Page 91 of Hunter

I turned toward the center of the room to find it empty. Spider had escaped, and Charon had disappeared in the confusion. But that wasn’t what I cared about.

Mallory was also missing.

I felt my heart explode with panic, adrenaline nearly pushing my heart into a cardiac arrest before I heard the shout.

“Hunter!” Wolf yelled.

He had somehow disappeared from beside me and was now over by a crate on the other side of the room. Mallory lay on the floor where both he and the blond-haired man crouched over her.

I ran straight toward them, pushing both out the way as I dropped next to Mallory. A black jacket was pressed over her neck, and as I shifted it, I could see the blood shining underneath. I pressed it back down and looked at her face. She was pale and still. I felt like I was choking.

“Wake up, Mallory,” I whispered, reaching for her face where I brushed her hair behind her ears. “Mallory!” I snapped.

“She hasn’t lost a lot of blood.” The voice came from behind me. “I think Spider gave her a drug to knock her out, but I don’t know what it was.”

I stiffened as I looked down at my woman, my girl. Then I leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. I looked to where Wolf stood by my side then past him to where Pretty was standing guard.

“Stay with her,” I ordered.

Pretty looked between Wolf and me before nodding. He placed his gun within reaching distance on the floor then placed his hand over the jacket as I removed mine.

I stood and turned, feeling my blood clot in my veins as I came face-to-face with the man who had made Mallory crumble at the sight of him. I could see why.

The jaw, the height, the hair, the face, the ears, even his fucking posture—they were all Noble. However, I saw straight away what he had made Mallory look at again.

His eyes.

Hisbrowneyes.

“You’re not Noble.”

“No.” His face conformed into a mixture of both confrontation and compassion. “My name is Chains. Legally, I’m James Matthews … your half-brother.”

I snapped, my blood boiling in rage and fire as my fist connected with his face before I even realized I was moving. Even after I did, I kept pounding and pounding down on him.

“You arenotmy brother!” I yelled. “My only brother was murdered! He died drowning in his own blood from where his rib had pierced his lung!” I hit him again and again with each confession. “He lay there, dying, in the middle of a fucking street!” I couldn’t stop. “I didn’t get there in time. He died seconds before I got to him! All alone! He died. My brother died. You arenotmy brother!” My punches weakened, my strength waning as I realized Wolf and Jax were dragging me off him.

Chains curled up in pain before he looked up. His face was battered enough that I could only see the brown eyes staring back at me. It felt comforting. Then it didn’t.

“He wasn’t alone,” Chains wheezed out.

“What?” I choked.

He rolled onto his hands and knees, and then clambered to his feet. He clutched his waist, bent over in pain as he looked at me.

I heard sirens in the distance, and Polo came running over, a nasty bullet graze leaking blood down his arm.

“The police are five minutes out, Prez,” he said to Wolf. “We need to get out of here.”

“The ambulance?” Wolf demanded.

“Two minutes out.”

Wolf nodded.

I turned back to look at Chains where he was limping across the concrete. I went to stop him, but Wolf grabbed me and tugged me back.

“Leave him.”

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