Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,118

never tell me anything, Mav. I’ve always been on the outs,” she complained with her chin raised as she looked down her nose at everyone.

I wanted to feel sorry for Jules in that moment but found it hard. Once again, she was finding a way to make herself the center of attention, when in reality we needed support, not another fight. I expected the tense Maverick to snap at Jules, but instead he collapsed at the table and grasped her hands.

“I’m sorry, Jules. I know we’re a fucked up family, but we’ll get him back. We just need to figure out how to get into the Stonewell Manor undetected,” he said, surprisingly calm.

“Well that’s easy!” she exclaimed in an overly chipper voice. She then glanced around the room before staring at me with such self-righteous glee that I had to swallow the rage that bubbled up inside of me.

“You,” she began while flipping her black hair over her bony shoulder and sighing. She enjoyed having everyone hanging on to her every word. “…need a distraction. I’ve been reading the tabloids. There has been a lot of civil unrest in the Walker Zones these days. It would be such a shame if one of their little protests got out of hand.” She shrugged and continued to pick at her nails, feigning indifference, but I saw the burning determination underneath. Despite everything that had happened between her and the guys, she still cared for them in ways that I didn’t quite understand .

“We could spur a riot in the Zone,” I began hurriedly, while clinging to the coattails of what Jules suggested and running with it. “Once the Arches are preoccupied with that, we can make our way to the Stonewell Manor.”

“I mean, that’s basically what I already suggested but sure, go ahead and run with my plan,” Jules scoffed.

I noticed Mia hold a hand over her mouth to stifle a chuckle.

“We don’t even know that they’re at the Stonewell Manor,” Maverick added while rubbing his eyes. I saw the worry lines on his brows and my heart seized.

“I can almost guarantee that even if they aren’t there, Josiah knows where they are,” I said while bunching the edges of my skirt into my fist before pinching my thigh.

“Are you prepared to face him?” Kemper asked softly, walking over to me. He placed his hand upon my shoulder before kneeling down and peering at me with his intense blue eyes that kissed the edges of my soul.

“I’ll do anything to get Cyler and Patrick back,” I whispered. I tried to fight back the tears that gathered in the pockets of my eyelids.

“Well great, now that that’s settled, when are we going?” Mia, who until now had been quiet, asked. She sheathed her knife after pointing it threateningly at Jules who had just opened her mouth to speak before promptly closing it at Mia’s unspoken threat. Tallis gave Mia a disapproving look while taking a drink of his water.

“We aren’t going anywhere. Jules and Ash are staying here while we get this plan mobilized,” Huxley growled.

I gave him a pointed stare.

“Well I guess you can figure out how to navigate Galla as well as find Josiah on your own then,” I began. “You must know everywhere he frequents. Do you plan on chopping off my thumb to use my fingerprint for his door scanner?”

Huxley retreated into his usual emotional hibernation as I pointed out each reason as to why I should go with them. It was unlikely that Josiah had changed the locks on their door, which meant that I was the only person in this room that could easily get in.

“I don’t know, Ashleigh,” Maverick muttered while scratching his neck. “I think Huxley might be right. You aren’t necessarily trained for something like this, and we’d all be worrying about keeping you safe instead of being focused on the mission.”

“Oh shut up already, you fussy hens. Ash is a big girl, and I’ll keep her safe. You both know she’s an asset on this mission. No one else knows the ins and outs of Josiah’s whereabouts like her,” Mia said while standing. “I’m tired of waiting. We’re wasting time, and Galla is at least a two-day ride from here at max speeds on a transport.” Mia grabbed the crook of my arm and grabbed the back pack I had prepared and hidden under the table, swinging it over her shoulder. “Let’s go, boys!” She pulled me towards the kitchen’s exit.

I turned to