Page 58 of Mystic's Sunrise

Silence.

Thick. Suffocating.

I saw it in Spinner before he even moved. The second his breathing slowed, his stance shifted, I knew he was about to come apart.

Oliver wasn’t done.

“She said she doesn’t want your help,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “She said… when you lose Lucy’s trust, you’re dead to her.”

Spinner flinched. His whole body locked up.

I knew she was pissed at him. Hell, I’d seen her fury firsthand. But hearing the words out loud? That was different. That was a blade between the ribs.

Spinner went still. Too still.

“Well, too fuckin’ bad,” he snarled, his voice rough. “She doesn’t get to make that call.”

Devil’s voice came sharp. “Spinner.”

Spinner turned to him, fists clenched, barely holding himself together. “What? We’re just supposed to sit here while Fang closes in? She’s trapped, Devil.”

“And if this is a setup?” Chain asked. “What if Fang’s baitin’ us, waiting for us to walk into his trap?”

Spinner stopped pacing, his entire body vibrating with frustration. He knew they had a point. But it didn’t change the fact that Lucy was out there. Alone.

Devil exhaled slowly, then pushed up from his desk, eyes like steel. “You’re coming with us,” he said to Oliver. “You’re taking us to that motel, and you’re gonna tell us everything you know about Dragon Fire’s movements. Every detail.”

Oliver blinked like he wanted to argue. But one look from Devil shut that shit down.

“Mystic. Chain,” Devil continued, “start planning the routes. I want every exit covered. Spinner…” His voice softened just slightly, enough that only those of us who really knew him would catch it. “I get that this is personal. But I need you focused. This isn’t just about Dragon Fire anymore. With the cartel involved, we need to go in, get her out, and avoid confrontation if we can.”

I swallowed hard, forcing down the anger pressing against my ribs. The need to rip into something.

Lucy was in trouble.

And Spinner? He was barely hanging on.

We all started moving, but I saw it—Spinner standing frozen, fists clenched, breathing uneven.

He’d do anything to get her back.

And if he wasn’t careful, that desperation was gonna get him killed.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

THE KNOCK ONthe door came hard and fast,yanking me from my thoughts.

I turned just as Mystic pushed it open, his face dark, tense. The moment our eyes met, my stomach dropped. Something was wrong.

“It’s about Lucy,” he said, voice urgent.

My heart stuttered. “What?”

“We haven’t been able to track her.” His jaw clenched. “And now, we know why.”

I didn’t want to ask. Didn’t want to hear it.

But I already knew.

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