66. Reeve
SIXTY-SIX
reeve
Leave it to Torin to cock-block me from some Bay-Levi action.
I was on the precipice of the perfect fucking night when the prick must’ve sensed I was going to make our girl come so hard she was going to be moaning my name like a prayer.
Bitch-ass.
Levi hauled ass to the ping Cairo sent me with Bay in between us. Our fingers laced and locked together as I felt the anxiety pumping through her veins strum into mine.
I won’t say I’m not a bit nervous to find my brother and what’s happening between Bay and me.
I want to go back to her—my body craves it as much as half my head—but I’m paranoid it’s the wrong choice and something else is going to go down. That I’m the last one on her list, no matter what.
In Shoreline Peaks, we’re already in dangerous territory. Especially with two tinted-out SUVs behind us—Wallace’s Nameless—and we look so sus it’d be evident to anyone we’re here to fuck shit up.
I wouldn’t mind being here if McQueen weren’t with me.
However, she is, and I’m not going to get anywhere by telling her to stay in the car and relax.
The woman is, more than likely, going to stroke me out before I’m thirty, and I’d be okay with it if she were actually stroking me while it happened.
“We stay close,” Wallace orders, all business and no play, as he parks on the side of an abandoned drugstore. “I hope you came strapped, Stanton, because I only have two guns.”
“Already situated,” I deadpan, looking out the passenger window to nothing but thick woods and darkness.
Not fun.
Not anything I want to walk into while Bay is with me, either.
I’m not entirely sure if De Leon believes he’s some sort of Lost Boy or something, but this hiding-in-woods bullshit is for the birds.
It’s the perfect way to jump someone.
“One reckless move out of you, Astor,” Wallace warns with a bit of steel to his tone. “And I’m going?—”
“I’ll be by your side the whole time,” she mutters. “I promise.”
“Promise me again,” he retorts, the leather seat underneath him squeaking in protest to his weight. “You hear a scream, you don’t move. A gunshot, you get down. Anything that isn’t crickets or a bat, you hide. Got me?”
“Yes,” she replies softly.
“That means us, too,” he tacks on. “Unless we call you out, you don’t become a hero.”
“I got it.”
“Repeat it, then.”
I smile because I like their dynamic. It’s not better than ours, but it’s cute how Wallace believes he holds some control over her.
And maybe he does.
However, I guarantee I could get her to do more shit without the bossy demeanor, but I hear her faithfully follow his order.
“Stay close,” she says. “I hear a scream, I don’t go running for it. A gunshot?—”
“Are you really going to make her repeat all that?” I chime in and cut my gaze to Wallace. “We’ve got shit to do.”
He doesn’t spare me a look, eyes locked on McQueen and McQueen only. “Shut the fuck up, Stanton.”
No point in arguing with him, either. Two peas in a fucking pod, these two.
“I lost my spot,” Bay admits. “But I got it, Lev. Let’s go.”
“Astor,” Levi grinds out, not sounding fully convinced she’s not about to do something hella stupid. His eyebrows are pinched, but if you look close enough, you can see a king terrified of losing someone he loves. “ Please fucking listen to me.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me,” Bay attempts to reassure him. “I’ll be with you the whole time.”
I pop my door open, prompting the King of South Shore to get it together. I’m as scared shitless as he is, scared she’s going to walk into an ambush. My brother is somewhere in these woods, though, and we need to get him out now. “Let’s go.”
Sliding out of the truck, I hit gravel and hear feet hit it a second later when Bay gets out right behind me. Wallace probably wouldn’t move, and McQueen knows we don’t have time.
His door opens—finally—and Wallace begins barking orders to his men.
I don’t register what he’s saying. The man has it in the bag; he’s fine, I know he is because blue eyes and a look of unease slam into me.
My girl is ready to go rescue asshole Wildes.
“Remember where we are,” I tell her gently. “If you have to run back for the car?—”
“I’m not running back for the car,” she argues, purposely keeping her voice low for obvious reasons.
“I thought you just promised.” I perk a brow because, even though the whole repeating thing was dumb as fuck, I’m with Wallace on her saving herself. “You didn’t just feed him a line to shut him up, did you?”
“No,” she says with a bit of annoyance. “But I’m not going to shit my pants at the first sign of?—”
“McQueen,” I lightly chide. “Don’t make me rat you out. We’re big boys. We can handle our shit.”
“You wouldn’t.” She bristles, crossing her arms along her chest and calling my bluff while her focus lands on the scenery behind me.
“Wouldn’t I?”
“I dunno.” She looks back up at me. “Fuck around and find out.”
“Isn’t that my line?”
“Not if you want to fuck me again.”
