"You made the right call, son. I'm proud of you," Jacob says with a confident grin from behind the steering wheel of his blacked-out SUV.

My eyes barely glance in his direction from the passenger's seat. "Don't call me that."

I scan the street ahead of us through tinted windows, searching for any sign of the meeting we're here to interrupt. But in doing so, I catch a glimpse of Wild in the back seat. His gaze is fixed on mine, his apprehension evident in the way his attention flicks from me to Jacob and back again.

For the umpteenth time today, Wild asks, "So what's the plan again?"

I nod to the beat-up brick building on the corner. "Kellin and Derek are supposed to meet behind the pawnshop. One of Kell's boys will flick the neon closed sign on in the window when Derek gets here. Then we go in and intercept the exchange and convince Derek to take a ride with us to somewhere more private where we can ask him some questions."

"And you really think he's gonna just go with us willingly?"

"He will when he sees this," Jacob answers, holding up Kwan's long-lost phone.

Letting Jacob take part in this particular mission wasn't my first choice. I wanted Wild and I to handle this alone. If things went south, I'd finally call Kade and Travis for backup. But there's one issue I couldn't figure out no matter how hard I wracked my brain.

Where the hell am I gonna take Derek once I convince him to go with us?

My apartment is out of the question. In fact, anywhere close to the barn and the other guardians wouldn't work either. I need Derek to know this is a personal issue between us and leave the guardians out of it.

My gaze catches Wild's once again as if he can read my mind.

Well, leave most guardians out of it.

This is where Jacob comes in handy. He figured out my dilemma before I could say a thing and offered me a safe house he uses not far from the warehouse district. It's on neutral ground too, so we won't be stepping on any toes in either direction.

The sun dipped a long time ago, bathing most of the warehouse district in complete darkness thanks to the many busted light poles. The closest one to us that's still on sits just on the corner of the intersection in front of us, right in front of the pawnshop. It gives the building on the corner an eerie look as I stare at the window, mentally trying to turn that closed sign on so I can get out of the SUV. The sooner we finish this, the sooner I can put space between me and Jacob and get back to Lex.

As soon as the thought of getting out and getting a closer look hits me, the closed sign flashes on, the neon red glow lighting up the window.

"Let's go," I say, opening my door and jumping out.

Jacob and Wild do the same but the second they're both behind me on the sidewalk, I turn and pin the man that looks so much like me with a threatening glare.

"You stay here. I don't need your help on this one."

"Are you sure about that?" There's a cocky twist to his mouth like he doubts me or maybe he's just overconfident in the idea that I need him.

Either way, he's wrong.

"I got this." I hold out my hand expectantly and when Jacob drops Kwan's phone in my palm with a sigh, I quickly turn back and walk away.

Wild strides to catch up, locking his baseball bat behind his neck and wrapping both arms around it. "You sure about this?"

There's no fear in his voice. Wilder is the last one to back out of a dirty job. But I can tell he's worried for me if nothing else.

"Positive." I nod.

I gotta do whatever it takes to make sure Lex and my family are safe.

Squaring my shoulders and holding my head even higher than before, I make my way down the street with Wild at my side. When we reach the pawnshop, we skirt around to the side alley and slowly creep in the shadows. Our feet avoid the puddles covering the damp uneven cement, making sure to stay as quiet as possible. Only when we hear voices closer to the back do we plant our backs against the wall, slowing our steps even more.

"It better all be here," Kellin's voice reaches us in the darkness, sounding as cocky as ever.

A scoff follows. "Of course it is. I'm not a dumbass."

Derek.

"That's fuckin' debatable," Kellin fires back while the sound of a zipper echoes off the walls of the alley.

I look behind me at Wild and nod, knowing this is it. His nod back is all I need and quickly the two of us peel away from the wall and slowly walk around the corner of the shop.

The scene in front of us is pretty much how Kellin told us it would be earlier in the week. The back alley is a little wider than the one we just came through, giving just enough space for a small car to fit. Standing in the middle of it with his back to us is Kellin and a duffle bag at his feet. In front of him is...our target.

Kellin's back straightens as if sensing us as we slowly step around the corner. But Derek doesn't until Wilder taps his bat on the back wall of the pawnshop.

