I switch on my burner cell, to check for updates from Diesel, and my heart rate kicks off when I see the urgent text, asking me to call him ASAP. Something must be wrong, and fear creeps into my veins at the thought something has happened to Mom. My finger is hovering over the call button when Theo speaks up. “We have movement. I see vehicles approaching. Be on guard.”
I could step away to call Diesel, but if Diego or the mole are using any tracking software they might pick up on the signal. Theo has gone to huge lengths to mask the software he’s using so there’s no trace if they are smart enough to run any checks, and I can’t blow this operation, because it’s too important. It’s too risky to return Diesel’s call right now, so I power off the phone and repocket it.
“Will we be able to hear them from up here?” I whisper as we watch a car and a truck pull up in front of the dilapidated old cabin.
“No. I didn’t want to risk using a drone in case they spotted it, and the only other way it could’ve worked was if I planted a recording device somewhere in the vicinity of the meeting place. While it’s unlikely they have any cameras on the place, I didn’t think it was a risk we should take.”
“We don’t need to hear them anyway,” Saint says. “We only need to confirm the identity of the rat. Then we’ll follow him, take him when he’s not watching, and interrogate him.”
I nod, because it’s a solid plan.
We’re deathly quiet as we watch two figures climb out of the vehicles. I squint through the binoculars, but it’s so dark down there I can’t distinguish the features of the people meeting.
“I can’t see shit,” Caz says, adjusting the lens on his binoculars.
“Hang on a second,” Theo says, moving to the larger binoculars set up on the stand.
I move my binoculars from the first figure to the second, and while I can’t see the features, something else becomes apparent. “Is that—”
“Holy shit,” Theo hisses. He jerks his head back. “You need to see this, Lo.”
I scoot over, pressing my eyes to the lens, and all the blood drains from my face.
“What is it?” Saint asks, impatience evident in his tone.
“Mom,” I whisper, taking another look in case my eyes are deceiving me. I sit back on my heels, staring at Theo in shock.
“You don’t mean…” Galen says, his voice trailing off.
“It’s Mom,” I say, finding my voice. I stare at Saint in horror as a million different thoughts swirl through my mind. “Giana is the mole. She’s the one who’s been selling The Sainthood out.”
CHAPTER 26
“THIS IS SO fucked up,” Caz says as Theo places his eyes back on the large binoculars.
“And dangerous,” I add, as my brain struggles to comprehend the revelation. “What the fuck was she thinking?” I climb to my feet and stalk off toward the cars. My chest tightens, and panic has a vise grip on my heart. My breath oozes out in strangled spurts, and I can’t breathe, can’t think, over the sheer terror racing through my body, replacing the blood flowing through my veins.
If Sinner finds out about this…
“Breathe, my queen.” Saint places his hands on my shoulders, peering intently into my eyes, concern etched upon his face. “Nice and slow. In and out.” He breathes with me until the panic subsides and my breathing levels out.
“What the fuck has she done, Saint?” Tears stab the backs of my eyes. “It’s a suicide mission. He will slaughter her when he finds out, and he will find out, because if we could uncover the truth, so can he.”
“I know.”
I appreciate that he doesn’t baby me, giving it to me straight. Mom is in even graver danger than I thought.
Saint pulls me into his warm body, and I go willingly, resting my head on his chest and banding my arms around his waist. The steady, strong beat of his heart under my ear is comforting.
“She has to leave. Get out of the country. Go into hiding.” My words are muffled against his hoodie.
“We’ll convince her,” Saint says.
I lift my head, shucking out of his embrace. “She’s going to go back to him. That’s what this dinner is about. She’s not finished whatever she’s planning to do. She won’t agree.” I bite down on my lip hard, drawing blood. “I can’t believe my dad thought she was ignorant to everything. That’s clearly not the case.”
“No. Giana knows a lot more than she’s let on,” Saint agrees, rubbing his thumb up and down the side of my neck. “And we’ll fucking kidnap her and force her to leave if we have to.”
I nod, because Mom is getting the fuck off US soil whether she likes it or not.
Footsteps approach, and we turn around. “You need to see this,” Bry says, lifting one shoulder.
We run to the others, dropping to the ground and getting into position. “What’s going on?” I ask.
Caz hands me my binoculars. “I fixed them so you should be able to see.”
“They’re arguing about something,” Theo explains as I lift the binoculars to my eyes.
Mom is pacing the ground in front of Diego, and from the speed her lips are moving and the agitation in her limbs, I can tell she’s shouting at him. She waves her hands animatedly in the air, before grabbing his arm. Her eyes widen as she talks. He shakes his head, removing her grip and backing away. Diego says something else, and Mom shakes her head, reaching for him again, imploring with her eyes. Whatever she wants, he’s not agreeing to. He flings up his hands, shaking his head sadly as he steps back.
Mom’s shoulders lift, and she juts her lip out. Her eyes blaze with a ferocity I’ve rarely seen. She says something else, and it’s a parting shot before she strides to her car, gets in, and peels out of there, tires screeching as she leaves little dust clouds in her wake. Diego stares at the departing car, shaking his head as he pulls out his cell and places a call.
“We need to go after her.” I jump up. “She must be going to meet Sinner now.”
Caz and Theo are already dismantling the large binoculars and the stand.
“What do you think that was about?” Bry asks as Saint and Galen start packing up one of the boxes.
“She’s planning something, and my guess is she asked The Arrows for help and they’ve said no.” I rub a tense spot between my brows. “Or maybe they want her to lay low for a bit, and she’s fed up waiting.” I sigh. “I don’t know, and we won’t until we confront her.”
“We should go now before we lose her,” Bry suggests. “The others can follow us.”
I nod. “We’re going to trail her,” I call out, backing away. “You have her coordinates. Follow us.”
“Lo, wait.” Saint stops what he’s doing, straightening up. “I’d prefer if you stayed with us.”
I don’t have time for his bullshit right now. “I’m going with Bry. I’ll see you there.”
I walk off with Bry in the direction of his Chevy, ignoring the slew of expletives peppering the air behind me.
“He really doesn’t like me.” Bry chuckles.