“He would never have been able to do it.” Jasmine rolled forward. “He fell for her before she fell for him. I knew even when he didn’t.”
She locked her brakes, staring up at V. “If you won’t help me because I’m telling you to, help me because I’m asking. Don’t let him die. Don’t destroy your sister or condemn my brother when he’s the only one who can stop all of this for good.”
For the longest moment, we all held our breaths, waiting for V to accept defeat and agree to help. But then his shoulders stiffened, and he shook his head. “I don’t believe either of you. I think you’re both fucked in the head, and we need to get the hell out of this shithole.”
Snatching my wrist, he jerked me toward the door.
For someone who’d been in a fight and locked in a chiller, he moved quickly.
“V! Let me go.” I stumbled after him, vertigo teasing with the outskirts of my vision.
“Vaughn, listen to her.” Jaz spun around, her knuckles white on her wheels. “You can’t leave.”
V ignored her and reached for the door. “Oh, really? Funny, this is me leaving.”
I breathed hard. “Vaughn, I’m not going anywhere with you. If you won’t help us, fine. But I’m not going to leave him—”
“Yes, you are. Because I’m doing something he never did.” His nose almost brushed mine as he yanked me close. “Saving your arse.”
“You don’t understand!”
“No, Threads. You don’t understand. They’ve kept you here, treating you fucking awful for months. They’ve twisted your thoughts and made you suffer that Stockholm shit. Well, it’s over. We’re going home.”
His hand landed on the doorknob, wrenching it side to side.
Locked.
He whirled on Jaz, carting me back like a prisoner. Shoving his hand beneath her nose, he growled, “Key. Now.”
Her chin rose. “No. Not until you agree to help me.”
“Never. Give me the key.” He bent down, crazed with rage. “I won’t ask again.”
“And I won’t ask for your help again. I’ll just make you.”
Vaughn raised his hand.
“Wait!” I jumped forward, barricading him from slapping her. “Don’t!”
V’s mouth popped wide. “You’re seriously defending her, Threads? After every-fucking-thing her family has done to you?”
I couldn’t believe it, either. If V had been there after the meeting with the lawyers, I would’ve willingly given him a gun and loaded the bullet myself. But that was before I started listening—truly listening. Jaz was on our side.
He’s alive.
But for how much longer?
Waving my arms, I whisper-shouted, “Enough! Yes, I’m defending her. Yes, I’m in love with Jethro. And no, I won’t go anywhere with you until he’s safe.” Trembling, I looked over my shoulder at Jasmine.
She sat unruffled, her hand curled around a black gun that’d appeared from under her blanket.
I knew it! I knew she’d have an arsenal hidden in there.
Our eyes met.
I could make a big deal out of the weapon or I could focus on the task at hand.
Jethro and Kes…
Ignoring the pistol, I asked, “What’s your plan? Why do you need my brother to help?”
“Mr. Weaver here is going to carry me where I need to go and do everything I tell him.”
“Like fuck I am.” Vaughn paced in front of us.
“V!” I scowled. “Just…listen, okay?”
A small glisten of emotion showed before Jaz added, “I can’t do this on my own and, Nila, you have to go back to your room.”
I shook my head. “I’ll come with you. I don’t want to go back—”
“It’s not a matter of what you want. It’s a matter of necessity. We’ll be gone a while. I need you to lie for me if it comes to that.”
“Lie for you?”
“You need to take my chair and tell them that I spent the night with you.” She eyed up V as he paced like a feral animal. “While he’ll be my legs and strength, you’ll be my safeguard. I need you to come up with any tale you need to in order to keep the truth about my brothers’ lives a secret. I don’t care what you say. Just keep it hidden.”
My mind swam. I had no idea how I would achieve that if Daniel or Cut came knocking.
“And why do you need me, exactly?” Vaughn asked, his voice laced with animosity. “Why should I put my life on the line?”
