Page 23 of Rev

“I joined the motorcycle club straight after leaving the seminary. It gave me a sense of purpose, a place to belong. But I soon realised there was more to the club than just riding bikes and brotherhood.”

Mr. Hunt nods, his expression unreadable. “Yes, I am aware. The Royal Bastards are infamous among the organisations we sell our goods to. They’re all rather afraid of you lot.”

“We try to keep things legal, but the club needs to make money, and the weapons that come in from shipments are our bread and butter, so to speak,” I continue, my voice steady. “Recently, some of these shipments have been going missing, and we know where from.”

He raises an eyebrow, his interest piqued. “You’re saying they’re being stolen from us?”

“We’ve tracked all the new imports, and the only ones that have gone missing are the ones from South Shields. I agreed to take on this investigation for my President because I don’t believe you’re responsible. I’m certain someone is trying to overthrow you,” I say, my voice dropping to a whisper. “I’ve met with Harley, and we have a plan, but I wanted to come to see you before we proceed. I want to apologise for walking out on you, even though you know I wasn’t happy, and I also want to ask for your blessing to work with your daughter on this.”

Mr Hunt’s eyes narrow. “And what would Harley need to do? I don’t want her to become a target any more than she already is.”

“I can promise you I will never let anything happen to her,” I reassure him, a little more passionately than I intended, and I feel a shiver run down my spine when Shaun’s mouth tilts into a knowing smirk. “I mean, I know she’s your little girl, and I’ll do anything to keep her safe. I always have and always will.”

For a long, silent moment, he watches me. I’m sure I’ve fecked up, but then he nods. “I know, Hadrian.” I’m not sure what he means by that, but before I can question it, he continues, “And now you need my help.” His tone is not unkind but firm.

“Yes,” I say, meeting his gaze. “There’s something else…”

“Oh?” He arches a brow at me and gestures for me to continue.

“I know Harley is worried about your health and doesn’t want to worry you until we have gathered all the evidence, but I think you should know of our concerns. We think that the person who is trying to overthrow you is someone in your organisation,” I come out and say it before I lose my nerve.

There’s something about Shaun Hunt that unsettles me. I have no doubt the man could and would kill me if he wanted.

He leans forwards, his eyes intense. “My daughter has kept me informed of the missing shipments, but she hasn’t mentioned it might be an inside job. But then again, I know Harley worries about me. What makes you think someone who is loyal to me would turn traitor, Hadrian?”

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of his question. “We’ve had our hacker look into every man in your organisation, and the only one who is suspect is Gordon. He’s been pushing Harley to breaking point with his condescension, telling her how she can’t do the job. He believes he’d be better at running things, so it’s logical to suspect him and his motives. I don’t want him to hurt you or Harley.”

Mr Hunt’s expression softens slightly at the mention of his daughter again. “Harley. She’s always had a soft spot for you.”

“I know,” I say, my voice earnest. “And that’s why I need your blessing to catch the bastard and put him away or put an end to him. I want to ensure she never has to face the consequences of being a Hunt.” I don’t mean that as an insult, and he knows it.

Shaun nods slowly. He sits back, contemplating my words.

The silence stretches on. The only sound is the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. Finally, he speaks. “If it is Gordon, he knows everything about me and Harley. He knows things about the organisation not even my daughter does,” he says, his voice measured.

“Let me prove to you that you can trust me to do this,” I respond, keeping my tone confident while meeting his intense stare. “Give me a second chance to fix this, and to make up for walking out on you when you needed me and Hades the most.”

“I believe in second chances. And I know you needed to leave South Shields to find yourself. When you arrived here as a young man, you were tormented by your past. I wanted to help you heal and show you that you have the potential to do anything you set your mind to, but I soon realised you needed to do it in your own way.” My chest tightens at his words. My father never wanted to help my brother and me in the way Shaun Hunt did. “You say you want to make things right, so I’ll give you my blessing to investigate. However, I want you to bring me all the information you uncover, and you must not act on your findings until I give my say so. Am I understood?”

I nod, feeling a glimmer of hope. “I understand. Once we have more intel, I’ll bring it to you. I promise. And I’ll make sure Harley comes to no harm.”

Mr Hunt leans forward and pins me with a stare that makes every nerve in my body twist and spark with tension. “I didn’t want to see you back here after you broke her heart.”

My stomach drops. “I didn’t mean to break her heart. All I wanted?—”

“I understand why you did it,” he interrupts, holding a hand up to silence me. “I’m proud of you for that. I knew she fancied you, but she was too young. You did right by her, and that means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

“I’ll always do right by her,” I say, nodding.

“Then it’s settled,” he says, his eyes locking on mine, “You talk it all over with Harley, make your plans, and both of you will come to me with the information before you make a move. Gordon is a slippery fucker, which is why he’s been my right-hand man for so long. Don’t underestimate him, Hadrian.”

The warning is clear. Even Shaun is wary of Gordon.

“I won’t,” I promise, my voice resolute. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Mr Hunt nods. “I’ll wait for your update. In the meantime, I’ll continue to work with Gordon as if there’s nothing out of the ordinary. I don’t want him to know we suspect him. I’m a firm believer in keeping my enemies close. But, Hadrian, remember I’m putting my faith in you. Don’t make me regret it.”

“I won’t,” I say, my voice filled with determination. “Thank you, Mr Hunt. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

---