Endurance (The Sin Trilogy 4)

“Call Thane, Sin, Taggart. In that order. And give me my phone from my jacket pocket so I can call Ellison’s and Westlyn’s phones.”

Logan is the one who helps me stand. “I still remember the panic like it was yesterday. Makes you feel helpless, doesn’t it?”

To deny my love for her would be the blackest lie I ever told.

“Never more scared or helpless in my life.” I dial Westlyn’s number first since I feel like The Order will see her as a more valuable pawn. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her.”

My first call to Westlyn’s phone goes to voicemail. Same thing with Ellison’s so I text Ellison. I know The Order will have taken their phones from them.

Let’s talk.

The reply is nearly immediate.

I’ll consider that after I’ve had my fun.

Fuck no. That can’t happen.

Don’t fucking touch them.

They have my sister and the woman I love. This couldn’t be worse. I will kill all of them if they harm Ellison or Westlyn. Massacre every last one.

Fuck. If I’m honest with myself, I know what’s going to happen to them. I know The Order. I know what they do to Fellowship women. They’ve never taken our women and returned them unbroken. Not once.

A little late for that. Don’t come for them or they die.

We’ll contact you when we’re ready to talk.

Leith holds out his phone. “It’s Thane.”

I’ve never been this close with someone taken by The Order. I’m clueless about what needs to happen to ensure their safe return. I’ve never felt more powerless in my life. “Thane, tell me what has to be done to get them back.”

“I’m sending out a peril call to the entire brotherhood. Every brother will be at my house within the next half hour.”

It’s not fast enough. “Thirty minutes is too long. Do you know what could happen to them in that amount of time?”

“Of course I do. I wish I could snap my fingers and everyone would magically appear in my living room but it doesn’t happen like that. We’ll have to gather and decide on a course of action.”

“You’ve done this before. What are the chances of getting them back alive?”

“We’re dealing with a new leader. I don’t know their methods yet so it’s impossible to say. With Torrence, we knew what to expect. Perhaps this new leader will operate differently.”

“I can’t lose them, Thane.”

“We’ll get them back, James.”

“I got a text from Ellison’s phone. It said if we come for them, they die.”

“Of course they’re going to say that, but they’ll die if we don’t. I’ve seen it too many times before.” A large part of the women we get back end up committing suicide. That can’t happen.

Westlyn is twenty-three years old. My headstrong little sister, whose life has just begun has so many wonderful things ahead of her. Marriage—to a man she says will not be Fellowship. Babies. A long and happy life. No. She has to live.

And Ellison. My sweet, adorable Mac. I never expected to meet a woman like her—one who could bring me to my knees and then join me there. I need her. I crave her. I love her.

And I don’t want to live without her.

“We’ll be at your house in fifteen minutes.”

I end my call with Thane and grab Leith’s shoulder. “I need you to drive. Rover’s parked around back.”

Leith takes the keys from my hand. “Sure.”

I clench my fist and punch the panel in front of the passenger seat once, twice, three times.

“Punching your Rover until your knuckles are busted and bleeding isn’t going to accomplish anything.”

I think about the women I’ve treated or sent to the hospital after they’ve been dumped on Thane and Isobel’s doorstep. “Fuck. There’s no telling what they’re going through right now, and I don’t know where they are. I don’t know how to find them. I don’t know anything.”

“You aren’t supposed to know. Thane and Sin are our leaders. They have all the inside information and know how to handle these situations. They will tell us what we need to know and what to do. Put your faith in them.”

“Sin and Bleu are going to be furious with me.” Her sister and best friend are with The Order. Bleu must be going crazy.

“I think I recall something very similar to this happening with those two and it worked out just fine. This will too.” Sin saved Bleu but not before she endured hell and almost lost their babies.

“Even if it works out, Ellison’s going to change her mind about becoming one of us. She’ll never marry me now. She’ll be on the first plane back to the U.S. regardless of what she knows or doesn’t know about The Fellowship.”

