Page 71 of His Reluctant Savior

“And you know how this works as well. If I let this slide, then suddenly,everyonecomes after my guy. I’m not only going to send you a message before you die, but I’m showing anyone else who comes near Dalton that they, too, will die horribly if they even look at him wrong.”

He thrashed in his bonds, but Easton had him tied up well. “I can tell you who hired me.”

“We already know who.”

“Dammit! There’s got to be something I can sell you. At least for a fucking quick death.”

I thought for a moment before nodding. “Okay. If you can name all the organizations currently hunting for him, I’ll consider it.”

“Well, there’s mine, but we’re…” he glanced around the barn. “Mostly dead now. The Bratva tried and failed. The Cryptics failed. Anarchy Slayers failed. Uhm… The Brotherhood and The District are still looking.”

The Brotherhood had been my previous employer. I knew they were still around because I’d kept track of them, making sure they never changed their minds to come after me. But my own organization was a surprise. Not because they were still after Dalton, but why they hadn’t found him by now.

“Other organizations had found Dalton without the video. Why not our family? Were they holding back, waiting to see what I would l do, or did they lose our trail, or…”

My last question trailed off as I looked at Easton, who shrugged, knowing what I was going to ask. “I may have done some misdirecting.”

That pulled a smile out of me. “Thanks, East.”

I looked back at the man. “Is that it?”

“That’s all I know. There may be others, but those are the only ones we’re aware of. It’s been a damn race to get to him.” He looked at me before craning his neck back to see Easton, but he was too far back. “That’s worth something, right?”

I glanced at Easton. “What do you think?” I’d already made up my mind, but because he was a part of this as much as me, I allowed him to have a say.

He just shrugged indifferently. He didn’t care as long as this man died.

I nodded at the man before looking back at Easton, giving him the signal to kill him.

Easton drove one dagger into the man’s ear before slicing his jugular with the other. It took a few minutes before the man bled out and died.

“He needed some pain, even if itwasquick,” Easton said.

“As long as the fucker is dead. The remaining members of his organization will back off now.”

“The Brotherhood is after Dalton,” he reminded me.

Easton was very much aware of my story and what had happened in my past. “I know. My hope is they’ll learn I’m involved and back off.”

“Or we can go home and end this thing. Hit them at the top. No one can pay if they’re all dead. We can also protect you better if The Brotherhood decides to fulfill their contract, anyway. You’re not as safe as you believe with them. They will kill you, too, if it means completing the contract.”

It was certainly a possibility. “We definitely need the family’s help. Now, to make them listen andnotkill me. That would be swell.”

I turned around and walked out of the barn with Easton close behind me before I turned to stop him. “Stay outside. You’re covered in blood.”

He looked down at himself and shrugged. “I have things to clean me up and fresh clothes in my car.”

“Okay, do it.”

Easton slinked away into the darkness and headed to his car as I made my way into the house.

I found the kids huddled on the couch together, quietly watching TV but not seemingly focused on it, except for Owen, who was sleeping off the rest of the drugs in his system. They were all still scared. A pang of guilt coursed through me as I passed them and stepped into the kitchen, where I found Dalton sitting at the table with a couple of ice packs on his head and a splint on his finger.

Savannah was bundled up in a thick sweater, staring at the table before looking up at me with fear and sadness. I swallowed thickly as I glanced at Mason, who looked like he was about to explode in a rage before I sat down with them.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked.

Mason gave me a hard stare. “You’re not FBI, are you? I just assumed…”

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