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Dominic

If you don’t keep your eyes open,

someone will take them out.

Four months after leaving Bristlebrook

I run up in time to see the flames.

The smokehouse is an inferno, and men are screaming in and around it. Over two dozen Reapers lie dead where they were either keeping watch or from where they’d come to help their friends—and that’s only what I can see.

I fire off a dozen shots at fleeing Sinners, and catch one in the back, but it’s too late. Most have disappeared into the forest, laden down with heavy bags.

Pete drops to his knees beside one of the bodies, tears streaming down his face.

From somewhere in the chaos, I hear Lucky yelling orders. Beau’s demands for bandages. Jasper’s clipped instructions. Jayk’s long strings of curse words.

“No!” Cole shouts, limping up.

It’s been four months since he was wounded at Bristlebrook, but it’s been a slow recovery. Slow enough that Beau can’t stop rolling his damn eyes every time his “wound” is mentioned now.

“That’s all our stored meat. They can’t...” Cole’s voice breaks, then he turns to me, his handsome, punchable face twisting in anger. “ You ! You were supposed to stop this! This isn’t supposed to happen, you need to?—”

I shove him out of my face, and I don’t bother to hide how much he’s pissing me off. “Those were your men on watch, Cole. Blame them.”

Cole rakes his eyes over my face, apparently disgusted by me .

What a fucking joke.

“They’re dead ,” Cole snaps.

“Then they should have kept a better watch.”

I leave him behind before he can bitch about it.

The flames are heavy, but a small horde of Reapers are working to contain it, so I edge around the building, my rifle up, checking to make sure no Sinners are hanging around where they shouldn’t be.

And then I see him.

Lowering my rifle, I stare into the forest as my guys come up behind me.

Quietly, Eden slips in against my side to stare, too.

In the heated haze of the night air, Alastair stands between the trees—and despite the distance between us, I can feel him looking right at us.

He salutes.

And then he disappears into the dark.