“Well, it’s very possible.”

It’s inevitable. I’m going to lose her no matter what. And so will Bleu. She will lose her sister either way tonight. Ellison won’t return to us as the woman we know and love. Fuck.

Taggart is at Thane’s and waiting for me when we arrive. I’m pleased when he confirms the exit wound. An uncomplicated injury with little damage. With a little time and antibiotics, I should heal well.

Just as Thane predicted, within thirty minutes of receiving the peril call, the house is filled with brothers capable of delivering justice.

Thane takes his usual place on the platform but this time there’s no pretty decorations for a party Isobel has organized. “The peril call was sent out because two of ours have been taken. Westlyn Breckenridge and Ellison MacAllister.”

My mum pushes her way through the crowd of gathered brothers. “Only one of them is ours. All efforts need to be focused on getting Westlyn back.”

I can see that Thane is annoyed by my mum’s attempt to give him orders. Mum has always had a knack for overstepping her boundaries. Just like Dad did. And look where that got him.

“Ellison is Bleu’s sister. That makes her my son’s sister-in-law. She’s scheduled to become one of us in a couple of weeks. Leaving her behind is not up for discussion.”

Thane turns his attention back to the brothers, dismissing my mother. “This is what we know. They were taken outside of Duncan’s, hooded, and then forced into a northbound black limo. We’ve traced both phones to a residence in the north of Edinburgh. We believe this is where they have taken Westlyn and Ellison.”

“It feels off that they wouldn’t dump their phones. They have to know we’d trace them.”

“They instructed us via text to not come for Westlyn and Ellison or they’d die. I think they expect us to heed their warning so they’re not worried about us tracing their location.”

“I just lost my husband. I can’t lose my daughter too.” Torrie Breckenridge isn’t a sensitive or tender woman. She doesn’t show emotion but now is an exception. This is the first time I’ve ever seen her in distress over something other than herself.

I put my arm around her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, Mum. We’re going to get them back.”

My mother pulls away from me. “This is your fault. You were supposed to protect your sister.”

Mum lashing out—no surprise there. “I know and I’m sorry. But I tried, Mum.”

“Your father was right. You’re worthless. You’ll always be useless to your sisters and me.”

What the hell? Does she not care that I was shot? That I could have been killed?

I’ve never had a close relationship with my mother, and it wasn’t because I didn’t want one or because I didn’t try. She made it impossible so I gave up after years of unrequited affection.

All I see is a streak of red in motion across the floor when Isobel goes after my mum, striking her across the face with an open hand. “You bitch! Your son took a bullet tonight trying to save those women. He could have been killed.”

My mother straightens her shoulders as if to regain her dignity. “A shot with a clean exit wound. Nothing vital was hit. He’ll be fine. I heard Taggart say so after he examined him.”

“Let me tell

you something, Torrie. You’re the useless one. You take and take and take and never offer anything in return. The only worthwhile thing you ever did was carry and give birth to Jamie and those girls. And you bitched the whole time about doing that.”

“I married a leader and gave him a son—just like he wanted. I fulfilled my duty as Abram’s wife. James was supposed to lead so he could bring honor to his father and me. Not serve.”

“The best leaders are servants but that’s something you and Abram never understood. You were too busy worrying about hierarchy. The path Jamie has chosen is respectable. Being a doctor is an asset to our brotherhood. Plus, he still holds his seat on the council.” Isobel displays a pair of fingers. “He’s performing not one but two very important roles.”

“You’d feel the same as me if Sinclair had chosen this path.”

Isobel and my mum’s showdown is interrupted when Ellison’s ringtone plays in my pocket. “They’re calling.”

I’m filled with a mixture of emotions—relief because they’re making contact, but on edge because I’m terrified of what we’ll hear.

Thane comes forward to take the call. “This is Thane Breckenridge.”

He paces the platform back and forth as he listens to what the caller has to say. I can barely breathe.