Jaxon released his hand and turned to follow in Declan’s footsteps. The thrum of energy that surrounded him was powerful. “We leave for the airstrip in twenty minutes.”
Jaden’s hand crept to Julian’s arm. He ignored it as he felt his emotions tighten. He sensed the quiet strength that she possessed, and nearly turned into her embrace, but something stopped him. A need to separate, to acknowledge a future that could never be.
Yet through the confusion, something shone through, gripped him hard. Love. I love this woman.
He opened his mouth, but the words died before he could speak them. What was the point? In the end, it would only hurt her more.
They stood there, each listening to the other’s breaths, then she tugged on him, and whispered, “I know things are complicated, but I won’t play this game, Julian. After this is all over, we’ll figure things out. But in the meantime”—her eyes flashed—“let’s go kick Cormac’s ass.”
Chapter 25
They boarded the jet an hour later. It was a large crew, consisting of his brothers, Cracker, Libby, and Skye, as well as Ana, Declan, Finn, and Nico. An eclectic but deadly bunch.
Jaxon had just boarded when the pilot messaged that Drake was on the line and needed to speak to him urgently. Julian watched a muscle ripple across Jaxon’s jaw sharply as he went to answer the summons.
Drake was Jaxon’s direct commander and technically the person in charge of PATU. Technically because Jaxon had always run his unit without outside interference. His success rate was high, and, from what Julian understood, Drake usually gave him free rein.
Things had changed over the last few months, and Jaxon had kept Drake in the loop on a need-to-know basis only. The stakes were too high, and at this point there was no way to know who could be trusted. Anyone could be compromised.
As of now, Jaxon and his branch of PATU were basically working dark. No contact with anyone outside the people in the jet.
Julian kept to himself, sitting near the back and avoiding eye contact. It was the only way to keep conversation to a minimum. He had nothing to say really. The end of his journey was near, and he’d either fail or succeed. It was that simple.
Jaden sat across from him, her face tense as she stared out the window. Her long, elegant fingers kneaded her thigh, and she kept biting her bottom lip. It was a nervous gesture, and the weight of the coming hours was something she’d have to work through on her own.
And she would, of that he had no doubt. She was a warrior, after all, tough as nails.
He watched Nico from beneath hooded eyes. The shifter was quiet, his features blank. He couldn’t hide the hunger and need that reflected in his eyes each time he glanced toward Jaden.
Julian sighed and settled back into the soft leather. What a sorry-ass fucking bunch they were. Each of them had scars. Some were visible, all were deep, the kind that cut into hearts and souls.
The kind not easily fixed.
He had a chance to do just that, to put back together the part of himself that was broken. Though it meant leaving everything behind to serve the mysterious Bill. And now he was left with regret for what could have been. Jaden represented a life that he hadn’t even known he wanted.
Until last night.
She looked at him then, and his breath hitched as their eyes met. He felt her like a physical punch to the gut. He saw the thin sheen of moisture that lay upon her skin, the flushed heat of her cheeks. She smiled warily, but he could not reciprocate. The cold part of him was locked into place. That was how it had to be.
He looked away and ignored her soft sigh.
Within twenty-four hours, he’d either be dead or tied to a new life that could have nothing to do with the old. Things were better this way. Luckily. he played the part of bastard well.
“All right, listen up.” Jaxon’s calm voice drew everyone’s attention, and Julian sat a little straighter in his seat. The energy in the room intensified, and he saw the dead seriousness on each of their faces. The past year had led to this. His gaze fell to Libby’s tense features.
Hell, the past three years had led to this.
He was surprised she’d come. That she’d leave her child. But the woman was determined to see Cormac pay for his sins, and Logan would be fine. Mr. M was in charge, and an elite team of guards was there to protect them.
“We’ll be landing on a private strip in Nevada about an hour outside of Las Vegas. A team will meet us there and escort us to a safe facility, where we’ll prepare.”
Jaxon took the time to look at each and every one of them. “I don’t need to tell you how important it is that this plan goes o
ff without a hitch. We can’t afford any fuck-ups. The consequences are too great. Cormac must be stopped. The portal must be retrieved.” He paused for a second as his gaze fell on Libby. “There is no other objective other than that, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it done.”
The engine rumbled beneath them, and Julian glanced out the window. Snow continued to whirl in thick bands of white, obscuring everything within its grasp.
“We’ll land in just under five hours. Once in Nevada, I’ll brief you.” He nodded to them all. “I’m finalizing our plan now, so I suggest you get as much rest as possible. I need all of you on your game. Once we hit the dry heat, there’s no turning back.”