“Because I was the first person she forced herself to trust when she had nowhere else to run,” he tells us.

I step toward him. “Show me.”

He pulls the phone from his pocket, handing it over.

My eyes fall to the screen where no words lie, only a clip art image.

A single, outlined anchor.

My chest caves.

She trusted Perkins to understand what it meant, to tell me something was wrong if she were gone, because she swore she’d never leave.

“She didn’t take the money,” I croak.

“Keep scrolling, Captain. There’s one more. One I couldn’t figure out.”

With shaky fingers, I drag my thumb up the screen and every muscle in my body locks when the second image stares back.

“A bird?” Royce whispers, shaking his head in confusion.

Holy shit.

Her friend. The boy from the Graven estate.

He found her for his father, and then spent his life watching her, following her… and now he’s come back for her.

Beady eyes and a red neck, white painted wings, rimmed in black feathers.

A fucking vulture.

“It’s Mike.” I shock them all, my pulse pounding double-time.

“Whoa, are you for real?!” Royce runs a hand over his hair.

“I knew something was off with that motherfucker. I had that damn feeling and I did nothing about it.” I drop the phone and drag my hands down my face, folding them around the back of my neck as I clamp my teeth together.

Fuck!

“She told me her damn self to basically watch his punk ass, that he didn’t belong here. She knew he wasn’t like us. Fuck man, she told me to make him go!” A deep ache sets in as a scalding fire lights in the pit of my stomach. “He’s Mero’s son. And he never fucking left.”

Maddoc yanks the phone from the ground, glaring at the screen, but slowly his eyes lift to our dad. “You turned your back on a fucking baby, and now he’s here, fucking with our family.”

“I had no clue, son,” our dad whispers. “If I had, I would have told you.”

“You should have fuckin’ known. She was burnt by a Brayshaw, for fuck’s sake! The burnt always turn to Graven!” Maddoc jerks away, turning to us. “We fuckin’ had him.”

Raven reaches out to grip Maddoc’s wrist and pulls him toward her, but her eyes slide to mine. “We have to find him.”

My temples throb and I clench my jaw to refocus the tension, I look from Perkins to my dad, to Raven and then my brothers. “I’ve got a feeling he’ll find us first.”

“Why would he do that? If he has her, why not leave, take her with him?”

“She’s not his prisoner.” I shake my head. “The tower was a message, a fucking... grand gesture or some shit he thought she’d appreciate, making his intentions clear. He’s twisted in the head, but he’s bettin’ on her agreeing to leave. She won’t.”

“You sure about that, brother?” Royce asks. “You told her to go.”

“It doesn’t matter.” My eyes meet his.

“Cap,” Raven whispers, pulling our eyes to her. She gives a sad smile. “If it comes down to a threat against you or her leaving, she will go.”

I gently place my hands on Raven’s forearms. “I know you did what you had to to help us, to save us, and we love you for it, but she is not you, Raven. She said she won’t go, and I believe her.” I nod, meeting my brothers’ eyes before looking back to hers. “I trust her.”

Raven studies me a long moment, and then with a deep inhale, her smile grows until a small laugh leaves her. “And there it is.”

Maddoc slides up, wrapping his arms around her, and she leans against his chest. “Okay, Cap. Tell us what to do.”

“If Mike came for her, he wants her to want to go. He won’t hurt her, there’s no way. If he planned to do that, he’d have done it a long time ago,” I tell them the only reason I’m not fully losing my shit right now. “I have no doubt he’s been watching, he’s seen her with me. He knows what she wants. He has no choice but to persuade her.”

“He wants to convince her she isn’t wanted here, that she means nothing,” Raven guesses.

I nod, thinking.

What I have to do becomes clear, a wince following.

Fuck.

I turn away, rubbing my palm along my chest, my shoulders set.

Before I can think too hard on it, I pull out my phone, scroll and hit call before bringing it to my ear, speaking the second the line is picked up. “I hope you’re home, because I’m coming over.” I hang up as quickly as I dialed.

Royce frowns, looking from Maddoc to me. “Cap.”

“You’re not gonna like it. I fucking hate it.”

“We’re with you.”

“Captain,” Perkins interrupts, stepping closer eyeing the four of us, but settling on me. “He’s a smart young man. All he’s ever known is trickery, and all he has ever had is her. If push comes to shove, he won’t hesitate to do whatever he has to. He loves her.”

“She’s not his to love.”

She’s mine.

Chapter 35

Victoria

My tongue smacks against the roof of my mouth, my lips parting with a bit of a sting as I peel my eyes open.

Mike sits across from me, elbows on his knees, holding out a water. “Thirsty?”

It takes serious effort to lift my foot and knock his hand, and even then, it doesn’t do a damn thing. “Ambien in all the water bottles?”

He nods, a small grin on his lips. “In case you reached to the back of the fridge. Just like old times.” He stares at me a moment, and it’s as if he feels the distance the last few years have placed between us, a heaviness settles over him. “Remember we’d slip it to my good old dad so we could stay up together?”

I try to clear my throat, but it’s too dry, so I nod, rasping, “Yeah, Mike. I remember.”

He nods, looking away, only to swing his eyes right back, and this time they’re focused. “You are leaving with me, Victoria.”

My blinks are so heavy, my eyes begin to close again.

“Where are we?” I fight to stay awake, glancing at the lavish bedroom.

“Least suspecting pit stop.” His smile is sad as he grabs a remote, turning on a little monitor, and stuffing the control into his jeans. “I didn’t want to do this, but you need to see.”

“See what?”

“Reality, so you can leave this place without question,” he whispers, lowering to his knees. “I told you, I’m giving you everything you need to be happy, baby, so there’ll be nothing left for you here.”

Tension pulls in my gut, my eyes bouncing between his. “Mike...”

“Shh.” He pushes my hair back, setting a water bottle in my lap. “The seal’s not broken on this one. No more meds.”

There’s a sound in the background, and a voice follows, but sleep calls.

“I’ll be back soon, Tor, and with a surprise.”

A loud ring has my eyes opening, a clinking sound following and I push into a sitting position.