Page 4 of Damaged

The conversation had him grinning with glee when he hung up the phone.

“My luck is turning,” he murmured to the empty room.

He was on a case.

A job with Rogue to find a rogue assassin.

Supposedly, one of Solomon’s boys had gone AWOL and was causing chaos and mayhem on the streets of Los Angeles and Savage wanted to get the boy into the fold before too much more damage could be done. Hopefully, if they could run down and talk to this young man named Rebel, Erebus would have another young assassin working for them.

Snatching his keys from the table by the door, he walked through the kitchen and out the garage access.

Straddling the red limited-edition Ducati, he pulled on a black and silver helmet and fired up the motorcycle. In seconds, he was racing out of his garage and making a left on the main boulevard.

He had a few things to do before he could meet Rogue at the address tonight.

Loud music and laughter came from inside the house when he pulled up and parked in the driveway next to his brother’s jeep.

Justice was his younger brother, and Wrath smiled thinking of how Justice had recently met the love of his life.

Although Justice and Fisher had had a very rocky start, it had turned out well in the end.

The pair lived in a multi-level home in Ventura near the beach with a circular driveway and fenced-in property. At first, Fisher had moved into Justice’s place, but bad memories from that home had Justice selling it and buying a new one together with Fisher. Their home now seemed to be the hot spot for theassassins to hang out when not working or hanging out at Dave’s place.

Wrath knocked on the door, but he doubted anyone would hear it through the noise, so he tried the knob and found it unlocked. And why wouldn’t the home of assassins have the door unlocked? It would certainly be one unlucky motherfucker who came inside thinking to do harm.

Stepping inside the cool interior, Wrath was assaulted with Creedence Clearwater Revival playing Have You Ever Seen the Rain. Steaks grilling on the barbecue drifted in the air and laughter came from the den where Wrath knew they kept the gaming console.

“Hey Axel, good boy,” Wrath greeted his brother’s four-year-old Belgian Malinois, who charged into the room. The dog’s hair was lifted at first until he caught his scent and recognition kicked in. Good damned thing because these dogs could chew you up and spit you out in seconds without even thinking about it. Axel nosed into his palm and then trotted over to lay on the cool tile of the entryway.

“Damn, dude! You killed me in two blows!” Echo’s voice came from the den and Wrath headed that way.

Echo sat on the sofa squished between his life partner, Ice, and on his other side sat Thane. All three men worked for Erebus.

Ice had once decided to work for Pegasus and did so for a while, but then changed his mind and came back to Erebus. Wrath got it, there were way too many rules in Pegasus. That was one of the reasons why Justice hadn’t yet made the switch, another reason was that Justice wanted to stay close to Fisher—like living together wasn’t close enough.

On the floor sitting cross-legged was the newest addition to his brother’s family. Justice and Fisher had taken in a young teenage boy named Beck. The move had happened after Becktold them he wanted to live with them instead of at Dave’s place. It was Fisher who had caved first. Beck swore he was eighteen and could make his own decisions, but Wrath had his doubts by the look of him. Beck could have passed for fifteen, if that. Although, come to think of it, Beckhadbeen rescued from Tanis and that sick fuck had liked them looking the younger the better. So maybe, Beck just looked young for his age.

“Hey, Wrath,” Ice said with an up-nod and took Echo’s elbow to his ribs with a grimace. “Justice and Fisher are out back.”

Wrath smirked and made his way through the large entryway and into the brightly lit kitchen before reaching the back patio doors. Beyond the doors lay a massive swimming pool that seemed filled with a ton of bare bodies.

He spotted the two youngest assassins, Azrael along with Boston, in the water. It appeared that Cash and Apollo had taken a moment from their busy classes to play at the foosball table. The two former assassins were trying to give it a go at a normal life by attending college and Wrath was proud of them both.

“Hey man, grab a beer,” Justice said when he stepped outside. His brother sat at a table along with Dave, the former Secretary of Defense. Justice waved a hand toward the ice chest near the barbecue where Stone and Fisher were grilling steaks, burgers, and hotdogs.

“I can’t. I have a job tonight,” Wrath said and instead snagged a cold sparkling water from the chest. He joined Dave and Justice at the table.

“Savage keeping you busy?”

Wrath smirked and nodded at Dave’s question. “And then some. He put me on a job with Rogue.”

Dave’s eyes gleamed. “Good. Rogue needs you.”

“I know.” Wrath clinked his water bottle, with a silent cheer, against the beer bottle Dave held toward him.

It wasn’t that Rogue needed him, although he did, but more of the fact that he needed Rogue.

And after tonight, he hoped like hell things would change.

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