Page 15 of Crossover

“You’re the CEO of a massive corporation,” I challenged. “Since when are you an action hero?”

When Jace turned his head, there was a flicker of something in his expression, a haunting shadow that I had never noticed before.

“Let’s just say that I’ve had a dark past,” Jace said.

“Care to elaborate?” Hunter shot him a sideways glance.

Jace shook his head. “Trust me, you don’t want to know, but I’m not the perfect, squeaky-clean brother you’ve always thought I was. We all have our sins and secrets, and mine are better left buried.”

Jace’s words hung in the air, hinting at a side of him I’d never suspected. Questions burned on my tongue, but the urgency ofour mission demanded my focus. Ivy needed me, and the clock was ticking.

“The team that took her will be highly skilled,” I warned. “If you go in there, I can’t promise you’ll come out.”

Hunter’s gaze met mine in the rearview mirror, etched with sincerity. “I’ve never seen you care about someone like this before,” he said, his voice low and earnest. “She clearly means a lot to you. And if she matters that much to you, then she matters to all of us. We’re family. And in this family, we fight like hell for the people we love, no matter how steep the odds.”

I swallowed hard, my throat swelling. For years, I’d pushed my brothers away, convinced I was better off alone. But here they were, ready to risk everything for a girl they barely knew, simply because she mattered to me. The lump expanded as the depth of their loyalty seared itself into my heart.

“I can’t lose you guys, too,” I said, my voice firm. “If something happens to you, it’ll be on me.”

“So, let’s not get dead, then,” Hunter said.

The stakes had never been bigger, the consequences never direr.

But with my brothers by my side, I felt a flicker of hope amid the fear. We were in this together, for better or worse, and I would fight with every ounce of my being to ensure that all of us Lockwoods survived to see another day.

I glanced at my phone. “We’re four minutes out,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. “Let’s come up with a plan.”

6

IVY

If I don’t escape, Mom will die.

The damp, musty air of the basement burned my nostrils as I studied Daniel, my mind racing to find a way out of this nightmare. Mom’s life hung in the balance, the warmth of her love a painful contrast to the cold metal of the handcuffs biting into my wrists.

My gaze shot toward the staircase, its gray concrete winding upward into a shadowy tunnel that undoubtedly concealed my remaining captors. If I timed it just right, maybe, just maybe, I could make a break for it and pray I could handle whatever might be at the top, but right now, Daniel stood a mere four feet in front of me.

He seemed like such a contradiction—evil enough to kidnap and kill us, but humane enough to at least tell me why he was doing it. I was no expert, but maybe that spoke to a man who wasn’t evil to his core, and if that was true, maybe I could appeal to the better part of him?

“You don’t need to hurt my mom,” I said, my voice trembling slightly as I tried to maintain my composure.

He hadn’t denied that he’d dated her with the agenda of keeping an eye on my father—maybe that was another reasonMom and Dad hadn’t gotten bitter in the divorce, by the way. Maybe Daniel had been in Mom’s ear, encouraging her to stay good to him, to be there for him. Serving two purposes—to look like the “good” guy to her and keep him in the know of what my father was up to. I’d like to think Mom would have been kind to Dad regardless, but that wasn’t the point.

“Maybe you started dating her with an ulterior motive, but you spent two years with her. Surely, you grew to care at least a little about her, so please, don’t hurt her.”

“I don’t want to do this, Ivy. But my family’s lives are at stake if I don’t.” Daniel rubbed his eye, and when he spoke, his tone softened slightly. “Nothing personal.”

His words felt like a knife twisting in my diaphragm.

“Considering you dated my mom for two years, I would argue it’s very fucking personal,” I spat, anger momentarily overshadowing my fear.

The handcuff dangled on the bridge of my hand. If Daniel looked closely, he would see that I was one tiny tug away from freedom.

He squatted, the gun glistening from the fluorescent light. Could I rip my hand from the cuff and grab it fast enough? Could I overpower him? Being in the CIA, his fighting skills probably surpassed my own. My mind raced, calculating the risks.

“As I explained?—”

“If you’re worried about her asking questions, you don’t have to kill her for that. Let me write her a letter. I’ll tell her goodbye, explaining that I couldn’t take it anymore and that I left to start a new life.” My hands shook as I spoke.

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