"Oh shit," he mumbles, taking a step back as his body tenses in a flight or fight stance.

"You've been shady as fuck, Derek," I say so low even I don't recognize my own voice. There's more malice and anger in my veins than I realized, and as I slowly stalk toward the frightened pissant, my hands twitch with the need to hurt him. "First blackmailing Lex, now you got some drug business going on with the Vipers."

His eyes flick to Kellin and widen with accusation.

"Don't even fucking think it!" Kellin narrows his gaze at him. "I didn't say shit. They found out on their own."

"You're gonna get us killed," Derek declares, his face already paling like a ghost.

Kellin shakes his head. "I'm not gonna do shit but take what I came here for and leave. You boys have fun."

He crouches down to pick up the duffle at his feet, but before he can grab the handles, Wilder uses the end of his bat to lightly swat the boy's hands away.

"Sorry, little buddy. You're not going anywhere with this shit."

Kellin straightens up and turns to Wild, his chest puffed out like he's trying to look threatening. "You said you needed him. You never said anything about fucking up my deal."

Wild shrugs.

"And who the hell made you the boss?" Kellin asks, stepping up to his mentor.

With a sarcastic grin, Wild lays his bat behind his neck, resting both arms on each end. "I have the bat, that makes me the boss. I'm the bat boss. Or you can call me Batman, either one works."

"Does that make him Robin?" Derek asks, nodding in my direction.

I shoot him a look that instantly wipes the smart-ass fucking smile off of his face.

Bending down, Wild picks up the duffle and shoos Kellin away with the end of his bat. "Get out of here. Maybe go train or play basketball or something. Get your ass off the streets for a night."

Kellin's slim face pinches with disgust but he doesn't bother arguing. Giving Derek one last blank look, he turns for the alley and leaves.

"Now it's just you and us." I turn to Derek and cross my arms while Wilder walks over to stand beside me.

Derek's lip curls back. "What do you want?"

"Answers."

He scoffs. "Fresh out of those. Sorry."

"It's funny you think I was asking." I pull Kwan's phone out of my pocket and begin tapping at the screen to bring up the video of Derek and Kellin on New Year's. "You got two options here, Derek. You can either come with us somewhere more private so we can have a chat, or..." Pressing play on the video, I hold it out for him to watch the screen. "I can share this with the cops and see what they think about your little side business."

If I thought Derek looked pale before, that's nothing compared to now. His face drains of all color as he watches the video playing on Kwan's phone. When the video ends, he steps back and looks me in the eyes with nothing but fear.

"So, where did you wanna have this talk?"

"Good boy," Wilder pats him on the back, keeping his hand there as he leads him out behind me.

"How many fucking times do I have to say it?" Derek asks from his wooden seat in the middle of the room. "I'm not working for anyone but myself and the Vipers. Period!"

Leaning against the front door of Jacob's safe house with my arms crossed over my chest, I keep my eyes locked with Derek's. So far he hasn't been nearly as helpful as I hoped, even with threats of sharing the video with the cops. But I know he's holding back. With each word that leaves his lying mouth, his eyes fill with fear despite the brave facade he's trying to wear. It's pissing me off more and more, making it hard for me to think or speak past the anger creeping through my veins.

It also doesn't help that Jacob's been sitting in the corner this whole time, his eyes on me more than Derek. I can't shake the feeling as if he's got me beneath the glass of a microscope, watching and waiting for me to do something. I'm just not sure what exactly he's expecting or hoping for, but the intensity of it only adds to my growing frustration.

"You can say it a million more times, it still doesn't make it true," Wilder sneers from his perched position on a dirty table against the side wall.

My eyes meet Jacob's for the hundredth time in the last few hours before flicking back to Derek. "There's no way a squeaky clean jock like you got in with those snakes by accident. Who. Are. You. Working. For?"

Derek rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "I hand the shit off to Kellin, shouldn't that tell you something?"

"Like?" I ask.

"Like maybe I'm working for him. Maybe he's in charge of this whole operation."

Wilder jumps off the table. "Fucking liar!"

