37. Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Freya
I n between staring at the plain-white ceiling of my bedroom, I check my phone for the third time, the cool glass smooth against my fingertips.
It’s been twenty minutes since Gage and Hazen left to get a team of new recruits together to infiltrate Dominic’s home.
Every minute that ticks by, Lucas could be beaten to a pulp.
I can’t stay here, not when the man I love is in danger.
I call Hazen, and he answers after two rings.
“Hey.”
“We need to go now,” I say, and Hazen says something to someone on the other end, but I can’t hear.
“We are moving as fast as we can, but these things take time. My father is dangerous.”
“Then let me help.” I sit up, moving back against the pillows.
“He will use you as my weakness—you’re the only person I’d do anything for.” Hazen’s voice softens, and my heart skips a beat.
He’s right, but it doesn’t help Lucas.
Every second that goes by is another second without him.
“I’ll see you soon,” I say, before hanging up.
I need to do something, anything at all.
Five minutes later, the door to my bedroom opens, and Mia walks through.
“Anything?” I ask, shuffling to the end of my bed and dangling my feet over the edge.
Mia shakes her head, moving farther into the room.
“We need to do something,” I say.
“I know. But what?” She slumps next to me on the comforter, and a light enters her eyes.
“We could . . . sneak in.”
“You think?” I ask, but a plan’s already forming in my mind.
“Like, to see how many men they have, so we can help the boys be better prepared.”
“Exactly!” Mia agrees.
“We can’t tell them, though. Otherwise, they won’t let us go. They are already busy enough, arming up, planning, and gathering the men.” I slide off my bed, shoving my phone into the pocket of my pants.
“We gotta go now. Everyone is out back.” Mia heads out the door, and I follow closely behind.
Hazen and Gage will be pissed when they find out, but I need to contribute somehow, and it’s either this or crossing the tracks to negotiate with Kai—and I’m pretty sure they’ll like this plan better.
We walk through the front door, and one of the new guards standing by the door watches me closely.
“Approved by Hazen and Gage,” I say, and he nods before letting us through.
“Let’s take my car. I parked it down the road,” Mia says, pulling out her keys from her bag.
The drive through Daringville is quick, and before I know it, we’re parked a couple of doors down from my childhood home.
My stomach churns with anxiety, a heavy feeling that intensifies as I shut the car door behind me.
Maybe we should wait for the guys.
But Dominic has fooled us all before.
Any intel we can gather will help.
We need to do this—for Lucas.
“Where are they going to be?” I ask Mia, and she turns around, taking my hand in hers and pulling me into the backyard of the house next door to mine.
It feels so fucking surreal, being back here and about to go into the house that holds so many good and bad memories for me.
Of course, Dominic chose this place.
“The guards will be inside or out back in the garage,” Mia says, and I squeeze her hand back.
I’ve never liked Mia much, but what she’s doing for us gives her a little street cred in my books.
She didn’t have to tell us where Dominic was hiding out, but she did—well, with a little side deal.
She is getting exactly what she wants in exchange for what she’s doing, and I’d do the same thing if I were in her shoes.
That’s exactly why I currently trust her.
The plan is simple: we’ll check on Dominic, see how many men the guys are going to deal with, and report back to them.
They’ll come with the new recruits and get the weapons back and save Lucas, and then we can hopefully sort out some kind of peace agreement between the Hood and the Ville.
I hope this works.
“Let’s go,” Mia says, releasing my hand, and she moves through the bushes of the neighbor’s yard.
She looks left and right.
Something catches my eye, and I reach out, grabbing her arm, pulling her back into the leafy scrub.
A couple of guys walk past us, coming from my old backyard.
They are dressed in all black with rifles strapped to their backs, looking like they are ready for war.
“What the fuck?” I hiss, and Mia shakes her head, pressing her finger to her lips.
Voices carry through the afternoon air, and Mia moves through the bushes, going deeper into the neighbor’s yard.
I peer through the bushes, and all the blood rushes to my ears.
In my old backyard are at least fifty men, all dressed in black.
Some are sparring against one another; others are pulling out guns from wooden crates.
Holy fucking shit.
We knew he’d have men, but this many?
It’s next level.
He’s creating an army for something.
But for what?
“We need to call Hazen and Gage,” I say, and Mia presses her lips together before nodding.
I crawl out of the bushes, but my hand lands on a hard black boot.
Fuck.
“Leaving so soon?” a voice that sounds all too familiar asks.
My gaze moves from the boot up into Dominic’s blue eyes.
Mia brushes past me, gets to her feet, and runs, but Dominic is faster.
He grabs her by the throat, and her eyes widen.
