Page 153 of Consume Me

“You saw nothing suspicious?”

“No, there was no talking involved. It was like a scene, you know. I am so sorry, I had no idea.”

I look at Kaden, and he drags a hand down his face.

“But I found it strange that you were wearing this tattoo.”

“What tattoo?”

“The crest of the college.”

“Where?”

“On your neck. But you don’t have any tattoos. And the van seemed a bit too much, but…”

“Did you see it?” Kaden asks her.

“I took a pic just to be sure. It felt a bit too real.”

She gives me her phone, and I send the pic of the van to my number. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry. This should have never happened.”

I transfer the money to her, and when we leave, Kaden and I exchange a knowing look. They had already used two students, paying them off to do their dirty deeds.

“They’re recruiting their soldiers,” he says, slamming a fist on the hood of the car.

With Felix’s proclivity to want to own people, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that. They need people fighting their dirty war for power against the Family.

“It’s us versus them now. They chose the wrong side.”

“Fucking great fathers we got, huh?”

“As they never were fathers to us, it will be easier to fucking kill them and be done.”

When we’re back at the house, I send Bailey the pic and tell the group about the tattoo.

“Felix has always been obsessed with marking his property,” Abi says, anger glowing in her eyes while Dane lifts her wrist and kisses along the brand.

“I’ll run a scan program for anyone with this tattoo. Now that I have the plate number, it should be easier to find something.”

“I’m informing the Syndicate.”

The phone rings three times before Kieran answers. “I’m sorry about your girlfriend.”

“How do you know that?” My voice sharpens.

“I know everything. And my hacker is working on tracking the van down.”

“I just found out Felix and Caleb are recruiting. Apparently, their little lackeys bear a distinct tattoo—a crest of the Family on their neck.”

“I’ll have our people search for that as well,” Kieran replies. Then, without another word, he hangs up.

“Anything else?” Impatience rings in Kaden’s tone.

“No, just basically him telling us he knows everything that is going on.”

“If they fucking deliver, I don’t even care,” Hunter says.

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