"And how would you know?" Derek snaps at him. "Like Jace just said, I was squeaky clean before, but Kellin's not is he? He's a dirty little warehouse district street dweller. This has his name all over it and you fucking know it!"

"You little bitch," Wild growls, stepping up to tower over Derek. "I'd love to hear you say that to his face. That kid would put you on your ass and even you know that!"

"Well, nice to see someone has a bit more bite in them than just bark."

I nearly jump out of my skin but manage to keep my composure as I turn to find Jacob standing next to me. I hadn't even seen the asshole cross the room, letting him sneak up on me like it was nothing.

You're losing your touch, Jace.

"Jumpy?" Jacob asks.

"No...and what the fuck do you mean someone has more bite than bark?"

A sick grin tips his mouth. "Your buddy Wilder has the spirit of a fighter, ready to draw blood at all cost, even for the sake of his friends."

He's not wrong. Wilder's never shied away from violence. Sometimes I almost wonder what would've happened that night the Vipers raided our barn if Wilder was the one to catch Paxton and not me. Would he be able to do what I couldn't? Would he be able to take a life if it meant saving others?

And in the darkest parts of my mind, I sometimes wish I had never shown Pax mercy. It wouldn't have saved Motto but it would make sure something like that doesn't happen to anyone else. How many lives will Paxton, Victon, Vincent, and the Vipers take because we Guardians refuse to take them out for good?

Even now. I hate Derek as much as I love Lexi, but the idea of a regular high school kid like him getting drawn into the Viper's nest so easily makes me sick.

And what am I doing about it? Standing here asking questions that might not do us any good in the long run.

Turning my head, I meet Jacob's steely gaze. "Wilders a fighter but he's still a good guy."

"Good doesn't mean shit in the grand scheme of things," Jacob snips in a grave tone as if he's holding back his own frustration. "There's no such thing as good or bad when it comes to protecting the ones who mean the most to you. Your friend seems to get that but what about you? What are you willing to do to make this kid talk?"

Wilder and Derek are still bickering but it's all background noise. Even as Jacob nods for me to look in their direction, I can see them, Wilder still towering over Derek, his hands balled into fists at his side, but I can't hear them.

I can feel Jacob lean closer. "Just think...what happens if this kid is working for someone who's an even bigger threat than the Vipers?"

Heat creeps up the back of my neck as my eyes zero in on Derek.

"What will happen to your Guardians...your brothers?"

An image of Motto's dead body flashes in my mind, only it quickly changes, and suddenly I'm not standing over Motto, I'm standing over Caleb. The image disappears from my mind's eye just as quickly but the heat creeping up my neck has spread through my body.

"What would happen to your mom?" Jacob asks next.

A low growl rumbles in my chest and my hands ball up at my sides, shaking.

"What would happen to Lexi?"

The second Lexi's name leaves his lips, my vision tunnels just as Derek's words finally reach my ears.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to work for anyone but myself? Maybe if you all pulled your heads out of your asses, you'd be able to see that I'm not a player in this game and focus your goddamn attention on the Vipers!"

My feet move on their own, charging for Derek, and before I know it, I've got the collar of his shirt in my hand. "I'm tired of playing your fucking games!"

My fist smashes into his face, throwing his head back but not letting him get far as I keep hold of his shirt.

"Fuck the video, fuck the cops! I'll handle you myself!"

Another crack of my fist meeting bone, or teeth. I'm not entirely sure but after a few more punches, blood drips from my knuckles and I'm not exactly sure whose that is either, mine or his.

"Enough," Wilder barks, rushing towards me.

"No, let him go," Jacob calmly calls from somewhere on the other side of the room.

"Man, fuck you!" Wilder shouts as he grabs me, yanking me away from Derek despite my struggles. "You might be his dad, but you ain't mine, and I'm not about to let him go down this road!"

I fight to pull myself from Wilder's hold but it's as if my body has suddenly drained of all energy. No matter how hard I try, Wild's grip doesn't loosen one fucking bit.

"Let me go!"

"No, brother, I'm not. You wanted to make a point? Well, you just did. But enoughs, enough. The dude can't talk with a broken jaw!"

His words hit me like a sledgehammer and my body freezes, eyes jerking up to finally take in the damage I've done.

