Page 130 of Mask and the Magnolia

Did she hear me? She must have. She had to.

I miss you,she whispers, tears filling her voice again.I miss the four of you so fucking much but that’s why I’m here. That’s right, Magnolia, you’re here so you still have living breathing mates to miss. You’re doing this for them.

What the hell does that mean?

I push myself harder, trying to send my love through the link to see if she responds to that, to see if Maggie can hear me tell her we’re coming for her. She needs to know that we love her, and we’re coming for her.

I love you, too.

My eyes pop open as I swing my gaze to Isaak. “You know, don’t you?”

He nods. “Eve left my office right before I came here. Magnolia didn’t leave us because she wanted to, she did it because she had to.”

“For us,” I growl before I stomp through the doorway with the three of them on my heels. “I don’t know what that means, not exactly, but the fact that she’s willing to sacrifice herself for us is more than enough reason to get the fuck out of here.”

“This way,” Isaak grabs my hand and leads me to the emergency exit, not even trying to hide the fact that he’s about to break us out of here.

“You know what this means, right?”

He nods as he smiles. “I know. None of this matters if I don’t have my pack. I’d rather be on the run and with you, than sitting in a stuffy office without you. It wasn’t a hard decision to make.”

“I fucking love you.”

“I know that, too.” Isaak gives me a quick kiss before he pushes through the door and starts down the stairs.

Quickly.

We move down the stairs quickly and quietly, try to be efficient and fluid so we don’t disrupt anything or draw unwanted attention.

It’s a big risk leaving the asylum during the day. Doesn’t matter that it’s evening, that’s enough day to be a problem if we fuck this up.

Which is still a very real possibility as we reach the bottom and I start wondering what the fuck we’re going to do once we walk through that door.

“Someone call for a cab?”

“Maisie?”

My sister smiles at me, a big beautiful smile that’s followed by a hard right hook to my shoulder. “Fucker couldn’t say one word to me until I’m busting you out of the clink? That’s some bullshit.”

I snatch her up in my arms, hugging her harder than I did earlier. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” The tension drains from her body despite the way her arms tighten around my neck. “I fucking missed you.”

“Me too,” I say as I let her go and get a good look at her face. “Jesus, you’re like a fucking adult.”

“One who can drive even, so let’s go.”

The four of us pile into the back of a black on black windowless van, Maisie slamming the doors once we’re all in.

“Hi guys,” Eve says as she turns around in the passenger seat and points to the giant duffle bags on the floor at our feet. “I brought presents.”

She was not kidding.

Full stealth gear consisting of black cargos and long sleeve turtleneck tops. Combat boots. Gloves and utility belts. I keep digging and find an entire fucking arsenal.

Handguns, shotguns, sniper rifles.

“Is that a fucking grenade?” I ask as I look up at Calix, who is definitely holding a grenade.