run. Apparently Kalin has made a move to rule, and most of the forces follow the psychotic bastard.”
Well, it was just a matter of time. Jase nodded. “Any leads on Garrett?”
“This guy was just going to tell me where they’re keeping my son.” Talen slashed a shallow cut down the Kurjan’s torso.
“He’s dead.” The Kurjan’s eyes swirled a bloody red that matched his hair. Most Kurjans had red hair with black tips, unlike Kalin. This guy had clown hair—scary clown hair.
Talen cut again. “He’s not dead. Where is he?”
The Kurjan hissed in pain. “Dead. Kalin cut off his head.” Rage flicked across Talen’s face. “Now, that’s not true.”
Jase fought nausea. He’d been tortured too much to be able to calm down. “Listen, buddy. Talen can keep you alive for weeks until you beg for death. Tell us where Garrett is.”
Talen focused on Jase, his eyes narrowing. “I’ve got this, but Dage needs help securing the tunnels again.”
Jase opened his mouth to protest and snapped it shut at his brother’s stubborn glare. Maybe Talen didn’t want Jase to watch any more than Jase did. He nodded. “Call me if you need me.”
Making a quick exit, he hurried toward headquarters. The Kurjan’s high-pitched screams forced him into a run.
The smell of battle hung over the lodge like a heavy blanket. Smoke, dust, and despair. He yanked open the door and stopped at the sight of Janie and Cara sitting in the rec room. Both had red eyes and noses.
He cleared his throat. “What the hell were you thinking?” Even as the harsh words left his mouth, he wanted to bite them back. Yelling at Janie wasn’t going to help anything.
She sniffed. “I did the same thing any one of you would’ve done.”
At twenty-four years old, she was just a baby. An innocent they’d all protected so fiercely. Jase shook his head. “We’re not likely to break in the wind, Janet Isabella. You’re human, like it or not.”
“I’m the freakin’ prophesied one,” she snapped. “Kalin wouldn’t have hurt me.”
No, he just would’ve forced her to mate him. Didn’t Janie understand what that meant? One glance at Cara confirmed she knew exactly what it meant.
He sighed, banishing anger. For now. “We’ll get him back, Cara. I promise.” When he’d been fifteen, he’d lost his parents. The idea of a mother’s love and concern was sweet, and he’d protect the woman with everything he had. “Garrett is smart and well-trained.”
“So were you,” Cara said softly, her blue eyes full of torment. “He’s so young.”
Yeah, but he was a Kayrs, and he’d survive whatever they did to him. “Right now, Kalin still thinks he has a chance at Janie. So he’ll keep Garrett safe as a bargaining chip.” Hopefully. Who knew what the crazy butcher would do?
“I know.” Cara slipped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. Since Cara was a mate, she hadn’t aged, and the two looked more like sisters. “I’m sorry you have to deal with all of this right now, Jase.”
His heart thumped. She worried about him? What was it with sweet-hearted females? He was surrounded. “I’m fine. Let’s just work on getting Garrett back.” He sent his niece a hard look. “Without sacrificing anybody.”
Janie pinned him with a stare she’d probably learned from Talen. “It was a good plan. I let them take me to Garrett, and you all rescue us both. Kalin won’t hurt me.”
If it came down to it, Kalin would kill her before letting her go. “You’re remembering the boy from your dreams, not the man he’s become.” Frankly, the bastard had been a serial killer since he was a teenager. “He’s not your friend.”
“I know he’s not my friend, but I’m the only link we have to finding Garrett, and we need to use that.”
Jase shook his head. “How could you tell them about the escape routes?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “I only told them about A and D—those were the least likely to ever be used. Uncle Dage has been planning on filling them in, anyway.”
Smart little human, wasn’t she?
Jase rubbed his chin. “How did you get word to them?”
“Dreamworld.”
Well, shit. “No more dreamworlds, Janet.” Jase wondered how he could shut down the worlds.
“No more talk about a trade,” Cara said. She glanced at the door. “Where’s Talen, anyway?”
“Helping to shore up the tunnels,” Jase lied. “He’ll be finished soon.”
Cara nodded and glanced at her daughter. “Good. I assume he’d like a talk with Janie.”
Janie blinked. “Now that sounds like fun.”
Jase chuckled and turned toward the far offices, glad he wasn’t Janie. “Good luck, sweetheart.” He strode through the hallway and shoved open the door to Dage’s aboveground office.
The king stood staring out the window.
Jase faltered. “What’s up?”
“I failed to see any of this happening.”
Jase stepped inside and shut the door. “You can’t control your visions.”
“I should be able to at least harness them,” Dage said thoughtfully. Too thoughtfully. “I didn’t see you being taken, Garrett being taken, or Janie giving the fucking Kurjans the blueprints to my fortress.”