Derek pants in his seat, leaning back with one hand over his left eye. But even with his hand in the way, I can make out the swelling and purple coloring already starting to appear. His nose also looks busted and his lip is split in three different places.

In all honesty, it could be worse. My blind-raged punches didn't have the precisions I normally have in a ring. But that knowledge still doesn't stop the jolt of guilt that hits me in the chest before I quickly do everything I can to push it down, shove it out, basically anything to get rid of it. Guilt and shame don't have a place here right now.

"I still want answers, asshole," I growl as Wilder keeps my arms locked behind my back.

Derek rolls his head to the side and spits blood onto the already stained wood floors. "And I'll say it again...I can't give you...the answers you're looking for."

"Then give me something I can fucking use!"

He sits up, using the hand not covering his black eye to wipe the blood from his face. But surprisingly, his one good eye meets mine as he says, "You wanna know why I'm dealing?"

I don't nod but I don't turn him down either, falling against the wall to hold myself up after Wilder finally feels confident enough to let go and step away.

"Turns out I got a bad habit of gambling. First small stuff on local sports games but it got worse, as did my losing streak," Derek explains, his voice low but tense. "Then I heard some guys talking at this club, The Underground or something, said they knew how to make some fast cash. Next thing I know, I'm meeting with the Vipers and being handed duffel bags of drugs with the threat of getting them their money or getting my ass put in the ground."

"How did Kellin get involved?" Wild asks, back to his spot on the table.

Derek wipes more blood, some of it already drying. "Let's be real, I'm not cut out to stand on shady streets late at night and sell. People would see right through me and I'd wind up getting beaten and robbed, or worse. But Kellin..." he nods to himself. "For someone so young, he knows what he's doing, and he's got the respect of others on the street. I saw that when some of the guys from the team bought a few things off of him in the warehouse district."

Wilder's face pinches with anger. "So what? You get the drugs from the Vipers and Kelling and his boys deal for you? Then what?"

"Then we split my cut after I bring the Vipers their money."

"And they don't think it's odd a guy like you is doing so well with this shit?" I ask, starting to pace now that we're getting a little information.

Even if it's not the info I wanted or even the info I was hoping for, it's better than nothing. It has to be or else all of this was for nothing.

Derek smiles but quickly winces as one of the cuts on his lip begins to bleed again. "They think I'm making a killing at high school parties, sports games, and shit like that."

"What about Kell?" Wilder asks again, worry written all over his face for the kid he's been mentoring. "Why sell for you when he's already selling for his dad?"

"Who doesn't want more money?" Derek shrugs. "Besides, I don't think his dad gives him a big enough cut from what he sells. It's one of the reasons he wants to get into the fights so bad. His winnings will be all his then."

Wilder's head jerks up, eyes narrowed.

"Yeah," Derek nods. "I know about that too. Me and Kellin might not like each other but after working together for so long, sometimes you just need to talk to fill the silence while you get shit bagged up."

"And how the fuck is this supposed to help us?" I ask, feeling my frustration building again.

It's not that I don't want this info. I feel like it's something we need to know, especially Wilder considering his ties with Kellin. But I don't know how this helps me.

Derek drops his hand from his bruised eye, allowing us to see the black, blue, and purple glory as he tries to look at me with both eyes. "Because I'm not the only lackey the Vipers have hired to deal for them. They've got a whole team of others just like me."

"Why?"

"That's the million-dollar question right there." Derek nods. "And the answer is pretty fucking simple because dealing drugs isn't enough anymore. They want more. So they're getting others to deal their small-time drugs while they work on moving into the illegal arms market."

From the corner of my eyes, I notice Jacob go from leaning against the door frame near the kitchen to standing straight up. His attention is fully on the conversation now for the first time since we got here.

It's odd and something's telling me to save that info for later. For now, I need to handle this Derek shit. Jacob's not going anywhere as far as I can tell. I can always bring it up later.

"We already know they got a weapons shipment a while back. It was one truck and one building. Doesn't sound like that big a deal to me," I say thinking back to the night Kade, Wilder, Travis, and I camped out on top of a building just outside Viper territory.

