Page 220 of Second Sets Omnibus
“We’ll never leave them alone again.” His words pierce the room with authority, leaving no room for arguments.
Olivia nods, biting back the grin ofI told you so. “Good! This is good! The six of you will be extracted from here at midnight. I’ll have a local team prepare your house. You say it’s secure? Let’s go over some details.”
And that they do. Thoroughly.
As they make plans, I make my own. Calling the important people in my life about where I’ll be, knowing they won’t tell a soul. My brothers freak the fuck out. But they knew something was up when Carter took off and came here after I got my package.
“Hey, Kat,” I say, pacing around the kitchen as Asher watches me with a close eye.
“Miss West,” she says with a surprised tone. “Is something the matter?”
I swallow hard, rubbing my forehead. “Hey, yeah. I’m going to be out of town for a little while. My stalker paid my house a visit last night, and I need to go into hiding, basically. It’s for my safety and Ly’s.”
“Oh my god! Your stalker? Where are you going?” she asks with concern, breathing heavily into the phone. Soft murmurs come from the other end from a low, deep voice, and my brows raise.
“Uh, Central City. Back to my home. We’ve got a secured house there.” I won’t tell her anything else when someone is obviously sitting close to her.
“Got it! I’ll keep everything running smoothly in the department. Is there a way for me to get ahold of you? Or should I go through the bosses?”
“My brothers, yeah. Just talk to them about anything you need. I’ll be unreachable for however long this takes. Thanks, Kat.”
We say our goodbyes and hang up. Worry slams through me at what we’re about to do.
The day goes by in a blur as they hash out the details of our extraction and new living situation. After hours of research and ground teams inspecting Callum’s house, they clear it for our use.
Under the camouflage of night, Olivia disappears across the street, sneaking around and gathering Lyric and me some essentials for the trip and subsequent never-ending vacation. Only coming back when several bags are filled with our clothes and other items, we may need for weeks to come.
How long would I be away? From my job? From my damn home? Olivia wouldn’t give me a direct answer, simply shrugging and telling me to enjoy the dick I was about to receive.
If I wasn’t so panicked, I might have killed her. Dick is so not happening.
“I know none of this is glamorous. But if they’ve hacked into your camera system, they’re probably tracking your phone somehow. So, we’ll keep that here. We’re going to use it to our advantage if they are. We’ll start by trying to lure them out and grab them when we can.” Her eyes dart to the floor, and she worries her lip.
“I trust you, Liv. You’ve kept me functioning and safe these last three years. You’ll get him. Just…keep me updated or something?” She nods, curling my fingers around the new cell phone, before going to each of the guys and retrieving theirs.
“Sorry, boys, it’s a safety precaution.” Without a fight, the boys turn in their phones. “Also, Riv. I’ll let Rocco know what’s up.”
“Thank you. He’ll worry,” I mumble, chewing on my bottom lip.
Before we know it, we’re loaded into a blacked-out SUV at midnight and escorted to a private airfield on Veritas’ property.
Kieran carries a sleeping Lyric onto the plane, sitting her beside him and buckling her in. He smiles at me, informing me he has her, and urges me to get some rest.
Fat chance.
Murmurs vibrate around me in muted conversations. Some snores ring out. But not mine. I’m left begging for sleep and staring out the darkened window, wondering how my life ended up like this.
Away we go, back to the city that started it all. Our beginning. Our love. Our brutal fucking ending.
For so long, I’ve held onto this grudge, letting it infect me with the need for revenge. Suddenly, I’m not feeling so vengeful. Day by day, though, they’re breaking down the walls I’ve put in place.
Forgiveness is on the horizon, but there’s still so much work to be done to earn my trust and prove their loyalty.
Doyou ever feel like you’re falling down the deep, dark rabbit hole of déjà vu? One second, your life is going according to plan. Work. Kiddo in school. And a nameless band across the street eager to improve under your direction.
The next? There’s a stalker on your ass, and you’re being whisked away on a not-so-vacation with the four guys you’d rather bury in the sand than spend more quality time with.
Liar!