My eyes mindlessly roll because it doesn’t matter. We both know that. “Don’t become a problem we need to worry about when we’re trying to get Torin. Stay close.”
Her lips part, but Levi’s voice slices through the air then.
“Let’s move.”
Bay nods, acknowledging what I said before we stride toward the wooded area and begin our search.
The Nameless spread out, quiet as mice, as we break through the bleak edge of the forest. The hairs on my arms stand on end, telling me this…is a bad fucking idea.
But the only one we have.
“Watch out for bear traps,” Wallace asserts. “Or anything else that might fuck us up.”
“Fuck me,” I hear Bay whisper before I reach for her hand and lace my fingers with hers.
She gives me a squeeze in reassurance and as much as I’d love to revel in that, it was a move to keep her near.
And well, I like touching her because she makes me forget about crack rock.
“Which way?”
I slow at Wallace’s question and fish for my cell, finding the ping on my phone gone. “I need to call Cairo. His location is gone.”
“Hurry up.”
Reluctantly, I let go of Bay’s hand and dial up my brother. He answers on the second ring.
“You here?” he greets, low and focused.
“Yeah. Where are you?”
“Looking at a fuckin’ cabin. This fuckin’ prick has several in the middle of the woods.”
“How far out?”
“Far,” Cairo replies, causing my stomach to drop a little. “Oz followed them out for over thirty minutes.”
My eyes widen. “Thirty minutes? How big are these woods?”
“I dunno. But he’s gotta be at least a mile and a half in here.”
Fucking Lost Boy wannabe.
“What are we looking at here? An army or what?”
“Pretty much. They are constantly moving. There are at least twenty men and five cabins here. I don’t know if it’s a main base or what, but it looks like they live here for a while.”
“We can’t wait that long,” I profess. “Is there an easier way to get there?”
“I don’t think so, brother. I’m going to have to make a move without you.”
“Have you seen him?”
“Not since they arrived. Oz said he saw Torin when they piled out of the cars. So, he’s here.”
“How many do you have?”
“Thirty.”
Thank fuck.
I bow my head, feeling a bit better. “Handle it. We’re on our way.” A soft moan seizes my attention then, trickling through my ears like a siren, and I find Bay sandwiched between a tree and Levi Wallace’s massive body.
His head is caught between her shoulder and her neck. While one of his large hands is cupping her cunt between her sweatpants.
My cock hardens at the sight. Those two are so fucking hot.
“ Reeve ,” Cairo barks out in my ear, but fuck him, it does nothing to my growing dick. “Are you listening?”
“Sorta,” I answer honestly. “I thought I heard something. Say that again.”
“I’ll call you if something changes. But get your ass here as soon as you can.”
Right.
“I will,” I divulge. “We’re moving right now, brother.” Bay arches her back against the tree, groaning at whatever Levi is doing, and I bet he’s doing wonders with his wicked tongue. “Send me your location again.” I clear my throat. “I don’t have it.”
“Probably the signal,” Cairo growls. “I’ll send it again.”
“See you in a little bit.”
“Later.”
He hangs up, and I pocket my cell, inching forward and unenthusiastically needing to break up Bay and Wallace’s handsy little makeout session.
“You two wanna stay?” I hedge innocently. “Because I can head out by myself.”
Bay suddenly comes to, sliding out from Wallace’s body and the tree and springing forward to my side. Meanwhile, he hangs his head, obviously disappointed I broke into his fun, and she quickly left.
“Let’s go,” she urges. “How far?”
Eh, shit.
“Well”—I run my fingers through my hair because this fucking sucks—“depending on where Cairo started, but thirty minutes.”
“ Thirty minutes,” Levi pipes in, marching over with tension coiled in his frame. “Where the fuck is he?”
“Deep in the woods, apparently,” I impart evenly. “Twenty guys. Cairo said it was like a camp.”
Wallace mumbles something under his breath, but Bay says, “That’s about right. He was always deep in the woods. He’ll have lookouts.”
Of course, he would.
“C’mon, McQueen. Keep an eye out.” I reach for her hand and pull her closer. “We’re going to be walking a while.”
She follows me as I begin moving forward along a small path to get through the overgrown brush easily. “Is he alright?”
“Dunno,” I answer honestly. “Oz saw him, but I’m sure at a distance.”
“But was he walking?”
“I didn’t ask that.”
“Why not?”
“Because you were distracting me.” I glimpse over at her. “Is this how it’s always going to be?”
She steals a look at me and straightens her spine before looking forward again. “Is this how what is going to be?”
“You and Wallace always fucking around?”
“Are you complaining?”
“No,” I emit. “However, he won’t let me play.”
She smiles and turns her face away. “I’m sorry he doesn’t swing that way. Whatever will you do?”
