Page 72 of Tico

Tico: She can text me to verify if she’s hesitant.

My hands fist as I lean against the bed. “Someone fucking mirrored my phone. I never sent those.”

Corvus’ eyes widen. “Zane must have had someone doing it then.”

My head whips back up to face him again. “What did you just say?”

“Zane betrayed us. He was the one who shot and attacked me. Someone else came in and attacked Ember. I don’t know who, though—they were wearing a mask, gloves, and all black clothing. I didn’t see it, but I heard her say she was darted. Right before Zane knocked me out, I saw the other guy get Ember on the ground and I heard zip ties.”

My phone buzzes in my pocket and when I pull it out, my blood runs cold at the message on it.

Bobby: Prez—there’s someone at the gate asking for you. Says he has information on Ember.

“Doc, hurry up, I need to be out there,” Corvus says, gritting his teeth as he sits up and I realize he saw the message on my phone.

I turn back to him, about to tell him to stay the fuck put but the look on his face stops me.

“I failed her. I failed our Queen. I’m not going to fail her again. I need to be there. I need to be a part of this.”

My lips thin but I look back at Doc, silently asking his opinion. He hesitates, but finally nods.

“Just let me bandage him up.” Then he turns and gives Corvus a hard look. “But if you tear my stitches out, you won’t get local anesthesia next time.”

I dial Wire, who picks up on the second ring.

“Wire, do you have a visual for who is at the front gate? Bobby just said we have a guest who knows something about Ember.”

“Yeah, let me pull it up.”

I hear a few clicks in the background and then he curses.

“It’s the guy Ember said is the fucking Shadow.”

My blood runs cold. Why the fuck would the Shadow be here? Is he here to demand a ransom or threaten us?

“Can you see anyone else?”

“No, he appears to be alone. Heat sensors agree it’s just him.”

“Send out the emergency signal for everyone to get their asses down to the main room. And keep an eye on us in case anything changes with the Shadow. We’ll go see what he wants.”

“Will do, Prez.”

I hang up and snag a fresh club shirt out of a cupboard and toss it to Corvus since Doc had to cut his other shirt off him earlier. Once he has his shirt on, Corvus grumbles. Doc is making him put his arm in a sling. While Doc helps him, I shoot off a text to Bobby.

Tico: Bobby—Give me a few minutes and we’ll be out. Keep him outside the gate for now.

Bobby: You got it, Prez.

I give Corvus a hard stare before leaving Doc’s office. “You do not jump the gun on thisgüevón(asshole). We don’t know what he’s here for, though I am assuming the worst. But in the off chance he can help us, I don’t want you fucking that up. Do you understand me,hermano(brother)?”

He nods, though his jaw is clenched so hard I can see the muscle ticking, but I don’t know if it’s from the pain or from the situation.

“Yes, Prez.”

I turn, heading out into the main room to find that Wire has moved out here already and set up a couple of laptops on one of the tables.

A few ofmis hermanos(my brothers) are down here and judging by the clomping of boots upstairs, the rest are on their way.