Page 43 of Mortify

It reeks with sweat and stale beer inkirkja.

Every brother around the table knows what today means—we're finally hitting the Patriot's farm compound, the one we've been watching for a couple of weeks now.

Forty miles north, isolated, perfect for what that psychopath's been doing to our community.

"Intel confirms he's there," Runes says, spreading surveillance photos across the scarred wood table. "Arrived last night with a convoy. At least fifteen men, probably more."

I study the grainy images, memorizing the layout.

Two-story farmhouse, several outbuildings, barn that's probably full of product.

The property's surrounded by empty fields—good sightlines for us, but also means no cover once we commit.

"What's the play?" Kraken asks, still radiating fury about what happened to his kids.

I can't blame him.

Bjorn's adjusting to his prosthetic, but the psychological damage runs deeper than simply missing flesh.

"We go in hard and fast," Fenrir says, pointing to the aerial view. "Two teams. One takes the main house, the other clears the outbuildings. No one gets out."

Runes goes over who will be on each team and there’s a brief moment of silence.

"What about the Patriot himself?" Magnus leans forward. "We want him alive?"

Runes' expression is carved from stone. "Ideally. But if it comes down to him or one of ours..." He doesn't need to finish. We all know the priority.

"Tor and I have been tracking his financial network," our president continues. "Even if he has an escape route, we've frozen most of his accounts. He's running out of places to hide."

I think about Everly back at her apartment, probably still sleeping.

It's been a week since I moved into her life, since we started this charade that feels less fake every day.

The way she curls into me at night, trusting me to keep the nightmares away.

The way her hand finds her belly when she thinks I'm not looking, protective of the life growing inside.

Dylan's called her seventeen times from different numbers.

Left messages that range from apologetic to threatening.

Each one makes me want to hunt him down and end this, but Everly needs me playing the long game.

She needs me to be smart.

"Earth to Regnor." Oskar's voice cuts through my thoughts. "You with us, brother?"

"Yeah, just thinking through the approach angles."

Oskar smirks. "Sure you are. Nothing to do with a certain someone you've been shacking up with?"

The room goes quiet.

Fuck.

I keep my expression neutral, but inside I'm calculating.

How does Oskar know?

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