Page 73 of Hunted Obsession

There is the sound of a motorcycle in the distance, and I can’t help but wonder what would be out here for the rider. The next town over isn’t for another twenty miles, and it’s half the size of Nights.

“Ready?” Theron asks.

Turning my head to face him, I’m surprised to see that he’s already out of the car and standing with the door open, his palm facing upward. Unbuckling my seat belt, I slide over to the other side of the car, lift my hand, place my palm in his, and look up at him with a small smile.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

His strong fingers curl around mine before I slip my legs over and place my feet on the gravel and dirt beneath me. The moment I stand, he drops my hand before he presses his palm against the small of my back and guides me toward the metal building.

He doesn’t give me any warnings, and I don’t ask for any, either. This is a new experience for both of us, and I’m here to learn about Theron and his past. I’m here for him. To be by his side. I’ve worked for a decade to be back here, and I’m not about to walk away now.

I am here for him.

Always.

And.

Forever.

The other men are already in the metal building when Theron reaches for the door and tugs it open. He stands to the side, allowing me to pass through. I’m not sure what I’m going to find when I walk through the door, but I’m surprised that these two men are tied to chairs in the middle of the room. I figured they’d be strung up or something. It’s kind of disappointing, actually.

Staying behind, I watch as Theron, Boden, and Grayson make their way toward the men. They are a formidable trio, and they are a seriously fucking sexy one at that, too. Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I worry it as I watch them stand in front of those men in silence.

“Where the fuck can I find the organizer of your operation?” Boden asks.

His voice is deeper, rougher than I’m used to, and it causes my spine to straighten. The man on the left, I recognize him as the gallery owner, Ron Vale. He fights against his restraints, and I watch him, intrigued by how much he’s fighting even though he knows he can’t go anywhere.

“Are you going to answer or just wiggle around?” Theron asks.

Ron stops moving. He tilts his head back and looks up into Theron’s eyes, then I watch as tears fill his eyes. They don’t fall, which is surprising. But when I flick my gaze down to his crotch, I smirk at the sight of his discolored pants.

“I don’t know how to find him,” he whispers as his gaze shifts to the ground.

Liar.

Grayson chuckles, then crouches down in front of him and tilts his head to the side. I wish I could see the expression on his face. I have no doubt he is absolutely fucking with this man.

And good for him for doing it, too.

I watch as Grayson reaches down at his hip and tugs a knife out of the sheath against his belt. Without another word, he reaches forward, his hand moving so quickly that I almost miss it.

He presses the tip of the knife against the center of Ron’s throat and hums. “You know how to find him. Where is the person who gives you the orders? Because you’re not justcollecting orphans and selling them to people you know. You aren’t that goddamn smart.”

Those words. They make my whole body ache. I cannot believe that these people were going to hurt children. That they’ve been hurting them. They are, without a doubt, the epitome of evil. Those boys did nothing wrong other than exist.

Then, as my gaze scans the backs of the men who are in this room, it hits me—hard—that they had the same past as those boys. Sold by the epitome of evil for no reason other than because they existed and were alone.

Vaughn reaches out and wraps his fingers around my forearm. Turning my head, I look over at him. I can’t hide the tears in my eyes; they’re threatening to spill over. Vaughn shakes his head once before he mouths something—we are okay.

But are they? Because this is ten years later, and they’re chasing down this guy still. I understand their anger, their need for revenge. I understand it all, but they are not okay. None of them will be okay until vengeance is served.

THERON

Ron Vale is a pussy.

He’s already pissed his pants. I watch as a single tear escapes, then slides down his cheek before another one does. It’s pathetic, but it also tells me everything I need to know about him.

This man is not in charge of shit.

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