“Watch.”
Bay squeezes my hand and turns back to me, giving me a gentle tug on my arm to come closer. “Why don’t you just join? I can always try to take two of you.”
I immediately hum my acceptance of the invitation, running my thumb down the softness of her flesh and demanding my fucking head to not get carried away.
Torin’s life is in the balance.
And Bay and I are trying to muddle through the apprehension of our current situation and the aftermath.
I don’t want to bury my brother.
And I know she has a lot of unsettled bullshit between them.
Neither one of us is mentally ready for this, and the only thing we can do is talk ourselves the rest of the way because we don’t have a choice. I’m just hoping Cairo handles it so we don’t waste any more time.
Wallace gets in front of us, leading the way and gaining some ground. We walk in silence, caught in our own inner battles while I keep Bay close because it’s all I can control.
Crickets chirp, the leaves rustle above us with the small breeze running through them, but all else is quiet and peaceful.
Until my phone pings.
With my free hand, I grab it, then see Cairo’s text.
CAIRO: They brought in more men. We’re even.
CAIRO: Oz is going to get inside.
Is he a fucking idiot?
Releasing Bay’s hand, I begin pounding at my keyboard.
REEVE: Dude, how?!
REEVE: You just told me they brought more men.
CAIRO: He found a place. He just texted me. He’s got this.
I mean, the motherfucker is stealthy as fuck, but I still don’t feel warm and fuzzy inside about it.
REEVE: How is he going to pull Torin out by himself? The place is surrounded.
CAIRO: Well, I don’t have you yet, brother, so what the fuck do you want me to do? I’m working with what I have right now.
REEVE: Light the place up!
CAIRO: And risk our men’s lives?
REEVE: It’s Torin. That’s their job.
CAIRO: They have AK-47s on their hips. ALL OF THEM.
Fuck.
They will mow our men down in seconds. And if Cairo isn’t moving, that means we’re not strapped and unable to risk it.
“What is he saying?” Bay asks, brushing her body against me, and God, I wish I could drown in it, but we’re fucked right now.
“Ozzy is going to see if he can get inside,” I reply as evenly as I can. “More men arrived, so…we can’t move quite yet.”
“What do you mean, Ozzy is trying to get inside?” I pick up my pace a bit because the last thing I need is two of my brothers being taken by that fucking bastard. “Don’t let him. It’s too dangerous?—”
“He’s the only one who can handle it. He’s got this.”
“An army versus one man, Reeve. Make it make sense.”
“I can’t. He’s Ozzy. You think he’s all quiet and shit but wait until you get him in a pickle. He’s a fucking psycho.”
“I don’t want him hurt.”
“Cairo didn’t seem worried about it.”
“Because he’s Cairo ,” she retorts. “Does he show emotion, other than being pissed off all the time?”
“Nah, that’s just with you, McQueen. He’s normally pretty chill.” She scoffs dismissively but doesn’t say anything, and for that, I’m grateful. We need to move and quickly. “I gotta go tell Wallace, baby. C’mon.”
“I’m coming,” she mutters, more like she’s pouting and irritated than anything.
I catch up to the massive beast in front of us leading the way and slide into step with him.
“Cairo sent me a text and said there’s more men. He’s sending Ozzy in.”
“To do what?”
“Probably to either make a move or see how many there really are inside.”
“Dumb move.”
I lift my shoulders. “Not really playing with time, ya know?”
“Baby Wildes is tough,” Wallace replies. “He’ll make it.”
“Says the dude who doesn’t care either way.”
“I care,” he admits, stepping over a fallen tree limb. “Because I don’t want my girl doing any more crying than she already has lately. He dies, so does she. And as much as I don’t like it, I’m not going to be the cause of not doing everything I can to…bring his stupid ass back.”
“He loves her, you know?”
“Unfortunately.”
“She loves you, too.”
“That I know.”
“Alright, big man.” I power on my phone and check our ping. “I got the location again.”
“Fine.” He glances over his shoulder, then he stops on a fucking dime. “Where’s Astor?”
My heart seizes in my chest with his question, and it takes everything in me to turn around and find nothing but trees and darkness.
“ McQueen ,” I whisper loudly, moving back in the direction we just came.
My eyes dart around as a branch snaps loudly under my Chucks. Levi goes to the right, making a circle while I forge forward.
“Astor!” Wallace hollers out, clearly not giving a fuck if De Leon’s guys hear us or not.
It doesn’t matter.
Caught or not…she’s nowhere to be found.
Two seconds.
It was two seconds.
There’s no movement in the dark. No noise but nature and the piercing silence before Wallace calls out for her again.
And something pricks at me that something’s not right.
She’s not fucking here.
She’s gone.