Page 27

" D ahlia?" A scream pierces through the speaker, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

"Leo! We're being attacked!" Her voice is high with terror. "We're on..."

The call cuts off abruptly.

"Dahlia? DAHLIA!" I shout into the phone..."Fuck! Fuck!!"

Onyx is already on his feet beside me; his eyes locked on mine.

"What happened?" he demands.

"Dahlia's in trouble... it seems someone's attacking them. The call cut off before she could tell me where they are."

Onyx grabs the edge of the desk. ""Pull up Blackthorn's tracker. Now."

I spin back to the computer, my hands flying over the keyboard as Onyx leans over my shoulder, his breath rough and heavy.

"Come on, come on," I mutter, as the tracking program loads, and searches for Dahlia's signal, but the loading circle spin endlessly on screen.

"What's taking so long?" Onyx growls behind me.

"The signal's gone," I say, slamming my fist against the desk. "Her phone’s either smashed or jammed."

"Try Valentine," Onyx snaps. "They were together."

I nod and input Axl's information. The system processes for a moment before a small dot appears on the map.

"Got him," I say, already memorizing the location. "He's downtown, about fifteen minutes from here."

"Let's go." Onyx is already moving toward the door.

I grab my jacket and keys, following him to the garage. We take my SUV, tires squealing as I peel out of the driveway. The clock on the dashboard reads 1:17 AM. Dahlia called less than ten minutes ago. They can't have gotten far.

"Faster," Onyx demands,

I push the speedometer higher, weaving through the empty streets. If they hurt, her...

"There," Onyx points as we approach the location on the tracker.

I slam on the brakes. The street is deserted, storefronts dark and shuttered. No sign of Dahlia or Axl.

"The signal's coming from that alley," I say, pulling my gun from its holster.

We approach cautiously, using the shadows for cover. The alley is narrow, filled with dumpsters and the stench of garbage. And then we see a crumpled form lying half-hidden behind a trash can.

"Valentine," Onyx rushes forward, turning the body over.

Axl's face is a mess of blood and bruises; his signature eyeliner smeared across his swollen cheeks. His leather jacket is torn, and there's a gash along his hairline that's still bleeding.

"Is he alive?" I ask, scanning the alley for any sign of Dahlia.

Onyx presses two fingers to Axl's neck. "Yeah. Barely. We need to get him back to the house."

I holster my gun and help Onyx lift Axl's limp body. He's lighter than I expected. We carry him to the car, laying him across the back seat.

"There's no sign of Dahlia," I say, climbing behind the wheel. "They must have taken her somewhere else."

"If they've hurt her..." Onyx doesn't finish the thought. He doesn't need to.

The drive back is tense and silent. I keep checking the rearview mirror, watching Axl's chest rise and fall with shallow breaths. He looks small somehow, vulnerable without his rock star swagger.

Back at the safe house, we carry Axl to the medical wing and lay him on a bed next to Mara's. I grab the first aid kit while Onyx wets a cloth to clean the blood from Axl's face.

"Should we wake him?" Onyx asks, his voice is uncharacteristically uncertain.

Before I can answer, Axl's eyes fly open. He jerks upright, wild-eyed and disoriented.

"Dahlia!" he shouts, trying to get off the bed. "Where's Dahlia?"

"That's what we want to know," Onyx grabs Axl's shoulders, pushing him back down. "What the fucking hell happened?"

Axl struggles against Onyx's grip for a moment before collapsing back, his face contorting in pain. "We were ambushed. Two vans boxed us in on the way back from my place."

"Who were they?" I ask, pressing a gauze pad to the cut on his forehead.

"Military types, I think. They were wearing black tactical gear, with no insignia." Axl winces as I apply antiseptic. "There were too many of them."

"And Dahlia?" Onyx demands, his voice dropping dangerously low.

Axl's eyes fill with self-loathing. "I tried to fight them off. I told her to lock the doors and call for help." He swallows hard. "But they broke the window. The last thing I saw was them dragging her out of the car. I couldn't... there were too many..."

Onyx's fist connects with Axl's jaw before either of us can react. The crack echoes through the room.

"You were supposed to protect her!" Onyx roars, grabbing Axl by the shirt. "You promised!"

I jump between them, shoving Onyx back. "That's enough! This isn't helping Dahlia!"

"He let them take her!" Onyx snarls, trying to get past me.