Jaz took in his bruised face and blood-stained t-shirt. “Do you want children, Mr. Weaver?”
V’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “What? What the fuck does that—”
“Answer the question. Yes or no.”
My heart raced, waiting for him to reply. I’d grown up with V, but we’d never talked about what we wanted in the future. Never discussed the idea of raising our own families—too caught up in designing and promoting and working tirelessly for a company that was more parent than we’d ever needed.
V breathed out heavily. “I don’t know…before, I might’ve entertained the idea, but now never. Not after what they did to Nila.” His eyes fell on me. “Or our mum.”
“Exactly. My family has cast a shadow over yours for far too long. You should have the right to have children if you want, knowing they are safe to grow old.” She inched closer, her voice filling with passion and truth. “I need your help to make that a reality.”
I tensed, waiting for another argument, for more curses.
But V’s black eyes met mine, mirroring my unspoken begging for his help. He had the power to save, not only the man I loved, but both our futures, too.
Finally, he slouched. “If I help you, you’ll keep my sister safe? You’ll make sure this ends?”
Jaz held a fist over her heart. “You have my ultimate word. Keep my brothers alive and I swear to you this will all be in the past.”
Vaughn closed the distance between them, his eyes lingering on Jasmine’s chair. With slight hesitation, he held out his hand. “In that case. We have a deal.”
Jaz blinked back tears as she dropped the gun and placed her hand in his. “Thank you. A thousand times, thank you.”
I didn’t want to interrupt the sudden tender moment, but my heartbeat was a clock, striking the passing minutes with terror.
He’s alive.
He’s alive.
It’s time to go.
“What next?” I whispered.
Jaz smiled softly. “Vaughn and I have a date in the crypt.”
V looked at her blankly.
Jaz held up the key, rolling herself toward the door. “This is our last chance.”
“What is?” I ghosted forward, drawn by the anticipation of hope and righteousness.
She slipped the key into the lock. “Our last chance to rescue Kestrel and Jethro and get them to the hospital before they die.”
“NO. NOT LIKE that, dammit.”
“Hush it, woman. I think I know how to work a cutting torch.”
“No, you obviously don’t. You don’t have the valve open for the acetylene.”
A curse, a scrape, then a loud hiss.
Images of writhing snakes and striking cobras filled my cloud-riddled mind. What the fuck? Had I finally left Earth and plummeted to hell where reptiles and dragons waited for my demise?
Something bright and fierce sliced through the darkness.
I flinched.
Yep, definitely hell.
They’re waiting for me.
Heat from their fire-breathing mouths battled away the penetrating cold.
“Now you have too much. Mix it with the oxygen, you moron.”
“Moron? Keep name-calling to a minimum. Otherwise, you’ll have to find another donkey to help.”
“Just—let me.” Shuffling sounded, followed by another gust of heat and light.
The voices echoed as if they drifted through chasms of water and rubble. Female and male—husk and lilt.
Since when do dragons talk?
“How the fuck did you get this thing down here, anyway?” The hissing grew louder, sparks lighting up the dimness behind my eyes.
“A friend put it here. The only thing we had on the estate that would open the lock.”
“Never heard of a fucking key?”
More light. More hissing.
“He made a mistake. He closed the door to keep them safe, not realising there was only one key.”
“And you didn’t feel like using it? Too easy? Wanted to go the James Bond route?”
A curse followed by a rain of sparks brighter than any firework.
“Shut it. For your information, it wasn’t possible to get it.”
“Why? Dear ole dad has it?”
A squeaking, followed by another blast of heat. The girl growled, “Yes.”
“I’ve never known anyone so under the thumb of their old man.”
A pause followed by a loud curse. “That’s what you get for talking about things you don’t understand. Now, shut up. Get the mixture right. And get my brothers out of there before I hit you again.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re evil?”
“All the time. Now do what I say.”
Their talking ceased, replaced with the lullaby of fire and burning.