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“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.

“Can this be mine?”

“Sure, sweetheart,” I chuckle, going back to the bag and finding what is definitely my sister’s handiwork.

I feel a malicious grin split my face as I pull the black PVC from the bag, my fingers tracing the neon stitching over the eyes and mouth of the mask.

She got us goddamn masks .

One for each of us, just like the one I had the last time I was with Maisie.

And this, this right here is how I know we can’t fucking lose.

We’re gonna get our girl, and we’re going to make everyone who tries to stop us fucking sorry they did.

We’re coming, Maggie. Hold on.

I am having a wicked case of dejavu right now.

Driving up some cobblestone path, passing privacy hedges and gaudy fountains before a huge building comes into view. One with elaborately carved doors and sky high columns, fancy lighting and staff in tuxedos.

One major difference?

No armed guards.

Not one from what I can tell and while I’m sure there’s probably some sort of security staff in there somewhere, it’s nothing like the shit at Harden Ranch.

Funny.

The last time I was free, just before I went to prison, and the first time I’ve been out in fifteen years both revolve around rich assholes who think they can buy and sell people in order to get what they want.

And just like the first time, I’m here to protect a girl I love and make sure she doesn’t fall victim to bastards like that.

I don’t know if that’s irony or what, but I see you, universe, and I fucking get it.

“Think they have a vegetarian spread?” My sister asks from the driver’s seat, slowing down as we come up to the only checkpoint we’ve passed so far. “Maybe shishkabobs?”

I arch a brow at her in the rear view mirror and smirk.

Nice to see we’re on the same page with the blast from the past.

“State your business,” the guy in some kind of security uniform says as he bangs on the window.

We lean against the walls of the van, our all black outfits keeping us relatively hidden from a passing glance as Eve rolls the window down, putting on an act worthy of an award when she does.

“I’d rather not, it’ll ruin the surprise.”

The guard's eyes widen and he nods. “Ms. Blackhurst, I didn’t think you were coming this evening. You’re not on the guest list.”

Cute.

Her entire family is probably in there but somehow, Eve wasn’t added to the list.

That’s not fucking suspicious at all.

He goes to grab his radio, most likely to announce Eve’s arrival but she quickly reaches out and stops him.

“Like I said, it’s a surprise.” She smooths her hand over his nametag before tracing the shape of his badge.

“My big brother and best friend are getting married, Royce. This is a big deal. I’ve been planning this surprise for a while, and I don’t want to spoil it by letting everybody know I’m here. ”

The guard looks at her skeptically, his eyes flicking to Maisie briefly before he rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t know, Ms. Blackhurst. My orders are pretty strict. Dr. Reynolds was adamant on checking everyone in for his daughter’s safety.”

Yeah, I bet he was.

More like he wanted to make sure a few convicts and their doctor weren’t going to just try to stroll right in.

While I’m glad he feels like that’s option, that there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that we’d break out and come straight here like any other guest, this guys is fucking ridiculous.

Assuming something like that was going to happen makes me question his IQ, but why else would he be so adamant about making sure anyone who showed up was on a list?

And why the hell would he leave Eve off of it?

“Maggie made me promise not to come.”

I shift around and look at our girl’s best friend as the van starts moving again.

“Assuming you want to know why I wasn’t on the list,” Eve says with a sad smile.

“She made me promise, and I told my father I wasn’t coming because I didn’t support what they’re doing to Magnolia.

It’s true, I don’t, but I was going to be here to support my best friend.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been allowed to see her all week and I have a feeling it’s because Camden hasn’t let her out of his sight. ”

In other words, Eve thinks her fuckhead brother has had our girl on a leash and most likely is keeping it short because Maggie is still paying for bonding with us.

“I don’t know if I can keep my cool,” Calix, of all people, says as he starts scratching at his wrist. “If I go in and see Maggie all banged up. If he’s been hurting her this entire time?—“

“That’s why we’re going in, sweetheart,” Des says as he reaches across and pats his knee. “We’re going in to stop him and everyone else who’s done nothing but hurt our girl her entire life.”

“No one’s ever going to hurt Magnolia again,” Isaak says, an edge to his tone as he turns over the mask in his hands, his eyes fixed on the movement.

That’s the first thing he’s said in a while, and while we all feel that way, hearing him say it in that tone has me watching our omega a little closer.

I’m not worried about me and Des.

We’ve gotten our hands dirty plenty of times, in a lot of different ways.

When Des went on his spree, he primarily used a sawed off shotgun but also has experience with a number of other firearms, and my alpha is solid with hand to hand on top of that.

I’ve mostly just used my hands, done some sort of damage that way or with a weapon that was still along the same lines. When I was in high school, I knew a kid who owned a gun range and got to go out there quite a bit and even though it’s been a while, I know my way around a gun.

Our beta? For some reason, I think Calix is going to be fine.

He won’t think twice to get his hands dirty.

He’s never fired a gun in his life, he’s barely ever fought back in most scenarios but something is telling me he’ll be a natural.

I think we could put any weapon in his hand and Calix would not only figure out how to use it in the most effective way, he’d be better than the rest of us in no time flat.

Isaak is the wild card.

Not because he’s suddenly unhinged and unpredictable.

Not because I think he’s going to back down or change his mind about going in literally guns blazing.

Our omega has never killed anyone before.

I don’t know if Isaak has ever been in anything you could even consider an altercation.

He’s just as fired up, just as angry and hurt, his concern for Maggie is strong, all of that matches ours and we’ve tried prepping him for what can possibly happen tonight.

What is inevitably going to happen tonight.

Thinking about taking a life and actually doing it are two different things, and I’m worried about what it’s going to do to Isaak when he witnesses it, or is put in the situation to do it himself.

This isn’t some peaceful infiltration, we’re not going in all hellbent on not hurting anyone.

I have every intention of killing Camden Blackhurst tonight. Him, and both of Maggie’s worthless parents if I can, but anyone who tries to stop us is going to have a target right between their eyes.

I won’t think twice about eliminating any kind of threat posed to my pack, and I won’t have an ounce of hesitation or guilt when I do.

I’m worried about what it’ll do to Isaak long term if he has to kill someone tonight, or when he watches us in our natural element.

After a few minutes of driving around what I can now clearly see is a fucking country club, we stop between a gate with Entrance to Golf Course on it and another that says Reynolds Hall.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I grunt. An entire goddamn hall named after them? In this stupid country club? Wow .

Maisie and Eve turn to face us, the two females looking us over closely as they refresh us on the plan.