We’re both silent as we start up the van. Deadly still when we pull into the road, passing the sight Mia found Liam, I have no idea how I still remember that but it’s not a stretch of the fucking imagination.
I remember everything about her and lately, the lifeless look in her eyes from the picture that pig I’m going to slaughter tonight sent me.
As soon as we’re gaining speed though, the little window in the fucking middle connecting to the back of the van opens smoothly, quietly, and then, “You two are fucking stupid!”
I almost careen off the damn road when I hear his voice, my fucking heart racing.
“Liam!” Cole and I snap at the same fucking time.
“What the fucking hell are you doing back there?” I demand.
“You think you’re going without me? Hell fucking no,” Liam says tightly, barely controlled anger in his voice.
“Ah hell,” Cole whispers. “This is going fucking well.”
I right the car and keep driving, doing my best to ignore the two unwanted imposters with me. I need to ditch them.
“So, are you just going to dismiss me then? Ignoring me? Giving me the fucking proverbial cold shoulder?” Liam snaps. “‘Cause I fucking see what’s back here, you jerk. What the hell do you think you’re going to do?”
What’s supposed to be done, is what I’m going to do but I grit my teeth and say nothing. There’s some gasoline, shovels and all sorts of shit back there.
“Okay, fine, where are we going?”
“To their fucking house.”
“How do you know they’ll be there?” Liam demands as a light from a phone flickers on, illuminating in the front seats. I’m pretty sure those fucking assholes are not there, but that doesn’t matter.
“We talked.”
I feel their shocked gazes on me, but I just press my foot on the gas, daring the SUV to go faster, the thing in my chest pounding wildly with urgency, with pain, and a singular, furious need I can’t deny. To get to Mia.
“When did you talk to him?” Liam demands.
“Ten minutes ago.”
“What did he say?” Liam continues.
“That my presence is required.”
“You do know there’s a fucking rager at his house right now? If he’s there, what the fuck are you planning to do, J? I see the get up you have back here, how the fuck are we going to get Mia without causing fucking mayhem with witnesses everywhere?” Liam seethes. “Have you thought of that?”
I ignore him, focusing on the road as I turn into the road that leads to the Matthews house, ignoring Cole’s suspicious gaze on me.
True to Liam’s words, we hear the music before I even drive up the street leading to the fucking Matthews house. It’s one hell of a fucking rager, with cars lined up the street, the sidewalk littered with inebriated fools dancing to the music coming from the Matthews mansion, a perfect illusion.
“Fuck,” Cole mutters.
“Do you have a plan for this mess?” Liam finally asks, still hanging his head through the small window.
“I have a fucking plan.”
“Okay,” he breathes deeply. Like he’s about to go to war. “I trust you. You’re a fucking liar, you keep secrets that you should’ve fucking told me, but you’re still my brother and Mia doesn’t deserve the way we treated her.”
“Hmm,” Cole hums.
“We need to get her back.”
“So, what do we do?” Cole questions, his voice low, cautious and serious.
“Simple,” I mutter, parking at the very back, behind the trees. “We do exactly what you just said.”
“What’s that?”
“Cause some fucking hellish mayhem.”
I get out before either one of them can ask me more insufferable and useless questions.
Opening the back doors of the van, I don’t look at Liam or Cole when he rounds the SUV and stands beside me, his silence fucking loud.
Instead, I survey the contents at the back of the SUV. Everything I asked for is here. Good.
“J, what are you fucking going to do?” Liam demands, his voice low and cautious.
“Both of you shouldn’t have come.”
“And let you do something stupid by yourself? You’re fucking out of your fucking mind.”
“I am out of my fucking mind!” I seethe. “It’s been fucking hours! Anything could’ve happened to her!”
Liam clenches his jaw. Cole bristles beside me.
“There’s no point in thinking the worst. Mia is a fighter.”
Even I can hear the doubt in his words.
I grab the leather gloves, silently passing them to Liam and to Cole. Then I pass them my phone where the blueprints of the Matthews mansion are.
Immediately, Cole tenses beside me but he doesn’t say a word. Liam gives it a once over and I grab my phone back.
“Is she in there? One of these rooms?”
No, but instead I say, “That’s what we’re going to check.”
“Yeah, but that’s fucking daring. Kidnap a girl, then keep her fucking hostage in the fucking house you’re hosting a party full of horny idiots who fuck in every nook and dark corner?” Liam says with a frown. My brother might be many things but he’s not stupid.
“Do you think those fucking assholes are smart?” I snap. He looks at me, eyes hard, fists clenched at his sides.
“No.”
“Exactly.”
“What’s the plan?” Cole questions silently, looking around discreetly.
“Liam, you’re going in there and causing a fucking riot,” I say seriously. His eyes light up with mirth, and I see something awakening as his starts shaking his arms, ready for fucking anything.
“How fucking big?” he questions, almost bouncing on his feet.
I look at my brother, holding his angry gaze with the fury in mine. “Arma-fucking-geddon.”
“Done,” Liam says, jumping down from the back of the van. “Do I have to be seen?”
“Make sure they all see your gorgeous face, Little Liam,” Cole says seriously. “They should spread the news of your presence.”
Liam nods solemnly. “How long do I need to be in there?”
“As long as fucking possible, before they all scatter, which should be—”
“Ten minutes,” Cole says.
Nodding, Liam stares at me for a beat.
I hold his gaze, knowing that my brother needs this. There’s so much that’s unsaid between us, especially about the Bishops but now is not the fucking time and he knows it.
But as he stares at me, he frowns, narrowing his gaze on me, about to say something that I honestly don’t want to hear right now. He can leave me a fucking voicemail or something.
“Don’t do anything—”
“Liam,” I grit out and he snaps into action. “Time.”
“Yes, fine,” he says through gritted teeth. He reaches forward, grabs the back of my neck, until our foreheads are pressed together, something we last did at Aiden’s funeral.
Fuck.
My throat works to swallow whatever the hell is lodged there, and I’m pretty sure the thing in my chest is beating harder than ever. I close my eyes, ruffling my brother’s hair.