Chapter 17 Wylder #2
Grim faces surround me as Neo finishes going through what he’s found with everyone. There’s more than one dagger on the table. Cade has fully pulled Ansel onto his lap, while Matthias is eyeing Wyatt like he’s considering doing the same.
“How the fuck are they getting around our cameras and alarms?” Dalton asks, frustration bubbling in his voice. “It’s not possible.”
“It shouldn’t be,” Neo says, tapping at his laptop. A map of the house appears on the big screen on the wall. Another tap brings up red dots, showing each camera’s location. “After we moved the cameras and trip points, there shouldn’t be any blind spots.”
We all study the picture closely, then suddenly Ansel speaks. “There shouldn’t be, but there are.”
Neo groans a second later. “Fuck, you’re right.”
The rest of us exchange confused glances as Neo gets out of his seat. Ansel tries to join him, but Cade refuses to let him stand.
“Seriously?” Ansel huffs, twisting to glare at him. “No one’s going to hurt me in here.”
“They have photos of us inside the house.” Cade’s tone is clipped. “I’m not letting you out of reach, butterfly.”
I’d say he’s being ridiculous, but I can’t help but agree. My palms itch because Neo is now on the opposite side of the room. Already, I’m working out how many steps it’ll take to reach him, and where I’ll push him down if gunfire breaks out.
I don’t let any of that show on my face. Neo seems oddly skittish about getting close to me, despite the fact that I feel as if he’s crawled up inside of me and set up camp. It’s best I don’t let him see the full levels of my rapidly growing obsession.
I doubt I’ll be able to hide it forever, but for now, at least, I can pretend.
I turn toward Matthias and Wyatt. “I want you to move in here for now. We’re safer together.”
Matthias goes to argue, but Wyatt nods, placing a hand on his arm. “I would feel safer here too. Just until we get this resolved.”
Jackson glances over at Dalton, almost hopefully, but the look isn’t returned. When nothing is said, I continue as if I didn’t notice anything. “I’ll have Dotty arrange your rooms in the west wing—”
“Fuck! I found it.” Neo interrupts. “This is how they’re getting in,” Neo traces a line through the map.
“This section of the southeast barrier wall was hit hard in that storm a few weeks ago. If the alarm system was knocked out in that area, then it explains how they’re making it over the boundary undetected. ”
Ansel has his own laptop open now. Cade’s allowing it, likely because he hasn’t moved from his lap. He lets out a soft curse. “Yep. It’s dark in that stretch. Fuck, how did we miss this?”
My brow pinches. We shouldn’t have. This is on me. My gaze drops to my hands fisted under the table. I’ve let them all down. This is on me. I should’ve been better. I should’ve—
“Stop it right the fuck now.”
I glance up in surprise to see Neo glaring at me with his hands on his hips.
“Stop what?”
“Stop beating yourself up,” he says firmly. “This isn’t on you.”
“Is that what he’s doing when he looks like that?” Dalton remarks. “I always thought it meant he was constipated.”
“If that were true, he’d be constipated ninety-five percent of the time,” Neo responds.
I sniff. “My bowel habits are perfectly normal, thank you very much.”
Matthias winces. “Could’ve lived without knowing that, to be honest.”
“Wait.” Samson turns to Neo. “Are you saying that when he makes that face, it’s because he feels guilty or some shit?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Neo says, not looking away from me. “I don’t think you all realize quite how much responsibility Wylder carries. He takes any failings of The Firm personally.”
Harley gives a small moue of dismay. “But he looks like that all the time.”
I slink down in my chair. “I do not. This is my face.”
“We told him ages ago we want to help him more. Why hasn’t he asked?” Cade demands, stabbing his knife into the table. “Does he think we’re incompetent?”
My brows rise. “I’m sitting right here.”
Everyone ignores me. I may as well not be in the room.
“It’s not that,” Dalton says heavily. “I think we’re all forgetting that while Wylder was able to protect us from the worst of Father’s training, there was no one to protect him.”
