Page 121 of The Final Cut

“Longer?”

“My preference is no.”

Shiloh’s jaw flexes. We all absorb the answer.

Nash says, “You don’t go back to Blackwood House. Too many public approaches, too many known cameras, too many people tied to us. I’ll have a new location by the time you hit the outskirts. I’m sending coordinates as soon as they’re clean.”

“You have a place ready?” I ask.

“I have more than one.”

“Because of course you do,” I start to say, then bite off the first words before they fully form because I am trying to stop leaning on old verbal crutches when fear gets loud. “Because you’re you.”

“Because paranoia is useful when people keep trying to kill my family,” Nash says.

My chest tightens around the word family. Shiloh looks down.

Ever asks, “Cal?”

“He’s good. Still sedated. No fever. Labs holding. I am not leaving until the replacement guard is in place, then I’ll meet you at the second location.”

“You shouldn’t say that on speaker,” Delia says.

Silence follows.

Nash asks, “Why?”

“Because if Isabel is listening, she now knows you intend to move.”

Ever’s face goes grim. “Line is encrypted.”

“Isabel likes owning people more than systems. Systems are cleaner. People are easier.”

Nash does not dismiss her. That matters. “Point taken.”

Delia looks slightly surprised by that.

Nash continues, “Ever, run assumption of compromised verbal traffic. Send only dead-drop coordinate confirmation. No destination spoken. Shiloh, prep medical and travel bags. Deacon, keep pressure on that wound if it opens. Reva, do what Ever says.”

My temper twitches. “You almost made it through without bossing me.”

“That’ll never happen, brat.”

The phone clicks with an incoming notification on Ever’s end.

“Coordinates pending,” Ever says.

“I’ll send final after I confirm the route. Move fast, but don’t move blind.” Nash pauses. When he speaks again, his voice has lowered. “Little wolf.”

I hate that my eyes burn.

“What?”

“Leaving this cabin is not losing.”

I close my fingers around Deacon’s wrist. “It feels like it.”

“I know. Do it anyway.”