We reach the third level and find Eleanor behind the front desk of the office-style space that’s housed on this floor. There is someone here twenty-four seven, either Eleanor or Elisabeth. The Knights always have someone available.
Her lips twist when we step from the elevator toward her desk. “Finley, Maverick. What brings you here?”
“Clean up in the basement. He’ll need a medic pretty quick so he doesn’t bleed out.” I grab a towel from the pile on a cart near her desk and throw it at Mav. “Clean up before we head out.”
He nods and saunters down the hall to one of the many rooms at our disposal, and I lean against the desk. I don’t bother with the cleanup—I didn’t get any blood on me—whereas Mav looks like he took a blood shower.
“Who is it?” Eleanor asks with the phone to her ear.
“Raleigh Rittenhouse.” Her eyes go wide before she looks down at the desk and calls for a medic. It doesn’t take long for two of the doctors on the floor to rush past me to the elevator, not even sparing a glance in my direction.
“We’ll need a car too. The one we arrived in was borrowed.”
Maverick appears, freshly showered in clean jeans and t-shirt, a few minutes later. “We good?”
“I think so.” I cut my eyes to Eleanor who nods. “Perfect. Let’s head back.”
We ride the elevator in silence to the first floor and when the doors open, Jerry—yet another cog in the machine that is The Knights Society—greets us with a set of keys hanging from his fingers. “Where to, gentlemen?”
My phone buzzes in my pocket as cell service returns and I see the message from Linc.
Linc:
At V’s. East is here.
I show Mav the message before pocketing the phone and turning to Jerry. He doesn’t need to know where we’re going and, right now, I’ve never been more grateful that Octavia moved back home. “To the Saints’.”
* * *
Jerry drops us off at the gates to the Saint mansion, waiting until we’re on the grounds with the gates shut before he drives off. I have no doubt that the Knights are watching us closely with V back in town.
Especially since I’m convinced they’re the reason she’s here at all. I’d put money on Stone’s suicide being a cover up. The Knights specialize in fixing their problems. Even if the problems are of their own making.
I walk up the drive and head straight to the hidden gate between this property and V’s. Maverick is hot on my heels. Neither of us has said a word since we left the base.
“Shit,” I hiss, halting abruptly.
“What?” Mav asks, perplexed.
I tap my ear, then motion to his clothes. It only takes him a second to clue in to what I mean and he starts to strip out of the Knights-issued clothing. Bugs and trackers are implanted in pretty much everything they have. He grins as he stands in front of me, butt-ass naked, then walks the clothes to the trash cans before heading into the Saints’ house. A few minutes later he reappears in another jeans and t-shirt combo, but this is one of his own.
Once he’s ready, we make our way to the Royal house, heading in through the back doors to the kitchen where the lights are already on, illuminating the backyard. The alarm beeps as I open the door and I disable it. Mav closes the door then re-arms it. I’m pretty sure V doesn’t know we have the codes, but in this instance, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
We keep quiet as we remove our boots and pad through to the living room, where we find Octavia asleep on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, while Linc and East murmur quietly between them. Linc sees us hovering in the doorway and stands. East looks over his shoulder then follows his brother toward us and we head into the kitchen.
“How is she?” are the first words to fall from my lips. The rest of the world might think we hate her, but there are few secrets between the four of us.
Lincoln drops onto a stool at the island while Mav grabs us all sodas from the fridge. “As good as can be expected. She’s sleeping off whatever he gave her. Is he dealt with?”
“He won’t be raping anyone else.” Mav grins as he hands out the drinks. “Finn shot his dick off.”
I roll my eyes at the exaggeration and accept the drink, dropping into the stool opposite Linc. “I shot him in the dick after you carved rapist into his crotch, but yes, he’s dealt with, we took him to The Cage, so the Knights are cleaning up.”
“This was by the door when we got here,” East says, dropping the black card onto the table.
You’re out of time, Miss Royal.
We’re coming for you.