Page 122 of Entangled

“Thanks,” I mutter under my breath.

“Look, the Sinners are running a recruitment drive—you keep playing around on channels and you’ll hear them. They’re making promises, and reading between the lines, they’re promising land, resources, and women. We’ve seen about forty new men come back with their raiding parties, Alastair and Mateo right at the head of their trucks.” There’s a pause, and then his voice turns harsh. “And we were attacked last night.”

I sit up, worry spiking. I don’t know much about Bentley, or their Red Zone, but he seems like good people. There are few enough like that now that losing them would be devastating.

Not to mention, as brutally selfish as it is to admit, they’re best situated right now to give us intel—and we desperately need it.

“Are your people okay?” I ask.

“For now. Our snake pit got blown to shreds—it looks like they’re testing out their new firepower. Thanks for that too, by the way. We’re lucky they didn’t hit our base. We have... people here. Our base can’t take a hit like that.”

“Fuck,” I swear.

Recruitment drives and weapons tests only mean one thing.

They’re ramping up for something big.

And if they’re already promising women, they must be pretty confident they’re about to come into a windfall of them.

“You catch all that?” Bentley asks, when the silence starts to stretch on too long.

I realize I’ve been staring off into the distance, looking toward a short, bleak and bloody future. They have over three hundred men, SEALs, weapons... what chance do we possibly have against all of that? Training and experience tells me the answer.

We’re very, very fucked.

“Caught it,” I say shortly. I press my hands over my eyes. “Thanks for the update. Keep in touch when you have more news. Stay safe.”

“Yeah, sure. You?—”

I cut the line off and let myself take a minute—just one—to just be sick to my stomach.

Somehow, against all odds, I have to keep these people safe. Somehow, I need to gain their trust and keep it, because even our slimmest odds rely on all of us being able to mobilize and defend Bristlebrook together.

The heavy chain around my neck winds tighter and tighter.

It feels like a noose.

If Bristlebrook’s safety relies on getting civilians to trust me, then we’re already dead.

Chapter30

Lucky

Survival tip #175

When a gorgeous sadist brings you flowers,

watch out for hidden thorns.

Damn it.How did I lose her again already? She disappeared so fast after that delightful disaster of a meeting, and Ineedto see her.

Two women give me wary looks as we pass in the hall, and I know my tense smile isn’t enough to reassure them. Normally, I’d be doing everything I could to help them feel at home—and I will, later—but right now, I just can’t.

I push around a corner toward the gym, where a mass of people are rearranging furniture. Dom looks up as I stick my head in the room and, even though it’s unchivalrous as hell not to help these tired women, I pivot on my heel and hightail it away before he can order me to stay.

Eden needs me more.

She looked fragile in that meeting. Like she was being held together with bubblegum and dollar-store tape.

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