MIA’S POV
My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the rooftop.
Lucas-or rather, the man pretending to be Lucas-was working with rogues.
And worse? He had been after me all along.
I forced myself to breathe. Panicking wouldn’t help. I needed a plan.
Testing Him
The next morning, I acted like nothing had changed.
Lucas arrived at the estate, his usual charming smile in place. “How’s my favorite sister feeling today?”
I smiled back, keeping my voice light. “Better.”
His silver eyes flickered over me, searching, but I kept my expression open. Innocent. Like I wasn’t onto him.
“Good,” he said smoothly. “I was thinking we could go out today. Just us.”
I fought the urge to tense.
He wanted me alone.
Not happening.
Instead, I tilted my head, pretending to think. “Actually… can we talk first?”
Lucas raised a brow. “About?”
I hesitated, biting my lip. “Our parents.”
He stilled-just for a second.
Then he recovered, giving me an easy smile. “Of course. What do you want to know?”
I kept my voice soft, hesitant. “What… was our mother like?”
I watched him carefully.
His expression didn’t flicker, but his answer was too quick. Too rehearsed.
“She was kind. Strong. She loved us very much.”
A chill ran down my spine. He didn’t say her name.
I nodded slowly. “And where is she now?”
Lucas exhaled, shaking his head. “She’s… gone. She left when we were kids, remember?”
My stomach twisted.
Gotcha.
He didn’t know.
My mother is dead.
I kept my face neutral, nodding along. “Right. Sorry, I forget sometimes.”
Lucas gave me a soft smile. “It’s okay. You went through a lot. That’s why I’m here-to protect you.”
Liar.
But I forced a grateful look, lowering my gaze. “I know.”
He gently touched my arm. “We’ll get through this together.”
I smiled. “Yeah.”
And while he was distracted-I slipped the tracker onto his jacket.
Finding the Brothers
I needed backup.
As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t strong enough to take Lucas down alone.
The brothers were missing, but not all of them. Nathan was still around.
I found him at the training grounds, shirtless, his body slick with sweat as he punched into a training dummy.
“Nathan.”
He turned sharply, eyes dark with irritation. “What do you want?”
My stomach knotted, but I pushed forward. This wasn’t about us.
“I need your help.”
Nathan’s brows lifted slightly, clearly not expecting that.
“With what?”
I took a deep breath, my hands tightening into fists. “Xavier and Rolex are in trouble. And I think Lucas is behind it.”
Nathan stilled. Then his eyes narrowed dangerously.
“What the hell did you just say?”
Nathan stared at me, his expression unreadable. But I saw the way his hands clenched at his sides, his breathing slow and measured, like he was processing something dangerous.
“You think Lucas is behind this?” he repeated, his tone dark.
I nodded, meeting his gaze head-on. “I know he is.”
Nathan exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. “Damn it.” He muttered something under his breath before pinning me with a sharp look. “What’s the plan?”
I blinked. “That’s it? You believe me?”
His jaw ticked. “I don’t trust Lucas. And I sure as hell don’t trust that my brothers just disappeared right after following him.” His eyes narrowed. “Tell me what you know.”
I quickly explained everything-the tracker I placed on Lucas, how he lied about our mother, and what I overheard with the rogues.
Nathan barely flinched, but I could feel his rage building, dangerous and simmering beneath the surface.
“I need you to go in,” I finished, watching him carefully. “Pretend you believe him. Pretend you’re on his side. If we can get him to slip up, we’ll find out where Xavier and Rolex are.”
Nathan was silent for a long moment.
Then, he let out a slow breath and nodded. “Fine. But if this goes south, I’m handling it my way.”
I knew what that meant.
Nathan didn’t do patience.
I swallowed. “Just… be careful.”
His lips twitched slightly, almost like he wanted to smirk, but the tension was still there. “Worried about me, sweetheart?”
I rolled my eyes. “Worried you’ll screw this up.”
He chuckled, but it was short-lived. “Give me the tracker.”
I pulled out the small device, tucking it into the seam of his shirt. A safety net.
“Daisy needs to know what’s going on,” I added. “If anything happens, she’ll get help.”
Nathan nodded. “Good thinking.”
I pulled out my phone, quickly sending Daisy a message:
Lucas isn’t who he says he is. Xavier & Rolex missing. Nathan going in. If I don’t check in, get the others.
Daisy’s reply was immediate. What the hell?! Where are you??
I ignored her and shoved my phone into my pocket.
Because I wasn’t done yet. I still had one more thing to do. I left Nathan at the estate, heading toward the city under the cover of night. Lucas was my next target.
I didn’t know what he was planning, but I wasn’t going to sit around and wait.
I needed more. More proof. More answers.
But before I could reach him, I felt it.
A shift in the air.
A scent that wasn’t there a moment ago.
I was being followed.
I cut through an alleyway, pretending not to notice. But my senses were on high alert. Three of them.
Low-ranked. Not pack wolves. Rogues.
A sharp laugh echoed behind me. “Well, well. Look what we have here.”
I stopped walking.
A tall man stepped forward, smirking. His dirty blond hair was slicked back, scars crisscrossing his arms. “All alone in a dark alley? That’s a dangerous mistake, little girl.”
I tilted my head. “Funny. I was about to say the same thing to you.”
His smirk widened. “Oh? You think you’re the threat here?”
Another rogue chuckled. “She’s cute. Maybe we should have some fun before taking her to the boss.”
I sighed, rolling my shoulders. They thought I was weak.
A mistake they wouldn’t live to make again.
I moved before they could react.
The first one lunged at me-I sidestepped easily, driving my knee into his ribs. He choked, staggering back, and I spun, slamming my elbow into his jaw.
The second rogue cursed, charging at me with a knife.
I caught his wrist, twisting it until the blade clattered to the ground. He howled in pain, but I didn’t stop-I grabbed the back of his head and slammed him into the brick wall.
The third one hesitated.
Smart. But too late.
I launched myself forward, landing a sharp kick to his chest. He hit the ground hard, gasping for breath.
I stepped over him, crouching down. “Tell your boss-” I grabbed his shirt, yanking him close. “Next time, send someone stronger.”
He coughed, eyes wide with fear, nodding frantically. I dropped him and stood, dusting myself off. Then, without another glance, I walked away.
I still had a snake to catch. And his name was Lucas.