The war room went silent the instant V's boots hit the floor. Even Wrath, usually unflappable, felt the weight of the storm in his brother's presence. Z's hand tightened on the edge of the table, sensing the barely contained chaos vibrating off V in waves.
"Damn," Phury muttered under his breath, shifting slightly as V's eyes swept the room like a predator marking territory. "He's...pissed."
Rhage, as always, tried to lighten the tension, though his grin was forced. "Yeah... uh... maybe don't make any sudden movements, guys. You know... tornado incoming."
Wrath simply watched, arms crossed, his face calm but his mind ticking. He'd been around V enough to know when the storm outside the body mirrored the storm within. This was the kind of fury that didn't dissipate until the source was found—until the target was caught.
V's fist hit the table, the crack echoing like a gunshot, and every brother flinched. Even Butch and Z, seasoned and ready for nearly anything, felt their stomachs twist at the intensity radiating off him.
"Where the hell is she?" V's voice cut through the room, low and lethal.
Z opened his mouth, then shut it again. Wrath took a cautious step forward. "V... she—"
But he didn't get the words out. V's glare sliced through the room, sharp enough to silence all argument. It was the calm before a hurricane, and every brother knew better than to step into it.
The brothers exchanged looks, tension thick enough to taste. Arden, Nyra, and Beth—had they seen the storm in action before? Only a hint, but even now, the weight of his fury was enough to make them flinch.
Phury muttered again, this time louder, "He's... like a caged rabid beast. And we're all the walls keeping him in."
Butch grunted in agreement, his gaze dark. "That's one special human female. I don't know how she did it, but V's about ready to burn down the entire mansion just to get her back."
Wrath's jaw tightened, nodding slowly. "We need to contain him. He's... going to go after her no matter what. But we can't let him destroy everything in the process."
Butch's eyes flicked toward the monitors, tracking potential leads, but even he couldn't ignore the storm that was V. Every second he was held back, the tension coiled tighter, a powder keg waiting for the match.
The brothers all knew the truth—Kat had turned V into something unstoppable, and while she remained out there, their world was teetering on the edge of chaos.
The brothers exchanged uneasy glances.
"We can't let him go alone," Wrath said, voice steady but tight. "He'll tear through anyone who gets in his way. She could get hurt in the process."
Phury leaned against the table, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. "He's not thinking. Not rational. He's... lost in her. And it's terrifying. I've never seen him like this before."
Z smirked slightly, though his shoulders were tense. "Terrifying? Yeah. But impressive too. That woman... she's got him completely unhinged."
Wrath's gaze scanned the monitors again, already pulling data. "We track their movements, identify every possible location. But V... we need to restrain him from going in blind. That's not easy. He'll fight anyone who tries."
Rhage, ever blunt, rubbed the back of his neck. "Man... I'd be scared if I were those lessers."
"Scared doesn't even begin to cover it," Phury muttered. "And we've got to figure out how to find her fast. Every second V's in this state, the risk increases exponentially. If he finds her first... we're screwed."
Butch, leaning against the wall, shook his head, exhaling slowly. "We need to find them before sundown."
Wrath's jaw tightened. "We'll split into teams. Surveillance, tracking, backup for V. No one goes in blind. He's not the only one who's pissed—but he's the one who matters right now. If she's in danger, he'll go. But we can't let him burn everything down in the process."
Z chuckled under his breath. "I kind of want to watch him go after her, though. You know... to see just how far that tornado can rip."
Phury shot him a glare. "Don't encourage him. That's exactly the kind of thought that'll make him explode in here and wreck the place."
Wrath finally looked up again, voice calm but authoritative. "We move at sundown. We search everywhere. But we also prepare for the worst: that V goes rogue anyway. Contingency plans are already in motion. He won't get her without a fight—but if he does, he won't stop for anything."
The room fell into silence, each brother acutely aware of the ticking clock, the storm at the heart of it all, and the one human female who had set it in motion.
They knew the truth: Kat had become the axis of their world, and while they feared for her, they also feared the untethered force that was V—and how little anyone could do if he decided to hunt her down.
