Page 88 of Scornful

"Take the midnight shift with Vanir and Oskar. But first, Runes wants a chat."

I head down the hall until I’m at Runes and Fenrir’s office.

The second I walk through the door, Runes looks up. "How's the kid?"

"Alive. Lost his left leg below the knee. Extensive burns. He'll make it, but..." I shrug. What else is there to say?

I tell them everything Everly told me when she was in the hospital, about Marcus at her window, about the way he fucking smiled at her. I don’t leave any details out.

"Fuckin’ animals," Fenrir mutters. "Targeting children..."

"He’s hiding," Tor continues. "After today's explosion, he's vanished. Not at any of his usual spots, phones are dead. Even his lieutenants can't reach him."

"Cockroach," Fenrir spits. "Always slips through the cracks."

"We'll find him," Runes says with certainty. "Start with what we can hit—his drug operations, money laundering, protection rackets. We dismantle his empire piece by piece until he's got nowhere left to hide."

It's a solid plan, but something tells me the Patriot won't make it that easy.

He's not some street-level thug.

He's organized, connected, and playing a long game none of us fully understand yet.

The small meeting we’re having breaks up and I find Astrid on the back deck, staring out at the dark property beyond our fence line.

She's changed into jeans and one of my hoodies—it hangs huge on her, making her look smaller, more vulnerable.

"How you holdin’ up?" I ask, wrapping my arms around her from behind.

She leans into me. "Bjorn lost his leg. Ingrid's devastated. Families are in the clubhouse for Gods knows how long. How do you think I'm holding up?"

Fair point, and I don’t say a word.

"How long do you think this will last?" she asks quietly.

"Until we end him," I promise, meaning it. "However long that takes."

She turns in my arms, looking up at me. "And if he keeps slipping away? If he's always one step ahead?"

I don't have an answer for that.

The Patriot's already proven he's no ordinary threat.

He's smart, connected, and completely fucking ruthless, but I can't tell her that.

I can't admit that we’re having issues.

"We'll get him," I say finally. "We have to."

She nods, but I can see the doubt in her eyes. We stand there in the dark, holding each other while our family prepares for war behind us.

"I think this goes without sayin’, but I want you in my room tonight," I murmur against her ear, "Want you close."

"There’s nowhere else I’d rather be."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Astrid

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