"That was just the start. They got some great hookup in New York that's gonna help them make some serious waves."

Wilder tips his head to the side with pinched brows. "And why would they tell you this?"

Derek chuckles but it's cut short as he winces and quickly tries to cover the cuts on his mouth. "Not all Vipers are smart, and some talk too loud when they've drunk too much. It's not hard to hear what's going on if you just listen."

A beat of silence fills the dimly lit room, Wilder, Jacob, and I each taking a moment to think over what Derek just said. At least I know Wilder and I are. No idea what Jacob's thinking about but that's nothing new.

Walking over to the ripped plaid couch against the wall, I sit down, elbows on my knees and head in my hands.

What does any of this mean? It's all still Guardian and Viper stuff. So why did Derek drag Lexi in if he wasn't working for someone else? What the fuck was the point?

"Any more questions?" Derek asks, his attention on me, his one black eye almost swollen completely shut.

My stare narrows on him. "Yeah, why did you tell Lexi you were using her to distract us if you were only working for yourself?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Derek scoffs. "I didn't want you guys to find out I was selling. If you did, I got no doubt y'all would've used that to get me in trouble. I couldn't afford for that to happen. Not when I'm still in hot water for planting that shit in your lockers. My mom would turn me over to the cops for sure and let me learn my lesson."

"And you needed Lexi to do that."

Derek nods. "She's your soft spot. If you were too messed up over losing her, you wouldn't have the time or energy to find out what I was doing. Neither would your cousin and your friends 'cause they'd all be too worried about you losing your shit."

"A soft spot, huh?" Jacob asks, speaking up for the first time in what feels like ages before looking down at me. "Sounds like a dangerous thing to have in this world."

My face tenses with anger as my lip curls back. "Shut the fuck up. You don't need to worry about that."

Jacob rolls his eyes and looks away as if losing interest. But I have no doubt he's still paying attention to every word being said.

Be careful. Don't say anything you wouldn't want him to know.

But I don't get a chance to think over my next words carefully. Not before Derek starts talking again.

"I'll be honest," Derek adds. "Maybe I also did it cause I thought Lexi would grow to want me again."

A low rumble like distant thunder vibrates through my chest.

"Calm down, I knew it was a losing battle there. It's just...I've never been with anyone like her before. She's strong, gorgeous, and—"

"Get to the point," I growl, my hands twitching just from hearing this asshole gush over my girl.

He's lucky I don't make his other eye swollen and add a shattered cheekbone to the mix.

Derek nods and sighs, a look of defeat washing over him for the first time since I've met the dude. Even when I've beat his ass before, or played that recording for the whole school to hear, he never lost that fighting look in his eyes. But now, there's no sign of that guy, and I won't lie and say I feel bad about that.

"I just..." He begins before taking a deep breath. "I was so close to making her mine before you showed back up in her life. I could fucking feel it. But she slipped right through my fingers and I thought maybe if she had to spend time with me, we'd find what we lost. But I should've known better. She was never mine, even when you weren't around."

I get to my feet, glaring down at him. "Damn fucking straight she wasn't! She didn't slip through your fingers because she was never that fucking close to your grasp, to begin with. Alexis has always been mine, always."

"I know that." Derek nods. "At least now I do, but for what it's worth, I do care about her, even if it is in my own twisted way."

"As long as you stay the fuck away from her, I don't give a shit who or what you care about." I reach over to grab a dirty towel from off the side of the couch and toss it at him. "Now go clean up your fucking face and get the hell out."

Shoulders deflated and head down, Derek takes the towel I threw at him and walks toward the hall Jacob points to that leads to the one bathroom in this tiny place. Once his pathetic frame has disappeared, I turn to Wilder.

"Let's go, I got one more thing I wanna do."

Wilder doesn't hesitate, jumping off of the rickety table and grabbing his jacket.

"Make sure Derek leaves when he's done," I tell Jacob.

He pushes off of the wall. "You don't want me to come with you?"

"Hell no," I snap. "You helped enough tonight. Just make sure he's gone before we get back."

Jacob's mouth thins into a straight line and darkness creeps into his blue eyes. It's a look of anger and irritation on another level, one that would scare most. But I'm not scared of Jacob. If he wants to throw a tantrum over being left out, then so be it.

