5. GRAYSON
5
GRAYSON
The eerie green glow of the dashboard clock marked each passing minute like an eternity as I stared out into the inky darkness, the road flying beneath our tires in a blur of asphalt and faded yellow lines, while the steady drumming of the rain on the car filled the tense silence. The rhythmic scoop-slap, scoop-slap of the windshield wipers struggled against the deluge, and a chill seeped into the car, raising goose bumps on my skin. My mind spun with endless possibilities of what might be happening to Ivy, each more terrifying than the last. I couldn’t even imagine how scared she must be. The girl had been plagued with anxiety and fear since the age of thirteen, when two men had attempted—and almost succeeded—to kidnap her. Now, her worst nightmare was coming true.
A knot spread down my throat, a sickening mix of fear and guilt twisting my insides as Ivy’s terrified face haunted me in a silent accusation that I hadn’t protected her. My hands clenched at my sides, betraying the helplessness I fought to suppress.
She was out there, somewhere in the darkness, and every second that ticked by brought her closer to a fate I couldn’t endure.
“Security should arrive shortly after we do,” Hunter said.
“There is no we ,” I clarified, my tone sharp. It was bad enough they’d get close to that building to drop me off, but, “You guys are not coming inside with me.”
“To hell we’re not,” Jace growled.
“You saw what those guys are capable of.”
Jace popped open Hunter’s glove box and retrieved one of multiple pistols that lay inside. What the hell were they all doing there? Had Hunter stocked them in the mad dash out the door tonight? Or maybe after the night he’d helped hold Ivy hostage? Surely, they couldn’t be there on the daily; a criminal prosecutor wouldn’t be careless enough to leave such an extensive collection of firearms in his glove box on a regular basis. But then again, what did I know? Hunter had more secrets than Jace could imagine.
“They caught us unprepared.” Jace cocked his gun, its reflection bouncing off the streetlights as we passed them. “We’re prepared this time.”
I narrowed my eyes at my brother, the honor student, the Boy Scout who had never caused our mother any grief.
“You’re the CEO of a massive corporation,” I challenged. “Since when are you an action hero?”
When Jace turned his head, there was a flicker of something in his expression, a haunting shadow that I had never noticed before.
“Let’s just say that I’ve had a dark past,” Jace said.
“Care to elaborate?” Hunter shot him a sideways glance.
Jace shook his head. “Trust me, you don’t want to know, but I’m not the perfect, squeaky-clean brother you’ve always thought I was. We all have our sins and secrets, and mine are better left buried.”
Jace’s words hung in the air, hinting at a side of him I’d never suspected. Questions burned on my tongue, but the urgency of our mission demanded my focus. Ivy needed me, and the clock was ticking.
“The team that took her will be highly skilled,” I warned. “If you go in there, I can’t promise you’ll come out.”
Hunter’s gaze met mine in the rearview mirror, etched with sincerity. “I’ve never seen you care about someone like this before,” he said, his voice low and earnest. “She clearly means a lot to you. And if she matters that much to you, then she matters to all of us. We’re family. And in this family, we fight like hell for the people we love, no matter how steep the odds.”
I swallowed hard, my throat swelling. For years, I’d pushed my brothers away, convinced I was better off alone. But here they were, ready to risk everything for a girl they barely knew, simply because she mattered to me. The lump expanded as the depth of their loyalty seared itself into my heart.
“I can’t lose you guys, too,” I said, my voice firm. “If something happens to you, it’ll be on me.”
“So, let’s not get dead, then,” Hunter said.
The stakes had never been bigger, the consequences never direr.
But with my brothers by my side, I felt a flicker of hope amid the fear. We were in this together, for better or worse, and I would fight with every ounce of my being to ensure that all of us Lockwoods survived to see another day.
I glanced at my phone. “We’re four minutes out,” I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. “Let’s come up with a plan.”