Page 181 of Broken Bonds
“That’s a nuclear option,” Jax says. “If he goes down, he’ll burn down the world with him. Once we pull that trigger, it will tip over countless dominoes. We’re hoping he’s too narcissistic to let that happen.”
“But how does that get Mom here?”
“Via a multi-pronged approach depending upon many factors, including the plan for retaliation, which we will implement only after the refugees safely arrive.”
A chill washes through me. “Please protect Mom,” I say. “She’s a good person. I’m convinced she’s only with my father because she’s scared of him.”
“I promise to do my best,” Jax says. “Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee her safety. I do promise to try to get her to safety, and to pass word she is off-limits.”
I blink back tears. “I’ll never see her again, will I?”
Todd hugs me. “Baby, if anyone can make it happen, Jax can. Plus, if Alizée is right, then you know it will happen.”
Jax reaches past Todd and squeezes my arm. “We want to prevent collateral damage. That’s why nothing happens until after the refugees arrive. I honestly believe if we get your father so riled up that he starts chasing his tail, and dealing with anonymous threats on top of that, it’ll distract him enough that we can grab your mom. But I need you to be prepared for the possibility that if she refuses to come, we may have to leave her behind or take her to a safe house elsewhere and not bring her here for your safety.”
I nod. “I understand. I hope Alizée is as good as she claims she is.”
“You’re not the only one,” Jax says.
Chapter Seventy-One
Jax
Plans
The next several days pass in a blur of activity and phone calls, and making certain everything is prepared for the refugees’ arrival. Everyone agrees it’s far too risky to transport them all together, or in the daytime, so we decide to stagger the arrivals over several nights. Alizée moves into one of the guest cottages so she can supervise everything on-site. I worry that she might get in our way, but the exact opposite is true. She pitches in to help do whatever needs to be done, working even longer and harder than some of our people.
Of the vampires, only Marchman sets foot in the compound. They agree they don’t want to make any of our people nervous, but they also want to reduce the risks of being followed and revealing the hiding place. The other three vampires, in separate vehicles, take turns shadowing Marchman on the drive, looking for anyone tailing him, and they don’t approach any closer than the exit at the interstate.
So far, it appears the refugees’ presence here has remained undetected by the attackers.
Other nests, covens, and colonies are taking drastic measures to protect their people, including leaving decoys in their usual residences—heavily armed, combat-hardened security, including some of their own people, waiting for anyone to attack.
But there haven’t been any attacks since the Chicago nest.
For now.
I can’t help but wonder that maybe Sterling is shook in part because the Chicago nest seemed prepared and because he can’t locate Mal. Not to mention his people took heavy losses in Chicago, and even the survivors who escaped sustained injuries.
Sawney told me his friend reported another man appeared in the Maine town three days ago looking for Mal, but Mal didn’t recognize the man in the picture Sawney sent me. I have Mal’s old phone back. I’m storing both of them, shut off as well as double-bagged in not one but two Faraday bags, to prevent any hint of Mal’s location being discovered.
Overkill, yes, but Sawney’s the one who thought of it, and I won’t risk a fuck-up.
Shawn and I haven’t decided yet whether or not to find out our babies’ genders, and we hold off breaking the news about them being twins to anyone else.
Todd’s brought into the operation even more when he’s asked if the refugees could pasture their cattle with him, both to protect them as well as to use them for…
Well, for their usual purposes. None of the refugees we’re housing requires blood, but that way they can still get it to Marchman for him and the other three who do. Todd agrees, and I step out of the way to let them work out the logistics. If they need me, they’ll bring me in. One of our people will handle the transport and make regular deliveries to packmates who live about twenty miles north of the compound. Marchman will personally pick it up from there. Since he’s as paranoid as I am about maintaining OPSEC on the refugees’ location, I trust he will take every precaution.
The first group to arrive out of the thirty-two expected refugees—not counting the people accompanying them from the witches’ covens and Morning Caldwell’s people—is comprised of the fully orphaned children and younglings. It’s nearly 3:00 in the morning when the small convoy arrives. Accompanying the children are two familiars, both women, and a male human mate, childless, whose male vampire mate was killed, and he now helps care for the orphans. A total of eleven refugees.
Eight children who lost both their parents.
It makes me seethe with an intense, primal rage I didn’t believe possible, especially seeing the terror on their innocent faces. They range in age from six months to eleven years old.
Pops and Dad personally lead this group, some of them riding with them in their RV. Once they are all inside the rec hall and we close the doors, I sit in a chair to address them because they’ve been traumatized enough. They don’t need a big, tall stranger they’ve never met and who they might instinctively mistrust because of who I am looming over them. Alizée stands behind me while I speak with them.
And I absolutely want to speak directly to the children.
