18. Rook
Chapter eighteen
Rook
Fuck me.
This is all moving fast— too fast . If we want to handle Vance without killing him, we’ll need to do this before he loses his shit over Nero. Inari is throwing a huge wrench in everything…and I’m sure she knows it.
This Mojave plan is essential, now—not just to take out the Eclipse’s eros supply, but to make sure Vance stays alive.
I’ve just grabbed my keycard to unlock the door to my room and grab some stuff to bring to the pack suite when I spot Vance’s towering figure slumped against the wall. His presence is like a glitch in my routine, unexpected, throwing me off. The usual swagger in his stance is absent today, replaced with something that gnaws at my insides—fear?
Desperation?
“Vance.” My voice comes out steadier than I expect. I’m not sure if it’s more for him or for me. “What are you doing here?”
He doesn’t budge an inch, just those damn blue eyes of his tracking my every move. There’s a heaviness to them, a storm brewing beneath the surface. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t unnerve me.
“Last night,” he finally says, voice rough like gravel, “you weren’t here.”
A statement, not a question. His observation is sharp, cutting through the silence between us. It feels like a warning shot, and I know better than to take it lightly. This means he’s been watching me…that he knows he’s losing his last ally.
I don’t unlock the door.
I’m afraid that if I do, he might follow me inside and kill me.
“Yeah, had things to handle,” I reply, nonchalant.
“Things like Aisling?” Vance mutters.
“Is that what you’re implying?” I demand, my own voice rising with a mix of defiance and caution.
Vance breathes deeply, his chest expanding in a way that commands space even as he leans against the wall. “Don’t need to be an alpha to smell the stink of betrayal, Rook,” he says. “And Nero joining up with you all…like some happy family? That’s a low blow, even for Gunnar.”
“Betrayal?” My blood heats up, anger simmering under my skin. “You think this is betrayal?”
“Isn’t it?” His tone is sharp, accusatory. “Aisling has taken everything. My men, my influence…she’s dismantled my world piece by piece.”
“Your world?” I scoff. “Or your control over it?”
“Control,” Vance snorts, “that was never the endgame. It was security, stability. I set things in motion to topple Caius, for all of us. And where does that leave me? Out in the cold while you cozy up to power.”
“Power?” My hands clench into fists at my sides. “I’m with Aisling because she’s fighting for something bigger than any of us, Vance. For the city, for omegas everywhere. Can you say the same?”
“Of course, I want what’s best for them!” His voice cracks with a hint of vulnerability that he quickly masks. “But don’t pretend you’re not playing your own game. You’re just like me, looking out for number one.”
“Maybe once,” I admit, “but not anymore. This isn’t about personal gain. It’s about change. And if you can’t see that, then maybe you are the one who’s been left behind.”
Vance meets my gaze, and there’s a quiet understanding, a shared history that neither of us can deny. He might not trust me, but he knows I’m right.
Not that he’ll ever admit it.
“Business,” Vance chuckles, his laugh devoid of any real humor. “That’s what this is, Rook. I’m just playing the good businessman.”
“Is that your excuse?” I retort, my voice edged with disdain. “Double-talk and power plays? It’s all just part of the job?”
“Survival,” he corrects me, his eyes cold as steel. “Don’t act like you don’t understand. You’ve been in the thick of it just as much as I have.”
“Survival doesn’t justify everything.” I step closer, lowering my voice. “And you can lie to yourself all you want, Vance, but I know better. Aisling told me—about the kiss, about how the two of you conspired to trade her away to the Eclipse in exchange for Gunnar. I know everything—even the things Gunnar didn’t…well, until now. And that means I know you give more of a shit about the two of them than you’d ever, ever let on.”
His jaw clenches, a vein pulsating in his temple. The fa?ade cracks, and there’s a flash of something raw in those bright blue eyes.
“Fine,” he spits out, the word like venom between his teeth. “I’m leaving soon anyway. What do I care if Aisling and your pack turn Oasis into your little utopia? You can rot for all I care.”
“Seriously?” I parrot back, the sting of his words hitting deeper than expected. “That’s how you really feel?”
“Believe what you want.” He turns, the finality in his posture unmistakable. “But after this, consider me gone. You’ll get no more help from Vance Solace.”
“Vance, wait,” I blurt out before he can disappear completely into the shadows of the corridor. The words hang heavy between us, a lifeline thrown in the aftermath of our heated exchange.
He halts but doesn’t turn, his posture rigid, the set of his broad shoulders like a barrier he’s erected between us. “What now, Rook? More accusations? More judgments?” His voice is low, the growl of an alpha barely contained.
I swallow hard, knowing what I’m about to say might be the only thing that could make him stay. “We found it—the Mojave lab.” My voice cracks on the last word, and I hate myself for the tremor of vulnerability.
For a moment, Vance’s silhouette doesn’t move—an imposing statue in the dim light—then his head turns slightly, enough that I can see the profile of his clenched jaw.
“It’s the new base of operations for Dr. Malik.”
Vance’s eyes narrow. “Is that…?”
“Yeah.” I force the words out. “The son-of-a-bitch who made Luka hurt Aisling.”
“Where?” It’s a whisper from Vance, so quiet I almost miss it over the pounding of my own heart.
I step forward, closing the distance he’d put between us, and lower my voice to match his urgency. “I’ve got coordinates. But we can’t just storm in—we need a plan. We could use your help, Vance.”
His face is a mask of stone as he finally turns to look at me, every muscle in his body wound tight. There’s something in his eyes that wasn’t there before—a flicker of the alpha who once vowed to tear the world apart for Aisling. I can remember how desperate he seemed when we made our attack on New Eden, when it felt like Vance would give up anything to get her back.
Where did he go?
And who the hell has he been working with to coordinate the attack on the Mojave Skyway?
Vance’s stance hardens, his silhouette rigid against the dim light filtering through the blinds. “I’ll stay,” he grates out, and I can hear the resolve, the sharp edge of a man with nothing left to lose. “Just long enough to rip apart that asshole.”
I nod, keeping my expression neutral, though inside, I’m a chaos of nerves and regret. “You’ll commit resources?”
“Everything we need.” There’s a ghost of the kingpin he once was in his voice. “But after this…consider me an enemy. You won’t see me again.”
“Alright,” I say quietly, and there it is—the point of no return. I step closer, close enough to smell the scent that’s all Vance—smoke and worn leather. My hand lifts, hesitates, then lands heavy on his shoulder.
“Thanks, Vance. For everything.” My throat tightens around the words, and I squeeze his shoulder, trying to pour every ounce of gratitude and apology into the gesture.
He doesn’t look back as he walks away, and I’m left staring at the empty space where he stood, the finality of our parting hanging heavy in the air.
He helped me get out of Oasis, build a life…
…and I’m about to betray him in the worst way possible.