Chapter 36

brOOKE

Isit on Chase's sofa, lying against him as the boys discuss what's next. I have nothing left in me. I can't stop thinking about what Harper is going through, how she must feel so alone and that no one is going to save her. How do I come to terms with that?

Hours have passed since we disposed of Kyle. The sun is up, and I'm fairly sure it's near lunchtime since Chase tried to force me to eat. Even brought me onion rings like that was going to help. Asshole.

"Who was this guy Kyle mentioned? This Neo? Can we go through him?" Chase asks.

"It's an alias; no one is really called Neo unless their parents liked The Matrix, but I reached out to the Twisted Brothers, and they're reaching out to their contacts to see if they can get any information. They have someone in the FBI they know that owes them a favor so if anything flags, they'll come back to us," Jax says.

"Has your contact come back to you yet?" I ask, trying to keep the disdain from my voice.

Jax shakes his head. "I'm sorry, B."

"I think it's time you told me everything." I turn to Chase. "I love you; I really do, and I would do anything for you, but they have Harper, and I need to know if I can trust your contact to help us save her."

"You can trust him."

"No, that's not good enough, Chase. Is it a friend of the brothers? Someone they know. I trust them, so if you tell me he's one of their guys, I'll go with it. I just need to know."

"Baby, if I told you the brothers knew, you would march right over there and demand they tell you who."

"You're right, I would."

"And they wouldn't tell you even if they did."

"Devin said I was family yesterday—he might."

"No, he wouldn't. Because as much as they care about you, baby girl, they know how important it is to me. But no, it's not one of their guys. My contact didn't even know who they were, and he never met them."

"But they know who it is, right?"

I look over at Jax, who I know wouldn't dare lie to me. He nods.

"They know, they helped me make his cover. He's actually taken over the life of one of their guys who they shipped abroad for a few months to keep him out of the way."

"So, who is it?"

"You trusted him," Chase says quietly.

"I know him?"

"You do, baby."

"But who?"

"You trusted him with your life, you grew up with him, knew him for most of your lives. You spent every day together. You loved him, and he loved you."

I can't breathe.

It can't be.

He's gone.

He died.

I know he died.

I heard the machine.

I saw the doctors rush in.

I heard Chase crying.

It can't be.