Jake’s POV
As I descended the stairs, John shot me a not-so-good look before asking what I had been up to.
“I woke the sleeping princesses,” I said with a smirk. “It’s time to decide how we’re going to save Reyna.”
John sighed, rubbing his temples. “We have to be careful, Jake. We can’t afford for anyone else to get hurt.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you trying to protect Sarah and Stephanie?”
He shook his head. “I’m not protecting anyone. I just want you to think rationally, that’s all. We have to be smart about this.”
Before I could respond, Sarah and Stephanie walked down the stairs. Sarah scoffed as her sharp gaze landed on me.
“Just so you remember, Jake,” she said, crossing her arms. “I don’t owe you an alliance. I could change my mind about helping you in the snap of my fingers, so maybe try to be nice.”
I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “I’ll be nice when Reyna is safe and back with us. Until then, focus.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. We all gathered around the table, spreading out the large map of Damon’s territory. Sarah pointed at different points of entry, detailing the best ways to get inside Damon’s clan-especially his house.
“The weakest part of the perimeter is here,” she said, tapping the southeast section of the map. “Guards rotate in thirty-minute intervals. That gives us just enough time to slip through if we do it right.”
I nodded, absorbing the information. “And the main house?”
Sarah traced a line with her finger. “Damon’s office is on the second floor, north wing. That’s where he keeps all his important information. But if Reyna’s still locked up, she’ll be in the basement.”
As we strategized, I caught John staring at Stephanie for too long. A muscle in my jaw twitched. Clearing my throat loudly, I snapped him out of his daze.
“Focus, John,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “We don’t have time for distractions.”
John blinked, shifting his gaze back to the map. “Right. What’s the plan for tonight?”
I exhaled, resting my hands on the table. “We move at midnight. By then, the guards will be at their most vulnerable. We surround Damon’s house and take down anyone who gets in our way. No mistakes. No second chances.”
Stephanie’s expression darkened. “And if Reyna isn’t there?”
I clenched my fists. “Then we burn everything down until we find her.”
A tense silence followed my words. Even Sarah looked slightly unsettled, but she quickly masked it with her usual indifference.
“Fine,” she muttered. “But if we’re doing this, we’re doing it my way. I know how Damon thinks. You don’t.”
John and I exchanged a glance before I reluctantly nodded. “Alright. Your way. But if you betray us, Sarah…”
She smirked. “If I wanted to betray you, Jake, you’d already be dead.”
That didn’t exactly reassure me, but there was no time to dwell on it.
“Everyone get ready,” I ordered. “Midnight, we strike.”
—
Hours passed, and the tension thickened.
I stood near the window, watching the moon rise. My fingers drummed against the hilt of my blade. This wasn’t just about saving Reyna. It was about making Damon pay.
Footsteps approached, and I turned to see Stephanie standing there, arms crossed. “You sure about this?” she asked.
I scoffed. “Would you back out now if I wasn’t?”
She hesitated before shaking her head. “No. Reyna needs us.”
“Then don’t doubt me.” I looked away, my mind already at war with what needed to be done.
As midnight neared, we gathered in the hallway, dressed in black, weapons strapped and ready. John checked his gun, Sarah adjusted her knives, and Stephanie tied her hair back.
“Last chance to change your mind,” I said to Sarah.
She raised a brow. “I should be asking you that. You don’t know what you’re walking into.”
“Neither does Damon,” I countered.
With that, we moved.
The journey to Damon’s hideout was silent. The night air was cool, but the weight of what we were about to do made it suffocating. We split into two groups-John and Stephanie took the eastern side while Sarah and I took the southeast entry point.
Through the darkness, we moved swiftly. Sarah signaled for us to halt just before the first guard came into view. She pulled out a small blade and within seconds, the man was down, his body hitting the ground without a sound.
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” I muttered.
Sarah shot me a grin. “Smart man.”
We pressed forward, reaching the main house undetected.
“Now how do we get in?” I asked and Sarah laughed.
“I’m sure Damon knows we’re here, let’s just wait for him to come to us and maybe we could talk.” I looked at her and shook my head, not believing what she was saying.
“Are you being serious?” I asked and she nodded and looked at the gate.
“In a few minutes.” she whispered.
____
Damon’s POV
Something was wrong.
I could feel it in my bones-the air was different, charged with an unfamiliar presence. Someone had crossed into my clan’s territory, slipping past the border like a ghost. My hands clenched into fists. Whoever it was, they wouldn’t leave here alive.
I turned to Diane. “Someone’s here.”
She didn’t even hesitate. “I know who it is.”
My jaw tightened. “Who?”
“Jake and John.”
The names sent a slow burn through my chest. But something didn’t add up. “They wouldn’t have found this place on their own.” My voice was sharp, laced with the rage curling inside me. “Someone told them. Someone who was close enough to know every path, every exit.”
Diane’s eyes locked onto mine. “Who do you think it was?”
I exhaled sharply. The name came easy, bitter on my tongue. “Sarah.”
She flinched. “Sarah? What does she have to do with this?”
A humorless laugh escaped me. “Sarah was the woman I would have given everything for.” My lips curled in disgust at the memory. “But she didn’t want me. So I cast my eyes on someone younger.”
Diane didn’t respond. Maybe she knew better than to push me when I was like this.
I took a step closer, my voice lowering. “Listen carefully. Take Reyna and go through the back gate. Jake and John must not take her.”
Her brows furrowed. “Damon-”
“No.” My tone was final. “Even if they fight, even if they kill every last one of us, they will not get her.”
Diane hesitated, but I saw the moment she understood. The flicker of resolve in her eyes.
But I wasn’t done.
“If I don’t come by dawn…” I let the words settle, the weight of them suffocating. “Kill her.”
Diane’s breath hitched. “You can’t be serious.”
I met her gaze, unyielding. “I’ve never been more serious. I’d rather see her dead than in their hands.”
The silence between us was deafening.
And then, Diane nodded.
She turned on her heels, disappearing into the shadows.
And I? I walked toward the battle, ready to bleed.