Page 39 of Vital Signs (Wayward Sons #7)

My blood turned cold nonetheless. I stared at the open documents in my hands. Pages of legal language, threats wrapped in jargon. My throat squeezed shut, the room narrowing to a pinpoint.

I crushed the legal documents in my fist, knuckles white. "You want us to sell Tyler's body." I rose halfway from my chair, leaning across the table. "And let Wright continue killing people. People like us, who the system already treats as disposable."

"We want you to recognize when you're outmatched," Whitmore replied. "My clients have unlimited resources and federal connections that extend to every branch of government. This isn't a battle you can win."

"I've heard similar claims from equally impressive lawyers," Nikita said with a slight smile. "Many of them regretted their overconfidence. But continue. I'm curious where this is going."

"What happens to Wright's research if we sign?" Eli asked.

"It continues under appropriate supervision." Whitmore straightened his tie. "The pharmaceutical advancements benefit millions. A few unfortunate outcomes don't outweigh the greater good."

"Unfortunate outcomes?" Hunter stood so quickly his chair fell backward. "Twenty-three people are dead because Wright kept increasing doses after adverse reactions."

Xavier looked up from where he'd been whispering calculations to Leo. "Twenty-seven, actually. We found four more cases buried in subsidiary databases."

"Dr. Wright's methods may require adjustment," Whitmore conceded with a shrug. "But the work continues regardless. If not through him, then through one of dozens of researchers willing to step in."

"You're saying Wright is replaceable," Nikita stated.

"Everyone is replaceable, Mr. Volkov." Whitmore checked his watch. "This is our final offer. I advise you to take it.”

Nikita stared the man down. “I don’t think we will.”

A muscle in Witmore’s jaw flexed. “Very well.” He snapped his fingers, and the other lawyers gathered their briefcases. “We’ll see you in court. If you last that long.” They filed toward the front door. The door closed behind them with a soft click that echoed in the silence they left behind.

Silence stretched like a held breath. No one moved to clear the abandoned dinner plates. No one spoke for a long time.

"This isn't just about Wright anymore," River said. "This is war."

War stood first, throwing his napkin onto his plate. "Motherfuckers."

"Language," Annie murmured automatically, but her eyes had hardened to flint. She set her glass down. "We need to decide how we're handling this. Now."

"They knew everything," Eli whispered, leaning into Shepherd's side. "About all of us."

Hunter picked up his chair and sat back down, his movements stiff. His eyes had darkened to the same muddy brown they'd been during withdrawal. Haunted. Desperate.

I reached for Hunter, not caring who watched. My palm cupped his face, forcing him to look at me. "They don't get to have you," I whispered. "You're mine."

His eyes cleared a fraction, focusing on my face.

"This goes beyond Wright," River said, pushing away his uneaten nuggets, earning a disapproving look from Theo. "He's just one researcher in their pocket. If we take him out..."

"They replace him," Shepherd finished, arm sliding around Eli's shoulders. "And nothing changes."

"This changes everything," Nikita said, studying the legal documents. "Wright isn't acting alone. Whitmore’s involvement means he's backed by serious money."

The admission settled over the table like smoke. I'd been planning to kill one man for Tyler. Now we were facing an entire network.

"If we just kill him," Annie said quietly, "they replace him in a week."

"But if we expose the whole system..." Tatiana's eyes glittered.

"Then Tyler's death brings down everyone who enabled it," I finished.

Nikita folded his hands on the table. "We need something they can't bury or replace. Something that even their federal connections can't make disappear."

Yuri nodded slowly. "A confession."

"Wright confessing to deliberately increasing doses on patients showing adverse reactions," War mused, catching on. "With specific mentions of his pharmaceutical sponsors."

Tatiana leaned forward. "We need names. Dates. Every executive who signed off on his protocols. Every board member who looked the other way." Her smile was cold and elegant.

Hunter leaned forward. "They'd do anything to keep that from going public."

"We'd need it recorded.”

"We'd need Wright first," Shepherd added, fingers stroking Eli's hair absently. "And he won't exactly volunteer a confession."

The air in the room grew heavy, something darker replacing the shock of the lawyers' visit. This wasn't just about justice for Tyler anymore. This was war against an entire system. The vengeance that had burned in my veins since finding Tyler's body twisted into something colder.

"So we take him," I said, sliding closer to Hunter until our thighs pressed together. "Capture him, knock him out, then wake him up somewhere he can't escape."

"And then what?" Hunter asked, voice tight. "Torture him until he talks?"

No one answered immediately.

"Yes," I finally said, breaking the silence. "That's exactly what we do."

"Torture is unreliable," Hunter pointed out. "People will say anything to make pain stop."

"Not if it's done right," Shepherd countered. "And this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve used this method. We can use the factory. I’ll happily supervise."

I placed my hand over Hunter's, our fingers interlacing. His pulse throbbed against my wrist, strong and steady. "Wright deserves to suffer for what he did. But if we can use him to stop the entire operation..."

"Then his pain serves a purpose beyond vengeance," Yuri concluded.

Annie stood, gathering plates with jerky movements. "If we're doing this, we'll need to prepare The Factory."

Shepherd nodded. "I'll have it ready by tomorrow night."

Hunter leaned closer to me, voice low. "The Factory?"

"Shepherd's property," I whispered back. "Where the family handles its more... complicated problems."

"Leo and I can hack his calendar," Xavier offered, arm possessively around Leo's shoulders. "And his home security system. He’ll be more vulnerable at home."

“We can do it in two teams,” Xander suggested. “One at his home, the other at the clinic. When we see an opening, we take it.”

Hunter's eyes caught mine. A nod. Understanding passed between us. This wasn't what we'd planned, but it was better. Wright wouldn't just die for his crimes. He'd become the weapon we used against the entire corrupt system.

The family dispersed to prepare, dinner forgotten. I pulled Hunter into the hallway, watching as he rolled his shoulders, tension visible in every line of his body.

"You okay?" I asked.

His eyes met mine, conflicted. "When I asked about torture back there... I wasn't suggesting it."

I studied his face. "I know."

He looked down at his hands. "Being a part of this... it feels too much like going backward."

"You don't have to do this part," I told him. "Not the interrogation."

"I'm not letting you face this alone."

"Then be there as a witness," I said. "Keep him alive long enough to talk. You don't have to be the one who hurts him."

Relief flickered across his face, quickly masked. "I would. If it meant keeping you safe."

"I know." I kissed him softly. "But you won't have to."

His eyes held mine, understanding passing between us without words. In the quiet of that hallway, with the family preparing for war in the next room, I made my choice. Hunter had spent enough of his life destroying. I wouldn't ask him to break that promise to himself.

Wright's torture would be my sin to carry, not his.