"Chill out, old man, we'll be back in thirty."

Jacob grunts and sits on the couch as Wilder and I walk out the front door.

"Where are we going?" Wild asks quietly on our way to Jacob's SUV.

"To send a message."

Four blocks from the East Side border and Viper territory, I park the SUV along the side of the road. This side of the Warehouse District is practically a ghost town this late at night. Not even the usual shady dealers or homeless people are around. The only living souls daring enough to be out here are Me, Wild, and some rats.

"So, what are we doing exactly?" Wilder asks as we jump out of the SUV and walk around to the back of it.

I pop the hatch and set my sights on Derek's plain duffle bag, still filled with drugs. "Like I said, we're gonna send a message."

"Okay, but what kind of message?"

Grabbing the Freecast High backpack I threw in here earlier, and start moving the drugs from Derek's duffle and into the backpack. "Vipers stepping out of their territory to have their lackeys deal at the school is crossing the line. It's too close to home for me. Too close to the West Side and too close to Lexi."

Wild nods. "Yeah, I don't like it either. I don't like the idea of them getting into the arms trade either but there's nothing we can do about that."

"No, but we can keep them out of FHS. Derek's not in charge over there anymore, we are, so as far as I'm fucking concerned, FHS is Guardians territory and I'll be damned if I let those serpents slither in."

"So what's the plan?"

I set the last of the drugs in the bag and zip it up. Sliding a lighter out of my pocket, I hold it up for Wild to see and can't resist the smile that pulls at the corners of my mouth. "We're gonna have a little bonfire."

A grin slips across Wilder's face as he flips his hood over his head and takes the lighter from me. "Cool."

Leaving the SUV where it's at, the two of us slowly make our way to the Viper border. We stick to the shadows, which isn't hard to do as most of the street lights are busted or dimming in and out of usefulness. It's not until we're just across the street from the border that I start looking around for any signs of someone watching. But this place is just as desolate as where we left the SUV.

"I think we're good," I say, setting the backpack down just inside the boundary line.

Wilder nods, sliding the lighter I gave him from his pocket. "Yeah, let's get this done."

Wilder makes quick work of setting fire to the backpack, the start of small flames licking over the stiff material.

"Think they'll get the message?" I ask, stepping back.

Wild nods. "The school bag should do the trick. Stay the fuck away from FHS."

A sense of relief washes over me, each muscle in my body relaxing. While the fire slowly does its job, we turn and head back. We're nearly to the SUV when my phone rings.

"Hello?"

"What the fuck did you do?" Derek's frantic voice blares through the speaker

"How the fuck did you get this number?" I fire back, my eyes darting around the quiet streets.

Derek's worried-stricken voice comes through loud and clear. "Don't worry about that right now. I just got a text so you two might wanna finish whatever the fuck you're doing and get back."

"What did the text say?"

"One word, snitch."

"We're on our way," I quickly say, and hang up the phone.

Wild and I rush back to the SUV at full speed and make even quicker time at reaching the safe house. When we walk through the front door, I instantly spot Derek sitting on the couch alone, his face tense and not just from the painful wounds I inflicted earlier.

"I thought you were supposed to leave?" I ask, moving to stand in front of him.

Derek looks up at me and all I can see is fear. "Are you fucking kidding me? They know I talked to you. I'm not going anywhere."

"So what, you're just gonna stay here?" Wild asks, posting up at the door.

Derek nods. "Hell yeah. If you guys brought me here, chances are pretty fucking solid it's because you know no one will find this place. So as long as I'm here, I'm safe."

I grab the chair we had Derek sitting in earlier, and pull it over to sit down. "You can't stay here forever."

"Maybe not." Derek shrugs. "But I can stay here for now, until I figure something else out. You guys at least owe me that. If you hadn't snatched me up during the exchange with Kell and done...whatever the fuck you just did, I wouldn't be in this mess."

"You wouldn't be in this mess if you weren't working for snakes," Wild grumbles.

"What did you guys do?" Derek asks, his swollen and bruised eye seeming smaller than before as he looks at us wearily.

I chew on the inside of my cheek before mentally saying "fuck it."