"I tried!" Axl shouts back, as blood trickles from his split lip. "You think I wanted this? They hit me with some kind of stun baton! I couldn't even stand!"

"Stop it, both of you!" I push harder against Onyx's chest. "Our priority is finding Dahlia. Everything else can wait."

Onyx backs off, breathing hard through his nose. His eyes still promise violence, but he turns away from Axl.

"How do we find her?" he asks, pacing the small room like a caged animal. "The trail's already cold."

"Not necessarily," Axl wipes blood from his mouth. "She's wearing my necklace, and it has a tracking device. It's an old habit from my wild days. I had too many stalkers."

"Can you access it?"

"My phone's gone, but I can log in from any computer." Axl tries to stand, grimacing with the effort. "The battery should last at least 24 hours."

"I'll get a laptop," I say, already moving toward the door.

When I return with the laptop, Axl's sitting up, holding an ice pack to his jaw. I hand it to him, and he starts typing rapidly, pulling up a tracking program.

"Come on, come on," he mutters, waiting for the system to connect. A small dot appears on the screen, blinking steadily. "Got her!"

"That's the old military testing ground," I say, recognizing the location. "It was decommissioned years ago."

"Or so they wanted everyone to think," a new voice says from the doorway.

We all turn to see Evan standing there, his usually perfect appearance is disheveled. His tie hangs loose around his neck, and his hair sticks up like he's been running his hands through it repeatedly.

"What do you know about this?" Onyx demands, stepping toward him.

Evan's face is grim. "Hammond has her. He came to my office earlier tonight."

"Hammond?" I repeat, the name hitting me like a physical blow. "The guy from the press conference? The one pushing for containment?"

"The same," Evan confirms, stepping into the room.

"And you're just telling us this now?" Onyx's voice is deadly quiet.

Evan meets his gaze steadily. "I came as soon as I could."

"What does he want with Dahlia?" Axl asks.

"She's an Omega," Evan says simply. "And she found the cure. That makes her the most valuable person on the planet to him."

The implications sink in, and I feel sick. "We need to get her out. Now."

"We can't," Evan says. "If I move against Hammond, I lose everything. My company, my resources, everything I've built."

The room goes silent. I stare at Evan, not quite believing what I'm hearing.

"You're not serious," I finally say.

"Hammond has connections everywhere with the government, military, and even police. If I fight him directly, I'll be ruined."

"So what?" Onyx steps closer to Evan, towering over him. "You're just going to abandon her? After everything?"

"I'm being realistic," Evan snaps. "Hammond's offering me a deal. If I cooperate with him, Dahlia stays safe."

"And if you don't?" I ask.

Evan's jaw tightens. "Then he'll use her for his breeding program, and I'll still lose everything."

"Breeding program?" Axl repeats, "What does that even mean?"

"He wants to create more Omegas," Evan explains. "And enhanced Alphas. He wants an army he can control."

"With Dahlia as what? His brood mare?" Onyx's voice shakes with rage.

"I don't like it any more than you do," Evan says. "But my hands are tied."

"You disgusting dog." I lunge at him and throw my fist against his jaw before I even realize I'm moving. He staggers back, caught off guard.

"Your hands are tied?" I snarl, grabbing him by the shirt. "Dahlia trusted you! We all did!"

Evan doesn't fight back. He looks at me. His gaze is flat and unreadable, like glass that reflects everything and reveals nothing. "I'm trying to protect what I can."

"We're going after her," Onyx declares. "With or without your help."

"How?" Evan asks. "That facility is a fortress. There would be armed guards, security systems, and the works."

"The tracking device," Axl says, pointing to the laptop. "It's still on. They haven't found it yet. It could lead us right to her."

"And then what?" Evan challenges. "The three of you will go against Hammond's entire security force? You'll never make it past the front gate."

"We have to try," I insist. "We can't just leave her there."

"I'm sorry," Evan says, and for a moment, he almost sounds sincere. "But I can't let you do that."

I feel a sharp sting in my neck. My hand flies up, fingers finding a small dart embedded in my skin. My vision blurs immediately.

"What the..." I turn to see Onyx clutching at his own neck, a matching dart protruding from his throat.

Axl lunges from the bed but collapses almost immediately, a third dart in his shoulder.

"You bastard," I slur, my knees buckling beneath me. I try to reach for my gun, but my arms won't cooperate.

The last thing I see before darkness claims me is Evan standing over us, his face a mask of regret.

"I really am sorry," he says. "But this is the only way."