Page 140 of Kings & Chaos

“We’d have to be careful,” Neo said. “Really think it through.”

Oscar nodded. “Five moves ahead, brother.”

“We have to get moving,” Rock said, dropping my hand and standing. “If Willa is going to talk to her mom, we have to be ready to defend ourselves right after.”

“Notif,” I said. “Iamgoing to warn my mom, and I’m doing it today. Everything else you’re talking about doing, revenge—”

“Justice,” Oscar corrected.

I nodded because he was right. This wasn’t about revenge. It was about justice for the girls.

For Emma.

That and finding out what had happened to them so their families could have some closure, whatever the fuck that meant.

Sic semper tyrannis.

“Okay, justice, revenge, whatever we want to call it, that comes after keeping my mom safe,” I said. “For me at least. And you’re not going to stop me or talk me out of it or whatever else you might be plotting. I’m an adult and that’s what I’m doing.”

For a long moment, there was nothing but the crackling of the fire.

“Okay,” Neo said with a sigh.

“Okay?”

He nodded. “Under two conditions.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “I don’t need your permission, but I’ll entertain your conditions.”

“Get her to meet you somewhere,” Neo said. “Invite her to lunch or something. I don’t want you anywhere near that fucking house alone.”

“I’ll try,” I said. “What’s the second condition?”

“You take Rock or Drago with you,” he said. “I’d rather it be me, but your mom might be more open to what you have to say about my dad if I’m not there, and I need to start gathering an army and making a plan anyway.”

“I’ll go,” Rock said.

Neo was already heading for the stairs to get packed.

Chapter55

Neo

Isteered the boat into the marina with my heart in my fucking throat.

I knew there was no stopping Willa. She was too determined to save her mother, and nothing I said, nothing any of us said, was going to stop her.

I couldn’t even blame her. If I had a dollar for every time I’d wished I could go back in time and warn my mom about my dad, I wouldn’t have to run guns and drugs and all the other shit I did to amass the money I needed to fight him.

I’d been a kid when she’d gone missing, and I still didn’t know what was more heartless — taking a kid’s mom away or telling that kid that she hadn’t loved him enough to stay.

I looked at Willa, sitting alone on the bow, hugging her knees. The wind blew her hair around, but she never seemed to care about that. She was an anchor in the storm.

Determined.

Steady.

Rock had been right when he’d said I didn’t want to share her, that it was why I hadn’t wanted to join them. I’d been afraid I couldn’t take it, that it would make me crazy to be there while other guys touched her, even if those other guys were my brothers in all but name.

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