Fast approaching footfalls brought his head, and his gun, around to the sounds. But he didn’t bother trying to take cover. Frankly, if someone shot him in the chest, it would probably hurt less, and then he could die.
If hecoulddie, that was—
Mayhem shot out of the tree line. “Apex has gone to the prison camp.”
“What?” Kane asked with exhaustion.
“I just came back after a food run to the bolt-hole, and Lucan said that he’d returned and taken a bunch of ammo and knives. Do not tell me he is just going to wander around the damn mountain looking for deer to hunt. He went to the camp. Alone. To try to find Callum.”
As Kane slowly rose to his feet, he thought, well, he already felt like hitting something. Here was his chance.
“Lucan tried to come with me,” Mayhem said. “I told him to not be a fucking liability.”
“Wow. That’s a totally reasonable thing to do.”
“I’m turning over a new leaf. At least for tonight.”
Kane took a deep breath. “Let’s go. Frankly, I knew this was where we’d end up. I’d just been hoping if we gave it time, that white-haired wolven would magically reappear.”
Closing his eyes, he meant to dematerialize back to the prison camp. But when he didn’t move, he popped his lids.
Mayhem was still in front of him. “First things first,” the male said softly. “We take care of Apex. Then you can deal with whatever blew up between you and Nadya. And don’t tell me something didn’t happen. She looks as bad as you do.”
Kane glanced at the sky, at the way the moon was peeking out of the cloud cover. It was a beautiful sight, but cold and ultimately useless.
“There is nothing between me and Nadya.”
On that note, he flew himself in a scatter back to Hell.
Which seemed the only proper destination for him.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
As Kane re-formed off to the side of the abandoned hospital, he fell into a run. The gunshots in the back of the building were a snare drum of aggression, and his only thought was that he wished like hell he had more backup. More guns. More ammo.
Mayhem reappeared next to him, also in mid-stride. “That’s where our party is.”
I fucking know that, Kane wanted to holler as they bolted down the flank of the old brick building.
They didn’t make it all the way around. Just as they were coming to the corner, as the smell of gunpowder, sweat, and blood wafted on a gust right into his central nervous system, a figure appeared from out of nowhere.
A figure dressed in black and holstered with weapons.
But it wasn’t Lucan. And it wasn’t a guard. And… it wasn’t the enemy.
As Kane skidded to a halt, Mayhem did the same. After which they just stood there panting.
“Jackal?” Kane shook his head to clear it. “Is it… you?”
Their old friend, who had escaped thanks to Kane’s sacrifice, was staring across like he’d seen a ghost. “Kane? What happened to you—I thought you were dead.”
“Oh, my God, do you have good timing,” Mayhem cut in as he jumped forward and embraced the male they all had thought they’d never see again. “How the hell did you find us?”
The Jackal hugged the male absently, still staring over that shoulder at Kane, eyes bouncing around—and it was funny. Everybody who’d seen him since that old female had worked her magic, or whatever the hell it was, was used to the resurrection.
The Jackal’s astonishment, to the contrary, was because Kane should never have survived the explosion of his restraint collar in the first place.
Kane stepped forward and put out his hand. “There’s no time for explanations for anything.”