A heavy silence falls over the room. I don’t like it. It’s making the back of my neck itch. I don’t want or need their pity.
“Enough,” I say curtly, rapping my knuckles on the table. “Let’s focus on the problem at hand. Harley, can you get the alarm circuit reconnected?”
He nods. “Yeah, it won’t take more than an hour. Ansel, want to give me a hand? Might be faster with two of us.”
Cade growls, and Harley laughs. “Simmer down, dude.”
Ansel sighs, patting Cade’s shoulder. “Sorry, Harley. Maybe it’ll be better if Neo helps you.”
“Sure,” Neo says with a nod. “I’m almost as good as Ansel.”
My fist clenches under the table again. I want to growl just like Cade did. My monster is furious at the idea of having Neo so close to the boundary of the property. The place where we know these fuckers have been infiltrating our land.
But, unlike my brother, I can’t make such a demand of Neo. He’s not mine, even if I chose him.
Yes, he is.
He isn’t. Not yet.
Harley is on his feet now, helping Neo pin down every blind spot in the cameras. Their shoulders brush, and it takes everything in me not to leap up and shove myself between them.
First Samson, now Harley. What the fuck is wrong with me?
Something pointy stabs into my side. I look down to see Dalton’s sheathed dagger nudging me. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Cade isn’t the only one who needs to simmer down,” Dalton says mildly, his gaze flicking briefly over to Harley and Neo, who are still standing far too close for my liking. “You’re being irrational.”
I drop my voice low so only Dalton can hear. “I’m always rational.”
“Not where Neo’s concerned.”
I go to argue, but what’s the point? Dalton’s already got me worked out.
“He doesn’t want Harley,” he whispers. “And Harley sure as shit doesn’t want him, so why are you getting all bent out of shape?”
“I don’t know,” I mutter through gritted teeth. “I just don’t like it, okay? This is our mess. Neo shouldn’t be caught up in it.”
“He’s been part of this from the start. You didn’t care then.”
“Things are different now.”
“How?”
I pause, darting my gaze over to Neo. His handsome face is furrowed in concentration as he traces lines over the map. “They just are.”
“Ah.” Amusement flashes over Dalton’s face. “I see. Well, good on you, Wylder. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“What day?”
“The day you prove you’re just as fucked up as the rest of us.”
I shoot him a withering look. “Wanting to keep Neo safe doesn’t make me fucked up.”
“No, but the insane levels I’m willing to bet you’ll go to to ensure that happens? That does.”
I flick his dagger away and meet Jackson’s eyes across the room. He arches an eyebrow, and I lean toward Dalton.
“Go back to your boy and leave me alone.”
He huffs in annoyance, and I stalk away from him and toward Neo. He peers up at me, and my chest tightens. “I’m going to help Harley fix the dark spot.”
“Absolutely not.”
Neo raises a brow. “Are you forbidding me?”
I’m aware that the room has fallen silent, observing this battle of wills.
“Yes,” I say, not looking at anyone other than Neo. “I am.”
“Oh yeah?” He steps close, going toe-to-toe with me. “And you think that’s gonna stop me?”
“No, I don’t.” I sigh, and then say, “Fine. I’m coming too.”
“Absolutely not.” Neo bristles. “You’re going to go to your office and start working through the other information I found. Going with us is a waste of time.”
I grind my teeth together, unable to find a flaw in his logic. If I push, not only will Neo be pissed, but my brothers won’t ever let me live it down. “You’ll be safe?”
He just flips me off while rolling his eyes.
My lips quirk, and his do as well.
“We’ll talk when you return.”
“No, thanks,” he says, but I’m determined.
I grab his chin, ignoring the catcalls that ring out around us. “Want to try that again, brat?”
His pupils dilate. “No, thanks.”
I grin. Fuck, he really is perfect. “Come straight to me when you return. Don’t make me find you.”
“That’s more of a promise than anything.”
And with a wink, he’s gone.