“Don’t hurt her,” I plead.
Dominic scoffs.
“Shut the fuck up. Both of you are coming with me.” He nods his head toward Mia.
“And you’re a traitorous bitch.”
He grabs my shoulder, forcing me to stand.
As he digs his fingers in, tightening his grip, I grit my teeth.
Mia struggles against his hold, and it takes everything in me not to fight back—it’s not worth it.
We wanted to talk to him, and now we can, though this isn’t the way I intended.
“This place should be familiar to you, Freya,” Dominic says.
I bite into the inside of my cheek.
If I give him anything, it’ll be exactly what he wants.
Dominic shoves Mia inside the house first, then me, and I stumble in.
Bracing my hands on my knees, I push myself up and my eyes widen.
Everything’s changed, yet everything is the same.
The dark floorboards I’ve walked on a million times before.
The white walls with light-blue floral wallpaper.
The only difference is the swarm of soldiers inside the house, moving around.
Some of them look familiar, men I recognize from The Brotherhood, and I know the guys are going to be pissed that they turned on them.
I move toward the living room, clutching the door as memories invade my mind.
Alec chasing me around the room before tackling me onto the rug.
Playing board games until the early hours of the morning.
Mom cuddling us to sleep on the couch, telling us stories.
Tears fall down my cheeks as I’m taken back to the best memories of my life, before everything changed.
Before the ground was ripped from under our feet, all thanks to Nadine.
For giving Mom the drug that changed everything.
Dominic’s hand lands on my shoulder, his breath lingering as he moves in close, but I don’t dare move.
“Aww, Freya, is this all too much for you, doll?”
I take in a deep breath and exhale before rolling my shoulders and barging past Dominic.
I’m done playing his games; I need answers.
Wiping away the tears staining my cheeks, I face him.
“Shut up and tell me what you’re planning here,” I snap.
The corner of Dominic’s stupid fucking mouth lifts.
“I always loved them feisty, and here she finally is.” Dominic grins, and I roll my eyes.
“Mia, lead the way to my office, won’t you, darling?”
Mia’s throat bobs before she turns and walks down the corridor, her hands shaking.
I follow her, watching Dominic closely over my shoulder.
One wrong move, and we won’t make it out of here alive.
We have to get back to Lucas.
As much as I love Kai, I don’t trust that he won’t hurt him.
They hate each other more than anything, and with Lucas left under Bear’s wing?
Who knows what fucked-up things are happening to him.
My fingers run along the familiar white-and-blue floral wallpaper.
Pieces crumble in my fingers, and I have to look away.
I remember helping Mom put the wallpaper up on the walls; we had music blaring, and she had no idea what she was doing, but she did it.
I passed her the pieces and watched in awe as she worked.
She sang, laughed, and gave me treats.
I’d almost forgotten about those days—the good days.
When everything turned to shit, I tried to hold on to those good times, but they eventually vanished.
I follow Mia to the last room down the hallway and stop just outside the door.
My fingers grip to the doorframe, my pulse quickening and my breaths coming out in short bursts.
My old bedroom.
Where my single bed once stood, with my red-and-black checkered duvet, now stands a dark wooden desk.
Heat hits my back, Dominic’s breath tickling my neck, and I want to move away but I can’t.
My feet won’t budge.
They’re planted to the ground.
“When I took over this place, I just knew this was going to be my favorite room,” Dominic whispers in my ear.
He grabs my shoulder, and I’ve had enough.
I stumble forward, out of his reach, moving next to Mia.
She stands, looking between Dominic and me, her face neutral, showing no emotion.
I breathe in and out through my nose, picturing all the ways I want to kill him.
Rip his heart out and stomp on it for everything he’s done to me, to my mother and the guys.
He’s a monster, and I can’t stand being in his presence any longer.
“You sold weapons to the Hood. How could you betray your precious Brotherhood?” I ask, pushing down the bile rising up my throat and locking down the old memories that want to resurface.
We need to survive.
Dominic laughs, moving into the room and stopping right in front of us.
“That’s a big accusation, Freya—something that could start a war.”
I cross my arms over my chest.
“Just admit it and hand the guns over before it’s too late. They have Lucas.”
He scoffs.
“Even if I did, what makes you think I’d be happy to pay my dues just to save one of the boys who betrayed me?”
“Well, what are you gonna do? Kill your own son?”
“No.” Dominic grins.
An evil glint flashes in his eyes, and my heart skips a beat.
Two guards move through the doorway, carrying automatic rifles, and block our exit.
Dominic steps forward, and I retreat until my ass hits his desk.
He licks his lips, his gaze moving up and down my body.
A shiver rolls through me.
Shit, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.