"We set your drugs on fire inside their territory."

"What?" Derek shouts and almost jumps off the couch. "Are you guys fucking insane?"

"It's a possibility." Wild shrugs.

"It doesn't matter." I shake my head. "It's done now and they know they're not welcome at FHS."

"Well I'm definitely not fucking leaving now," Derek announces, crossing his arms as he leans back into the couch.

"Whatever." I get up and walk into the kitchen.

If Derek wants to hide out here, that's on him. Sure I could kick him out but maybe he has a point. They could be looking for him and that's on me.

Not that I should care what happens to the fucking bastard after what he's done.

But it's been a long day. My entire body is exhausted and I don't have the energy to force him out at the moment. All I want is to take a shower, climb into my girl's bed, and fall asleep with her in my arms.

Thinking of Lexi, I pull my phone out and check the messages. There are several from her but none of them seem crazy worried. She knows I had plans today, just not what they were.

I send her a quick text so she doesn't think I've fallen off the face of the earth just as Wilder enters the room.

"So, Derek's staying?" He asks, pulling himself up to sit on a dirty countertop.

I shrug and pocket my phone. "I guess."

"Might not be such a bad idea."

I nod, looking around for any signs of Jacob.

"Maybe we should even stay for a few days," Wild adds.

My eyes narrow and flick in his direction. "Why? You think they're looking for us now too? When have we ever been ones to hide?"

Wilder's brows pinch together. "Come on, dude, I'm no pussy. But maybe we should keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't try to run off to them and give info on us in exchange for them to leave him alone."

My eyes widen with those words.

I hadn't even thought of that but Wild has a point. Derek's just as slimy as those snake bastards and I wouldn't put it past him to do whatever it takes to save his own ass.

Maybe I should've thought everything through more before doing all of this. But it seemed like no matter what I did, Derek or the Vipers were always coming up behind me. And it hasn't helped to have Jacob constantly in my ear, egging me on to do something.

Like earlier.

Looking around one more time, I call out to Derek in the next room. "Where's Jacob?"

"He left," Derek calls back.

Well...shit.

Hey, loves!! Sorry for such a LOOOOOONGGGG wait! To be completely honest, I feel so bad about taking so long to update DME. But if you're also a writer, I'm sure you can understand the struggles of...well struggling with a story. I'm so close to the end of DME but sometimes crossing that finish line can be more difficult than getting started. I've replanned this last part of DME over and over again just trying to get it right. And yes, I've started other stories because sometimes working on something, anything, helps to keep the creative juices flowing. On top of that, like I mentioned in the announcement before this, I was not looking forward to moving on to the next book in the Guardians series. I love Kade and Josie, but their story just didn't grab my interest very much. But thanks to so many of you and your supportive comments, I've decided to change the next installment of Guardians to Wilder and Cassie's story. I'm excited about this, about them, and I think that excitement will help me to push through this last stretch of DME. But I ask for continued patience. I don't have the time to write as often as I used to. I'm gonna do my best to bring you all more chapters, and not make you wait so long in between those chapters, but I do ask for understanding and continued patience. While most of you have been amazing and so sweet waiting for me, I have received some backlash too. I get missing a story you love so much, but I'm only human. I have a family and responsibilities, and as I've mentioned before, I don't want to bring you all crap chapters either. So please, think about the writer and be kind, especially if they're like me, and read every comment each of you post. 

Now, enough of the emotional stuff, what did you think of the chapter?

Were you satisfied with the answers Derek gave? What do you think about Jacob egging Jace on? What do you think about Jace snapping and beating up Derek? Is there anything you wish was answered that wasn't? Do you believe everything Derek said? What do you think about Jace and Wilder sending a message? What do you think about Derek staying in the safe house? Where do you think Jacob went? And finally, what do you think will happen next?

As usual, leave your thoughts in the comments and if you like what you read, please hit that star button! I look forward to hearing from all of you!

I'll do my best to post a teaser for chapter 30 on my Instagram and Twitter before the full release here, so keep a watch out for that! (It didn't do a teaser for this chapter but that's because I didn't want to make you all wait any longer.)

Until next time, loves! 💜 xoxo