Page 83 of Overstaying His Welcome

It took far more energy than normal to force my eyes open. When I did, my heart sank.

The guys were all tied up around me, their bodies in chairs and their heads slumped to the sides. Whatever dose was in the water, it was affecting us all in different ways.

Just how deadly was it? Could they all be…

No! I couldn’t think like that.

It wasn’t hopeless.

My eyes found Mindy and Stabler off to the side. They were also tied up, though not to a chair. They’d been positioned back-to-back, like some old school movie moment.

“You’re awake, I see,” a voice called out from the door.

When I turned to look, my jaw fell open. Diestro Lune was far more charming than anything we’d had on him had shown. He stood in a casual manner, though power exuded from him. His suit spoke of money, yet his tattoos were beacons of the beast underneath.

“Lune.”

He nodded as a smirk graced his lips. I watched as he strode into the room, his gaze never straying from me. Behind him, another figure filled the doorway. This one was familiar too.

Pratt was here.

They were both within reach, yet I couldn’t take them out. Without even trying, I knew the restraints they had on me would hold up against anything I did. Lune wasn’t the type to underestimate their enemy.

And I had no doubt that’s exactly who I was to him.

Only, I didn’t know why.

“What do you want, Lune?” I asked once he reached me. “What is all this about?”

“I can’t believe for a second you haven’t pieced it all together. You have some of the brightest minds in this room with you. Tell me you’re completely ignorant, and I’ll call you a liar.”

Dropping my head forward, I groaned. “I have theories, yes. I’m not sure how reliable they are.”

Lune hummed as he motioned Pratt forward. “Tell us what you think. We’ll correct you should there be a need.”

Well, this was fucking strange.

I could admit that I didn’t think they’d be the type to give an evil villain speech, however, this exchange was also not on my bingo card. Explaining my own working theory to the men I’d been hunting felt ironic.

“I believe you want me gone because we’re too close to finding you and ending whatever work you’ve been doing.” My head tilted toward Lune. “And I think Pratt hates me because of something I can’t remember from our shared past. He’s held a grudge all this time. Now the two of you are working together to stop me. Am I right?”

Pratt let loose a dark chuckle. “Partially.”

“Yes, brother. He does have some of it right. Should we tell him the rest?”

Ah, so I was wrong. They’re definitely here for the show and tell of it all.

Rather than answer, Pratt moved further into the room. He dropped into a squat in front of me, bringing him directly into my line of vision.

“It’s strange seeing you like this, Bruno. I never thought I’d get to the see the type of man you became.”

I shook my head. “I barely remember those days. What did I do to you?”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“What?”

My frown brought a smile to his face. It grew with the silence that surrounded us.

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