Page 23 of All The Darkest Truths (Second Sons Duet #2)

VESPER

The scent of freshly baked garlic bread fills the apartment, but the only thing I can taste is anticipation.

If Alex doesn't emerge soon, I might just kick his door down myself. He had said it would only take a few hours. It’s been almost a full day since I last laid eyes on him.

Even the plate of food from dinner I’d left outside his door for him remained untouched.

“Seriously, where the hell is he?" Z mutters, piling pasta onto plates with more force than necessary.

My muscles ache pleasantly, from my workout with Talon this morning. “He said he was almost done yesterday.”

Oscar glances up from his phone. “Almost done with what, exactly? Since neither of you thought it necessary to fill us in.”

The tension in the room has been building since Talon let slip at breakfast that Alex was working on something important. That unleashed a barrage of questions from the twins, which Talon and I had deflected with vague promises that Alex would explain everything soon.

“You'll know when we all know," Talon replies calmly, setting glasses of water around the table. His casual tone only seems to irritate the twins further.

Z slams a serving spoon onto the counter. “This is bullshit. We're supposed to be a team. I expect secretive bullshit out of Alex, but you two?"

“We are a team," I say, moving to help him with the plates. “Which is why Alex wants to be sure before getting everyone's hopes up. This isn't just some random lead. This could be it."

“You found Luca?"

“Maybe," I admit, glancing toward the hallway. "Alex is trying to make sure it's safe to pursue."

Oscar appears at my side. “And you didn't think we deserved to know this immediately?"

“We were going to tell you," Talon interjects, leaning against the counter. "As soon as Alex confirms it’s possible.”

The sound of a door opening down the hallway silences us all. We turn collectively as Alex emerges, looking like he's been through hell and back.

“I did it," he announces without preamble. “We’ve got a secure way into the auction.”

The room freezes for a heartbeat before chaos erupts.

“What auction?" Oz demands, his voice cutting through the sudden tension. “Start talking. Now."

Alex holds up his hands, fatigue etched into every line of his face.

“The Collector is hosting another auction, online this time, in two days.

High-end 'merchandise,'" he spits the word like poison “Including a male in his early twenties with an 'exceptional bloodline. ' The description matches Luca."

Oz sucks in a sharp breath beside me. “How did you find this?"

"I didn't," Alex admits. "Talon did.”

“They emailed me,” he shrugs nonchalantly.

“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Z’s voice is razor-sharp, quiet in a way that makes the air feel heavier. “Why is it everyone knew—except Oz and me?”

"I wanted to be sure," Alex counters, crossing to the kitchen island. He grabs a slice of garlic bread, tearing into it.

“Technically…I kind of forced it out of him yesterday when you all were too scared to interrupt him.”

“Forced it out of him? What the hell does that mean?"

“It means I'm persuasive," I reply, raising my chin slightly. “And that Alex isn't as impenetrable as he likes to pretend."

Oscar's thumb traces circles on my palm, the gesture at odds with the tension radiating from his body. "So let me get this straight. The Collector is hosting another auction, and you think Luca might be one of the...items for sale."

“Well, not Luca physically. From the description, it looks like they’re auctioning off his samples," Alex says, reaching for another piece of garlic bread.

“And when is this auction?”

“Day after tomorrow,” Talon answers. “Thus, the urgency to see if this is even possible for us. If we can secure one of his samples,” he swallows hard at the word, “We may be able to track down their new clinic.”

“And if we can find the clinic, it can lead us to Luca,” Oz remarks.

“Exactly."

Z slams his palm on the counter, making the plates rattle. “So, while we've been sitting around twiddling our thumbs, you three have been planning a mission without us?"

“No one's been twiddling anything," I snap, my patience finally fraying. “Alex has been working nonstop to make sure we can even access this auction without getting caught. Without putting all of us, especially me, at risk."

"She's right, Z. While I don’t agree with the secrecy, I understand the motive behind it. If The Collector realizes Vesper isn’t the captive he sold her off to be, and that she’s coming for her brother, Vesper will be his first target.”

“And you think I don't understand that?" Z's voice rises, his tattoos seeming to ripple as his muscles tense. “That's exactly why we should have been told immediately. More minds working on protection, the better."

Alex sets down his half-eaten bread. “The security protocols I've put in place are complex. I needed total concentration, not a committee debate slowing me down."

“So now we're a hindrance?" Z challenges, taking a step toward Alex.

Talon smoothly slides between them. “That's not what he meant. We were going to brief everyone as soon as Alex confirmed we could safely access the auction."

“Which is now," I interject, moving to stand beside Talon. “Can we please focus on what matters? This might be our only chance to find Luca."

“Fine," he concedes, crossing his arms across his chest. “Let's hear it then. What's the plan?"

“The auction is being hosted on a private server with military-grade encryption.”

“You're sure it can't be traced back to us?" Oscar asks, his tactical mind already assessing risks.

“As sure as I can be," Alex replies, accepting the plate of pasta Talon slides in front of him. “I've routed our connection through seventeen different servers across twelve countries. Even if they detect something unusual, they'll chase ghosts."

I take a seat across from him, my appetite forgotten as hope swells in my chest. “And once we're in the auction, what then?”

“We buy one of his samples.”

Z starts to interject, but Alex cuts him off with a sharp look. “The funds are secured.”

“Ok, we buy one of his samples, and then what?”

“I have created a nasty little virus that I am going to tack onto the funds transfer. With a single click, they get paid and I get access to their servers.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” Oz interjects. “What’s plan B?”

“The sample itself. Something that expensive isn’t going to be dropped into the mail. They’ll want it picked up. They’ll be expecting Talon or a courier.”

“Which means we'll need to track the pickup location," Oscar says, his mind already racing through the logistics. “That could lead us directly to their operations."

“Exactly," Alex nods, shoveling a forkful of pasta into his mouth. “The beauty of this plan is that it gives us multiple points of entry. Digital through the virus, physical through the pickup."

Alex swallows, his attention shifting between us. I can see the gears turning. “It all depends on timing,” he says finally. “Once we’re in the auction, things will move quickly. We’ll have to be ready to adapt.”

“The one thing you’re good at,” Talon says, the hint of a smile on his lips. “Oz and Z aren’t big on changing plans.”

Z glares. “As long as she’s safe, I’ll adapt to whatever the hell is necessary.”

Oscar nods. “And you?”

“I’m the safest I’ve been in months with all of you. I trust Alex’s plan, and I trust all of you.” I take a deep breath, my voice steady with conviction. “We’re going after Luca.”

Silence falls as my words settle over us. I can see the shift in the group, the way skepticism gives way to determination. This is happening. We’re doing this. We’re getting my brother back.