Page 134 of Scars Run Deep

Now everything had shifted.

But it was so much worse.

“We’ll be careful,” Killian said, finally speaking at long last.

I couldn’t help smiling in spite of it all, he was so cute. Cute? Wow, I really was smitten.

“What does Asher think about all of this? He always needs to be prepared for every eventuality. With you not getting the location until two hours before the event, that won’t be possible.”

“Asher thinks that we need to look beyond the obvious challenge and view it as an opportunity.”

The rumbling voice had all of us jolting and spinning around to locate its owner.

A shadow blocked my doorway and there Asher stood in his all-black ensemble—jeans and a muscle tee, his biceps bulging as he folded his arms across his chest.

I frowned at him. “You think you can take out the Head Infidels and the auction in one shot?” I asked, incredulous.

“It is rare having the three of them in the same place,” Jonah said, supporting him as usual. “And the faction leaders will be there too.”

“All the power behind the empire in one shot,” Killian mused.

“The risk is unfathomable,” I warned. “Plus, what if it’s a trap? What if they’ve figured out who’s behind these attacks?”

“It’s a possibility,” Asher admitted.

Jonah stepped up to him and stood shoulder-to-shoulder. “But if we don’t go, we’ll look guilty anyway and label ourselves as detractors.”

I shoved a hand through my ponytail. “There’s no out,” I realized heavily.

“No,” Asher said. “But this will put us right at the auction. Right where we need to be. It’s dangerous, yes, but also a good position to be in to do what needs to be done. Caleb will move into position as soon as we get word on the location. He’ll have a team with him to take the auction.”

“And we’ll take the Head Infidels,” Jonah said, draping his arm over Asher’s shoulders.

Killian and I exchanged a look of surprise when Asher didn’t tell him to tone it down and back off and actually sank into it instead and reached up stroking Jonah’s hair.

“You need me in on this,” I told them.

“The fucking opposite, Princess,” Jonah said.

“I’m right there with him on that,” Killian spoke. “I don’t want you anywhere near our fathers.” He grimaced. “The last time you were near one of them—my fucking creep of a father—things went off the fucking deep end really quickly.”

“So, I just sit here waiting on you three to come home?”

“It’s not like that,” Killian said, reaching out to me and stroking my arm.

“I wouldn’t object to you preparing a victory party for when we return,” Asher said. “Decorations? A cake, perhaps? You get the idea.”

Piece of—

I started toward him only to be pulled up short by Killian grasping my arm.

“Ash,” he ground out.

“You’re staying here,” Asher growled at me. “End of story.”

I shrugged off Killian’s grip and stormed to Asher. “I’ll prove to you that I’m good to go, that I’m combat-ready, focused, no more slipups or out-of-control bursts of rage and vengeance.”

Curiosity sparked in his eyes. “Prove it how?”

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