Page 57 of Mystic's Sunrise

Oliver swallowed hard. “Lucy’s been laying low in Charleston,” he said, voice shaking just enough to be noticeable. “She’s been careful, changing places, staying off the radar, but it’s not enough. Fang’s been asking around, throwing cash at anyone who might know where she is.”

Fang.

That name had my fingers curling into fists.

Spinner had stopped pacing, standing stone still in the middle of the room, his breathing uneven. That was dangerous. Spinner could run hot, but still. When he went quiet? That meant the fire was burning too goddamn high.

“Why the hell hasn’t she left the area?” Spinner snapped.

Oliver shifted on his feet like he wanted to be anywhere but here. “She’s tracking their shipments at the docks. Trying to get proof they’re moving people.”

A cold weight settled in my gut.

I exhaled slow, trying to force down the rising fury. Human trafficking. I should’ve fucking known. Lucy thought she could save everyone. Admirable—but dangerous.

“She figured they’d assume she’d run farther—North Carolina, maybe the mountains. At first, it worked. But…”

“But Fang’s not stupid,” I cut in, my voice low, steady.

Oliver nodded, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Yeah. He’s been sniffing around the docks, asking about a woman matching her description. Word is, he’s paying people to keep an eye outfor her.” He hesitated, flicking a glance around the room before continuing.

“They think she’s just running because of what went down at that clubhouse. They don’t know she’s been watching them. That she was in their clubhouse, digging into their operations, gathering proof to burn them to the ground.”

Spinner’s hands twitched at his sides. I could see it, he was one wrong word away from snapping.

Chain shifted slightly, like he was already bracing to step between Spinner and Oliver. “If they find out,” Oliver said, oblivious to the storm brewing inside Spinner.

“They’ll carve her up,” Chain finished grimly. No hesitation.

Oliver nodded, his jaw tight. “Right now, Drago thinks she helped Zeynep escape, and Fang’s still obsessed with her. But if they figure out she’s been keeping tabs on their business?”

I didn’t need to hear the rest.

The air in the room got heavier.

Chain, Devil—hell, even Oliver—were looking at this like a strategy, a problem to solve. But I knew what was really happening. Spinner was drowning in his own damn head.

“Maybe she just forgot to check in,” Chain offered.

Oliver shook his head immediately. “No. If Lucy says she’ll check in, she will. Something’s wrong.”

Spinner’s hands flexed again, and I could hear his breathing get rougher.

I pushed off the wall, standing straighter. “How close is Fang?”

Oliver swallowed hard. “Too close.” He hesitated, like saying it out loud made it worse. “Last time I heard from her, she was watching Dragon Fire at the docks. But I don’t think she could leave even if she tried. Fang’s men are watching the roads, the bus stations… She’s trapped.”

Fuck.

My stomach went tight. That meant she was cornered, just waiting for the net to close around her.

“Are these the same docks you lured us to before?” Devil asked.

Oliver hesitated just long enough to piss me off. But finally, he sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “She’s gonna skin me alive for this.”

Spinner’s breath hitched at that. His hands clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.

“She’s been holed up at some rundown motel near the docks. Room 112. But she made it real clear—no one was supposed to know.”

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