“Are you in position?” Grayson’s voice drifted through the earpiece.
“Yes,” I muttered as I settled a little more comfortably on my stomach.
“Don’t kill him if you don’t need to,” he said softly.
I pursed my lips and stayed silent. If I had the opportunity to kill the bastard, I was going to take it whether it was part of the plan or not.
“Stick to the plan, kid,” he growled as if he could read my mind. “Eva’s the one who’s going to get hurt if you do something stupid.”
My fingers twitched.
He was right.
Oliver had already ruined one of my mates, I wasn’t going to allow him to ruin my other, but I had to be mindful of Eva’s position.
I wished I had a chance to talk some sense into Eva, but things had happened so fast. We had to move before Oliver slipped from our fingers. The sooner we got rid of him, the sooner Ariana could return to her normal life.
I could hear my mother scoffing inside my head. There would be no normality once I figured out how to go through with her plans.
For the first time since I met the twins, I was reluctant to go through with it. Revenge was what I had been raised to do. I had no plans for the immediate future other than getting out of town. My scholarship had already slipped through the drain since I missed weeks of class.
“They’re on the move.”
Shaking my head, I forced the thoughts from my mind and focused on the present. Once Oliver was taken care of, I would think about things, but at the moment I needed to be prepared in case Eva needed me.
The meeting was being held in the park—I glanced down at the watch around my wrist—in exactly ten minutes.
It was going to be easy, or so Emeric kept saying.
My heartbeat increased when I spotted Jason’s approaching van. There was no sign of Oliver yet but he could show up at any moment.
Emeric was in the truck within a close distance, along with Jason and his friend. Grayson was a few miles away, out of sight but ready for action.
And I, I was hiding in a fucking tree with a sniper rifle and a clear view of where the meeting was going to take place.
I knew that Grayson had a few pack members he trusted spread out around the park.
We were all prepared.
I focused on the van and watched as Jason got out and walked to the back where he pulled Eva out.
Her hands were tied behind her back. Luckily we had managed to find a wig that matched Ariana’s hair colour. She could almost pass as her sister.
Almost but not quite.
“Oliver just arrived with his brother,” Grayson said. “It looks like it’s just the two of them.”
“I don’t think he’s alone,” I told him as I shifted the rifle to lock onto them. “He’s too relaxed.”
It looked like Oliver was enjoying a casual stroll in the park. Next to him, Conner glanced around nervously.
Grayson suddenly started cursing, making me tense.
“What?” Emeric questioned.
“Silas and Devon just pulled up.”
Just what we fucking needed, more complications!
Ignoring the conversation between Grayson and his brother, I slid my hand down and lightly pressed a finger to the trigger as I followed Oliver. From what I could tell, he was dressed casually and there was no sign that he was carrying any weapons, but they could easily be hidden under his clothes.
His steps slowed as his eyes locked on Jason and Eva.
Oliver’s lips curled up into a cruel smile when his eyes darted over to Eva.
I moved the rifle slightly to the left to look at Eva. She was staring right at Oliver and knowing her, she was probably glaring at him too.
She was supposed to act like she was scared.
I looked back at Oliver. He was speaking to Jason but his eyes were glued to her.
Leaves rustled to my left, making me freeze. I could sense the person only a few feet away, silently watching me. How fast could I reach for my knife before he attacked?
“Easy,” a familiar voice whispered. “I’m on your side.”
I clenched my teeth. Couldn’t they understand how fucking delicate this situation was?
One wrong move and he could kill her.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Who?” Grayson questioned.
I hesitated. “Ethan.”
Grayson didn’t reply.
Licking my lips, I ignored Ethan and focused my attention on the enemy.
My back was starting to throb. The painkillers I had been given before leaving were starting to wear off.
I blinked.
Oliver’s smile had slipped slightly.
“He knows,” I told Grayson. “Get her out of there.”
“No, the—”
“Oliver isn’t stupid!” I hissed. “He knows that it’s not Ariana.”
“She looks exactly like—”
“But she’s not acting like her!” I interrupted him. “Ariana wouldn’t be glaring at him. She would be staring down at the ground while trying to make herself appear smaller. She wouldn’t be so. . .calm, either.”
“Eva will be fine. Stop panicking.”
I changed the focus of the lens so I had a clear view of all four of them, but I kept my rifle trained on Oliver.
I couldn’t see Jason’s expression so I focused on Conner’s. He was sweating excessively.
Oliver suddenly moved, making my eyes snap back to him.
My heartbeat increased and a wave of panic threatened to overwhelm me. I shifted, pushing my elbows further apart as my finger twitched against the trigger.
Oliver stopped a few inches from Eva. For a few minutes he just watched her, but then his hand suddenly shot out to punch her in the stomach.
“Don’t kill him,” Grayson growled.
“If he fucking hits her again, I am going to kill him,” I hissed.
“You don’t do anything until I tell you too.”
Eva was hunched over, but after a few seconds, she slowly straightened. It was another mistake she made.
Oliver grabbed her arm and spun her around so her back was pressed to his chest. He had a knife pressed to her neck in the blink of an eye.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” he yelled as he glanced around. “I know the difference between this bitch and my little wolfy. You have twenty-five minutes to bring Ariana to me or I kill her sister.”
Oliver was using Eva as a shield. As long as he stayed in the position he was in, there was no way I could get a clear shot.
“Grayson?”
It took him a while to answer. “I’ll go get Ari—”
“No!” I hissed. “Ariana stays where she is.”
“Lucas—”
“I’ve followed your plan without saying anything but I’m not going to fucking stand back and watch while you put my mates in danger,” I told him.
“Lucas. . .what are you thinking?”
My eyes locked on Eva’s face.
I had shot people before, fought hand-to-hand combat and with knives, but what I was about to do was something I had only ever read about.
“Lucas?”
I sucked in a breath and slowly blew it out.
“What are you thinking, kid?” Ethan questioned.
Instincts were a bitch. It was the one thing that could either get you killed or keep you safe. With Eva’s animal. . .muted and her hands tied behind her back, she wouldn’t be able to fight Oliver.
My only hope was that she was smart enough to run instead of staying to fight.
“Lucas?”
“Get ready,” I told them as I changed the focus of the lens once again. I hesitated, a second, then two before I shifted the direction of the rifle’s nuzzle.
“What are we getting ready for?” Emeric questioned. “We can get to her before he kills her.”
“Stay where you are,” I hissed at him. “She’ll be dead before you make it out of the van.”
I licked my lips and forced everything from my mind as I focused on the target. He wasn’t going to walk away. Oliver dies tonight no matter what.
“Forgive me, firecracker,” I breathed.
“Your time is running out!” Oliver shouted.
As he spoke, he turned slightly. I took the opportunity without second-guessing, which was a mistake. Oliver moved back into his previous position just as I pulled the trigger.