Page 15 of Hunt

I know it looks bad on his end. The dim light of the hallway probably hides the blood splatter behind me. All he can see is me against this wall, pinned here by my burly bodyguard and there’s nothing I can say to explain it away.

“I hope you know you’re prettyomegawas a busy little bird these past few months away,” Hector mocks Nic with a sickening smirk. “That tight little pussy felt like heaven around my cock though. And don’t even get me started on the things that mouth could do?—”

“Fuck off Hector!” I snap. “You don’t know what you’re talking about and you’re making something out of nothing. Just go back to your dinner and pretend to be the victim.”

His eyes shutter as he bites the inside of his cheek. I can tell he aches to come closer. The look in his grey eyes spell murder. “Don’t worry, babe. I’m not here to cockblock you. I just thought you’d ought to know that we see right through your lies. I don’t know what sick mind games your fathers have you weaving, but you can give it up before you make an even bigger fool of yourself.”

Before I’m able to respond, Hector turns on his heel and stalks back towards the dining room—no doubt about to spread more lies about me to the others.

My heart drops into my stomach as Nic positions me back on my feet steadily. I slap his hands from my body and glare up into his eyes. “You put your hands on me outside of training ever again, and I’ll cut your fingers off while you sleep.”

CHAPTER 9

DANTE

I feellike I’m on some other planet right now as I stalk across the De Luca estate. This place is unreal. I don’t even think the White House is as heavily guarded as this mansion.

There are goons everywhere, as Bella would call them. They walk in groups of two or three, sometimes only one, but there’s at least one at every corner. It’s almost laughable how much security the De Lucas need. I don’t know much about the men, but I do know they’re dangerous—possibly one of the most dangerous packs in the country.

I’m not sure how much Bella actually knows about the operations her father are involved in, or the extent of their crimes against humanity. I won't stand here and act like my hands are totally clean—they’re not, by far. But from some of the things Sam has told us over the last month, the De Lucas are a whole new level of fucked up.

I find Hector and Silas sitting by the pool, both staring into the dark, glassy surface that reflects the moon. They barelyglance up as I take a seat on the ground, kicking off my shoes and shoving my aching feet into the cold water.

Silas's phone suddenly buzzes beside him, the screen lighting up his face. He grabs it and quickly answers, his expression turning serious. "Yeah, what is it?" he says gruffly, listening intently to whoever is on the other end of the line.

I exchange a glance with Hector, who raises an eyebrow curiously but doesn't say anything. We sit in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being the gentle lapping of the pool water and Silas's terse responses of "Uh huh" and "Got it."

Finally, Silas hangs up and sets his phone down with a heavy sigh. He rubs a hand over his face, looking troubled.

"What's going on?" I ask, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. "Everything okay?"

Silas hesitates for a moment before answering. "That was Rico. He just got wind of a new gentleman's club that's opening in New York in a few weeks. High class, exclusive membership, the whole nine fucking yards..."

Rico. His intel was invaluable. He was a beta who’s been loyal to the three of us since we were kids. I’d trust him with my life. He was handling a lot of bullshit back home for us, looking into the De Lucas while we were here.

My stomach sinks and I glance over at Hector and see a knowing look in his eyes. We've seen this before.

"It's an Omega club, isn't it?" Hector asks quietly, voicing my suspicions. "Like the one we found Bella’s sister in?"

A shiver of revulsion rolls through me as I remember the disturbing video I had watched. Bella's older sister was taken in by a Russian pack, possibly as a wife, but eventually ended up at a seedy club in a nearby city where she was deteriorating and heavily medicated, put on display for any alphas who were willing to pay.

Silas nods grimly. "Yeah. And I'd bet my left nut the De Lucas are involved. This has their stench all over it."

I swear under my breath, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. The thought of more vulnerable omegas being exploited and abused makes my blood boil with rage. "We have to do something," I growl. "We can't let those bastards keep getting away with this shit."

Hector nods in agreement, his jaw set with determination. "Rico say anything else? Like where exactly this club is going to be or who's bankrolling it?"

"No details yet," Silas replies. "But he's got feelers out. Said he'd update us as soon as he knows more."

I get to my feet, too agitated to sit still any longer. I pace along the edge of the pool, my mind racing. "This can't be a coincidence. The De Lucas finding us, trying to strong-arm Bella, and now this? They're planning something big."

"Agreed," Hector says, standing as well. "Question is, what's the endgame? This family is too smart to be this fucking brazen without a reason."

“There’s no way Bella knows,” comes a voice from the shadows. We all tense, but then I let out a breath when I realize it’s just Sam.

“Stalk much?” Silas grumbles as he pulls out a cigarette and lights it up.

Sam shakes his head, rolling his eyes. “I’m starting to think there’s more to Bella’s story.”

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