Page 13 of Unmasked Prophecy

Oh.

Right.

I hesitate, then lower myself into the seat, heart racing. Being around them makes me feel both nervous and safe. Zane—Rogue—chews a toothpick between his teeth like he hasn’t a care in the world, but he’s got his focus solely on me, and I know he’s taking in my every move, judging, reading me like a book.

Kael slides a notebook toward me, flipping it open to a hastily scribbled sketch of the compound. I’m impressed. I have no idea how they got that, but it’s actually quite accurate. “We’ve been trying to map out the grounds, but the satellite shots are blurry as hell. We need details—entry points, rotations, where the leaders sleep. Anything.”

My stomach clenches. “Right. Of course, they do. I can’t keep my head buried in the sand forever. I knew the club would want to make a move soon. I just wasn’t entirely prepared for it to come quite so quickly.”

“Why do you need this?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

Am I stalling?

Probably.

“To dismantle them, bring them down, break their fucking legs if we have to,” Zane grins. “We want to stop these fuckers in their tracks before they do any more damage. There are innocent people in there, and they don’t deserve to be hurt in the process.”

My hands tremble as I reach for the pen lying beside the notebook. I stare at the sketch for a long beat, then point to a corner in the far right. “Here. That’s where they grow crops. No cameras, but there’s always at least one guard patrolling. He’s armed. It’s how I got out. I found the loophole.”

Kael leans in. “Do they take new members?”

Not what I was expecting.

I purse my lips. “They don’t take in adults anymore unless they come through family. Converts are rare, and when they do allow someone in, they’re isolated for weeks first. No contact, no questions. They’re broken down until they either leave willingly... or don’t.”

Knox scribbles notes, his face tight. “And the ones who stay?”

“Given ranks, jobs, positions that they can move up in depending on how willing they are. The inner circle is made up of the most loyal. Reginald, Micah, Elias... they all live in the largest area, sticking together like a pack of fucking monkeys.”

Kael snorts. “That’s one way of putting it. Guessin’ you’re not a fan.”

“No,” I mutter.

Zane’s voice is steady when he asks the next question. “How well do you know them? The higher-ups?”

My voice falters, and I have to take a deep breath to steady it. “Everyone knows them well. They’re the ones who teach us discipline. They’re the leaders.”

The word tastes like ash in my mouth.

Kael’s eyes narrow. “And your father. Where does he sleep? Guessin’ he has his own place considering he is the boss.”

Boss. While correct, it seems so unfitting for him.

“Yeah, he does. It’s the oldest part of the compound, but also the most heavily guarded. Only four people are allowed in without direct permission.”

“Were you one of them?” Zane asks.

I snort. “No. He might be my father, but to him, I am nothing.”

Silence stretches between us like a rubber band, taut and trembling, just waiting to snap.

“I want to get someone out before you do anything. It’s really important to me.”

Knox lifts his eyes. “Who?”

“Lily. She’s five. Her parents are horrible, and they don’t care about her. I am all she has. I can’t leave her there.”

Kael exchanges a look with Knox. “Is there a pattern to her caretakers? Someone we can distract or isolate to get to her?”

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