Page 41 of Reign By Wrath

“You have until midnight tomorrow night to get me what I want,” he said. “Or I give Everleigh what she wants.”

Wolf blew out the door, leaving me stock-still and speechless.

What just happened? What am I going to do?

***

“YOU DON’T THINK HE’LLdo it, do you?”

I held Wilder tighter. After Wolfgang, I sped all the way from campus to the beach house—half expecting Wolf’s horrible prediction had come true. My guys were on their way to a cell.

I arrived and found them in the living room, all present and accounted for.

“He’ll do it, Luna.”

Wilder traced slow, lazy circles on my arm. Together we swayed in the hammock, warm under a thick fleece blanket. His touch, the ocean breeze, our warm spot for two—all of it was doing too good a job of calming my nerves. Then, more than ever, was a good time to freak out.

“Wolf doesn’t lie. Our mother was brutal when she caught us in a lie. She’d say if we were man enough to do something, we were man enough to own it.” Wilder gazed up at the awning, tone soft. “Wolf’s done everything he’s said he’s done, and he’ll do everything he promised he’ll do. Give him the laptop and he’ll spare you, Victor, and your father.”

“But what about you?” I shot up, and he eased me back down—tucking me snug against his side. I shut my eyes, breathing him in. “What about you? You can’t seriously think I’ll ride off into the sunset with Victor and forget about my Rogues. I will break you out of prison if that’s what I have to do. You’re stuck with me.”

He chuckled. “I like being stuck with you. I like the future you see for us, Luna, and I hate that I fucked it up. The guys thought it was too risky to keep my arsenal down the hall, but after Levi tried to set us on fire, I wasn’t taking chances again. Levi left us the choice of burning to death or running out to get our faces beaten in by him and his boys.

“I figured if the Royals were determined to take us out, we’d go down fighting.”

“I know why you had that stuff, Wilder. I don’t blame you.” I slipped my hand under his shirt. “I also know that you never planned to use any of it except for self-defense. Wolfgang said he was going to make it out like you guys were terrorists. We can’t let that happen. We have to do something.”

Wilder tipped my chin, lightly kissing my nose. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stay with you, Luna. But what will you do? Will you give him the laptop?”

I hesitated. “What will happen to the Rogues if Wolfgang is in charge?”

“He’ll modernize. Make them more efficient, deadlier, and hide their identities under so many layers of protection they’ll forget they’re Rogues themselves. Once he’s turned them into an anonymous army, he’ll use them to collect all the money, land, and women he wants. And he’ll kill anyone who stands in his way.”

“Wow,” I breathed, working my way up and over his hard bumps and ridges. “He is Everleigh’s soul mate.”

“There isn’t trust, but there is respect between the Rogues. Those who can will drop everything and help a Rogue in need when their flag goes up. It’s so serious they harshly punish anyone who raises a false flag. When you truly need one, a Rogue is there.”

I kissed his collarbone, lips skating over his chilled flesh. “That’s always been my experience.”

“In a lot of ways, your father made the Rogues better. He made it so no one under twenty-five could join. He set up the flag system, and he kicked the worst of the worst out of the organization.” He tipped his head. “Problem is he did that by bribery, blackmail, crippling businesses, and a bunch of other things that forced every Rogue to obey him. They hate him as much as they love him.”

“That’s been my experience too.” We chuckled. It was short, sharp, and over as soon as it started.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I know what I have to do.”

Sitting up, I pulled out my phone. Alistair answered on the third ring.

“Luna? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. I was just thinking...” I looked away from Wilder. “Our dinner was ruined last night. Up for giving it another try?”

“Of course. Don’t even have to ask,” he replied. “Although, fair warning. My sweet niece has informed me in no uncertain terms that she’ll kick your ass if you set foot on the property again.”

My lips peeled back from my teeth. Cousin or not, I would never like that wench. “Tell her to bring it on.”

“I’ll do no such thing,” he replied. “You free now? I’ll send Ronin to pick you up.”

“Sounds good to me.”

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