Page 41 of Inevitably Yves

“Thank you,” Yves says. “Greer, is it?” The boy nods. “Can you tell us what happened to you?”

Greer gazes up at Yves, his expression totally awed. I get it. Yves commands your attention.

Greer sips the water Kyson hands him, then exhales slowly. “I was grabbed a few days ago. These guys…they came out of nowhere and threw me in a van. They had some other kids too. Kids I know.”

“Who is it?” Thorn questions. “The Admiral again?”

Greer shakes his head. “I-I don’t know. I never saw the guy in charge, but after some stuff that happened today, I had to find you. They thought I was out.”

“Out?” I ask.

“Yeah, like knocked out.”

I feel the surge of rage shoot through Thorn even from where I stand. “Who the fuck hit you, Greer?”

“Just some guys, but that’s not why I came.” He’s shivering, so I grab one of the throws from an armchair and wrap it around his shoulders. He tries to smile his thanks, but flinches from the split in his lip. “They were talking when they thought I wasn’t listening,” Greer says. “They said your name, Thorn.” His brow crinkles. “They said a lot of names, kind of weird names, but I remember yours and…um…” Greer squeezes his eyes closed for a second. “Someone named Yves.”

Yves tenses beside me. “Did they say Syn or Midnight or Eros or Raphael?”

Greer’s eyes grow big. “Yes, those were the names.”

“Fuck,” Thorn mutters. “What else did they say?”

“They talked about a place. A club, maybe? They made it sound like they were gonna go there and try to get one of those names he just said.” Greer points to Yves. “They said that would lure him out.”

Thorn twists to look at Yves. “Hadrian?”

“Possibly,” Yves says.

“But why would he abduct people off the street?” I ask.

“We got a big-time sex trafficking issue in the city,” Greer says. “We’re always dodging creeps, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard talk like this. They want to hurt you, Thorn. I couldn’t let that happen. You’ve been so good to me and the others. Always looking out for us.”

“How did you get free?” Syn asks while Bowie dabs some of Greer’s cuts with the washcloth.

Greer looks ill as he sucks in a breath. “They threw me in a closet with some others. One of them got sick and started barfing everywhere. It caused a lot of chaos and when everyone was distracted, I just took off.”

The elevator doors open, and Vivienne appears with Viper next to her. Both women look like they just rolled out of bed, but they’re all business as Vivienne clutches a leather satchel.

“Oh dear,” she says. “What happened to you, honey?”

“Beat up,” Greer answers. “Some other stuff I’d rather not say.”

Yves watches on with barely contained rage. Vivienne dotes on Greer with Viper nearby, and before long, Thorn scoops up the injured man and carries him off down the hall.

Syn stands, his face a mask of anger. “It must be your maker.”

Yves nods. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“But why would he attack kids on the street?” Bowie asks.

“Exactly what we need to find out,” Yves answers.

A second later, the walls shake as Thorn screams out in anger. The door to the unit he was just in is ripped off its hinges, and a furious Thorn stomps toward us.

“Let me go find him, Yves. I need to find him.”

“What did he do?” Yves asks.

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