Jaxon didn't speak for a long time. The only sound was the distant hum of cars on the highway and the occasional crackle of the street lamp flickering above them.
Celeste's patience was wearing thin. They didn't have time for this.
Andrew, however, was watching Jaxon closely, his sharp gaze calculating.
"You don't know what you want, do you?" Andrew finally said.
Jaxon's jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it.
Celeste scoffed. "After everything he's done, after everything you know—you're still hesitating?"
Jaxon's gaze snapped to her, something dangerous flickering in his eyes. "You think it's that simple?" he said, voice low. "You think I can just—turn against him? Walk away?"
"Yes," Celeste shot back. "Because he's a monster. And if you don't see that, then you're no better than he is."
Jaxon's expression darkened. "Watch it."
Andrew put a hand on Celeste's arm, a silent warning.
Jaxon exhaled sharply, turning away for a moment, like he needed to physically distance himself from the conversation.
"I do see it," he finally admitted. "I've seen it my whole life. But you don't understand—he built me. Every skill I have, every instinct—I am who I am because of him."
Celeste folded her arms. "And who are you, Jaxon?"
Jaxon flinched.
For the first time since they arrived, he looked… lost.
"I don't know," he murmured.
Andrew stepped forward. "Then decide." His voice was steady, unwavering. "Because the moment we make a move, there's no turning back. Either you're with us, or you're with him."
Jaxon turned back to face them, his expression unreadable.
A choice.
A line in the sand.
For a moment, Celeste thought he would walk away. That he would turn his back and disappear into the night, return to Collaway, pretend this meeting never happened.
But then, Jaxon spoke.
"I want him gone." His voice was quiet, but resolute. "I want him to pay for what he's done."
Celeste's breath caught.
"But," Jaxon continued, "if you think this is as simple as sneaking into the compound and grabbing Rina, you're delusional. He'll be expecting something. And if we're not careful, we all die."
Andrew nodded. "Then tell us what we need to do."
Jaxon hesitated one last time, then exhaled.
"You're going to need more than just me."
Celeste's stomach twisted. "What do you mean?"
Jaxon's lips curved into a humorless smirk.
"I mean, if we're taking down Collaway, we're going to need an army."
Celeste exchanged a wary glance with Andrew.
An army?
They had spent years hiding, running, and keeping their circle small to avoid detection. Now Jaxon was suggesting they bring in more people? More risks?
Andrew crossed his arms. "Who exactly do you have in mind?"
Jaxon leaned against his car, arms folded as if he wasn't about to change the course of all their lives.
"There are people out there who hate Collaway just as much as we do," he said. "People he's burned, betrayed, or ruined. Some of them used to work for him—until he decided they were disposable."
Celeste frowned. "And you think they'll help us?"
Jaxon smirked. "They don't need to help us. They just need to want him dead. And trust me—there are plenty of people who do."
Celeste wasn't convinced. "And where exactly do we find these people?"
Jaxon straightened, pushing off the car. "Leave that to me. But you need to understand something—once I reach out to them, there's no going back. Word will spread. If Collaway gets wind of it before we're ready, we'll be dead before we even make a move."
Andrew nodded slowly. "Then we need to be smart about this."
Jaxon's smirk faded. "Yeah. And we need to move fast."
Celeste tapped her fingers against her arm, thinking. "What about Rea?"
Jaxon frowned. "What about her?"
"If we're pulling people into this war, it won't be long before she's dragged into it too," Celeste pointed out. "Especially if Collaway figures out what she's been wearing around her neck this whole time."
Jaxon's gaze darkened. "Then she needs to be protected."
Andrew's eyes narrowed. "You care what happens to her?"
Jaxon didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out a cigarette, rolling it between his fingers without lighting it.
"I don't give a damn about her," he said, too casually. "But Aster does. And if anything happens to her, he'll be reckless."
Celeste didn't believe him for a second.
Jaxon might have been raised by a monster, but there was something there—something raw and conflicted. He wasn't as detached as he wanted to be.
Andrew didn't push. "Then we make sure she's safe."
Jaxon exhaled, shoving the cigarette back into his pocket. "I'll handle finding the people we need. You two figure out how to keep Rea out of this."
Celeste wasn't sure that was possible.
Because whether Rea knew it or not, she was already at the center of everything.
And Collaway would come for her the second he realized it.