Page 43 of Hurting Hunter
"The game's up. You're under arrest."
The captain's eyes widened, and for a moment, Ethan thought he might try to resist. But the fight seemed to go out of him, and he slumped back into his chair, defeated.
“Where are the captives?”
At the safehouse, Hunter leaned against the side of the building, dragging deeply on a cigarette. The familiar burn in his lungs did little to calm his racing mind.
"Never seen you smoke before, brother," Max said, appearing at his side with Rex trailing behind him.
Hunter scowled at the cigarette tip, watching the smoke curl into the air before taking another drag. He blew out the smoke slowly, his voice a low grumble. "Quit almost fifteen years ago, but fuck." He dropped the cigarette to the ground, crushing the butt under the heel of his boot.
"Yeah," Rex agreed, his face pale. "It is fucked up. I can't imagine what these women have been through. At least the guards didn't rape the children. Apparently, there's a high demand for virgins." His voice wavered, and he looked like he was about to vomit.
Hunter's jaw tightened at Rex's words, a fresh wave of anger surging through him.
"Got any more smokes?" Max asked, breaking the tense silence.
"Nah. Got this one from Thomas," Hunter replied. "He and the others are guarding this place, just in case we were followed."
Max nodded. Hunter's gaze flicked to the front door of the safehouse, where the rescued women and children were being tended.
“How will they get over this ordeal?” Hunter asked nobody in particular.
"We'll help them," Max answered quietly, his voice steady. "And we'll make sure those bastards pay."
Hunter raised his chin, meeting Max’s gaze. "Damn right we will," he muttered. "This isn't over until every last one of them has paid."
The three men stood in silence for a moment, the gravity of their situation settling in. Hunter's mind raced. They had come so far, but there was still so much to do. He glanced at Max and Rex. "Let's get back inside." Hunter pushed away from the wall.
As they headed back into the safehouse, Hunter’s cell phone started to ring.
When he pulled the device out, Ethan’s name flashed on the display.
“Ethan?”
“We’ve got them. Aubrey is fine. I’m heading over to the safehouse with them now.”
Chapter 29
Impatient for Ethan’s arrival, Hunter paced the length of the safehouse. After being on his feet for over thirty hours, he was bone tired, but his mind was whirling.
Outside the sun was rising and bird sang their morning praises. It was an odd contrast to the ugly storm inside him. He glanced around. Many of the women and children they’d rescued were asleep or talking in low tones as not to disturb the resting ones.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, jolting him from his thoughts. He answered it quickly, recognizing Brick's number. "How’s Slate?”
Brick's voice was strained and carried a weight that Hunter could feel through the phone. "Slate has been taken to the ICU. They stitched him up and are pumping blood, but... but between the OD and the blood loss, there's minimal brain function. It ain’t looking good."
Hunter felt as if the ground had been pulled out from under him. He gripped the phone tighter and the device creaked a protest. "Damn it," he muttered.
"Yeah," Brick replied, his own pain evident in his tone.
"Thanks for telling me." Hunter ended the call and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. The news hit him hard, a brutal reminder of the fragility of life.
Despite his betrayal, Slate wasn't just a founding member of the ECOs MC; he was family. Aubrey's older brother. A friend. The weight of his potential loss pressed heavily on Hunter's chest, making it hard to breathe.
He looked around the room, his eyes landing on Max and Rex. They were talking quietly, their expressions tense. Hunter made his way over to them
"Got some bad news," he said, his voice low. "Slate's in the ICU. It's not looking good."
