at his phone. “That doesn’t make sense. It’s tiny. It couldn’t accommodate anything needed for a transatlantic flight. That’s just for small planes.”
“Maybe they don’t mean to fly him back to Europe from here. Just move him to another location where we can’t interfere and then fly him over the ocean,” Wyatt suggested.
“That’s it! Up there. Winter is signaling to turn at the airfield,” River said excitedly.
Simsbury Airport was little more than a runway against the foothills covered in white snow. There was a single-story main building at the head of the road and a line of white rounded hangars for storing small single-prop engine planes. It was a neat and tidy little place that was clearly still active. Just not past midnight in the middle of December.
As they turned, Bel’s phone began ringing, and the van pulled over to the side of the road. Winter or Marcus was likely calling to make a plan. There was no need. Aiden had a plan in mind.
“Go around them and continue,” Aiden ordered when Wyatt started to slow the SUV as if he meant to park behind Winter.
“Are you—”
“Do it,” Aiden barked. He wasn’t waiting another second. He’d not been there when Julianna was killed, and the thought still haunted him. He would not suffer the same mistake with Ronan. A queasy feeling of dread coiled in his stomach against what he planned to do, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of rage boiling in his veins.
Wyatt quickly cut the wheel, jerking them around the van and hurrying down the narrow road. In the distance they could see a series of cars and SUVs parked under the lights, waiting for them. There were at least two dozen vampires in the area, far more than he’d sensed in the woods by their house.
“Father!” Bel cried out. “What are you doing? Marcus wants to know what the plan is.”
“The plan is that I will take care of this. You will not act until I tell you to.”
“But—”
Bel swallowed his argument after just a look from Aiden. Dragging in a deep breath, he grabbed Bel’s hand again and squeezed. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Then I just need you to do as I say. All will be well,” Aiden said smoothly. He just wasn’t sure his sons would be able to forgive him after this. He certainly never felt comfortable looking himself in the mirror afterward.
But to keep Ronan safe, to put his mate back into his arms, he would risk it.
He only half listened to Bel relaying Aiden’s words over the phone to Marcus. There was no need to see if the van was now following them. His children would follow him straight into hell out of love and devotion.
It was just another reason why it was time for him to take matters into his own hands. Ronan’s safety wasn’t the only thing at risk. He had to keep his family safe. They’d been through too much, faced too many threats over the past year. They deserved a chance at happiness and peace at long last.
As they drew closer to the other vehicles, Aiden could see the vampires climbing out to stand on the frozen asphalt, bundled up against the frigid night air. There were easily two dozen gathered, maybe more. And in the front of the assembled group stood the slight form of Mara with her faithful bodyguard right behind her left shoulder. The only one Aiden couldn’t see was Ronan. Had they put him somewhere else? Used his phone as a decoy to lure them away?
Aiden’s heart sped up as he searched the gathering again and again for his lover. He had to be there. He couldn’t lose him. He would fly to fucking Europe and tear down the entire Ministry to get Ronan back.
“There. Pull over near the building,” Aiden directed sharply. He needed to get out of the car, to face them.
Wyatt followed his instructions, parking off to the side of the road. Aiden had his door open and his foot on the ground before the wolf even had the SUV thrown into park. Behind him he could hear doors being thrown open and shoes hitting the asphalt. Grabbing on to his last shreds of self-control, Aiden forced himself to slow his pace, giving the rest of his family the chance to catch up with him. While Aiden planned to act alone, he knew they had to stand together as a family.