Page 41 of Sardonic Burn

There was a rumor a couple of years ago about Hudson being a bastard child—that his mother had an affair and Henrick decided to raise him as his own. It was never proven and since his mother is still alive and breathing, I’d say it was a lie.

From everything I know about Hudson, he has a good relationship with his family. Is this another trick to mess with my head? Or are there things I’m not aware of?

I bite my thumb in frustration.

I’m reluctant to call Lucas, the tech friend who is teaching me how to hack, but eventually I call him and quite literally beg for him to help me.

With that, I lean back in the chair and stare at the monitors. Soon enough, it starts shifting from the things I’ve found to the things Lucas presents me with.

It starts at eight in the evening and Hudson is at the bar—the same bar I was supposed to visit with him. The inside isn’t anything special, and there are five other people aside from Hudson and the bartender.

They’re talking, and Hudson is drinking scotch while glancing around. The bartender doesn’t look suspicious at all; he’s just doing his job while occasionally glancing at Hudson.

He finishes his drink and leaves on his bike.

The next footage is of Hudson randomly stopping at a gas station near me. He’s fueling his bike and grabbing a pack of cigarettes when he receives a phone call. He looks pissed, brows furrowed and jaw clenched.

He pays the cashier and leaves, and that’s all Lucas sent me. The next footage is what I’ve seen already: him arriving in front of my building with two bullets inside of him.

“Hey,” I say to Lucas, who picks up after the first ring. “Is there anything else?”

“No,” he says with a yawn. “He does drive toward your building but, coincidentally, all CCTV footage blacks out between the time he leaves the gas station and when he arrives in front of your door.”

“Shit,” I cuss. “That doesn’t seem like a coincidence to me.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” he says dryly, and I roll my eyes. “Do you want me to dig more?”

“Yes. I have a terrible feeling about this.” I press the rewatch button and start watching it all over again in hopes of seeing something I might’ve missed the first time. “While we’re on the topic, can you track down anyone who is making personalized bullets in bigger quantities?”

“Personalized bullets?”

“Yes.”

“Alright,” he agrees. “I won’t promise anything, since the chances are almost zero. Those guys are always off the radar.”

“But you know a lot of people.”

“So do you,” he retorts. “I’ll try my best and send you the bill later.”

“That’s fine, as long as you actually find something. And try to find out who called Hudson.”

There are too many things that don’t make any sense, and I don’t have a place to start.

I sigh, and lay my head on the desk, hitting my forehead in the process.

This is getting too messy and complicated for my liking. I can’t deny that I’ve already gotten too involved with Hudson and now I’m curious. I can’t satisfy the strangeness of the situation. It’s burning inside of me, forcing me to learn everything.

If there is someone personally out to get Hudson, I will not get involved.

But if there is even the slightest possibility of it being connected to the family trying to ruin mine, I’ll make sure they’re dead before they can succeed.

And I don’t care who I have to take down with me.

TWELVE

Soft rays of sunshine sneak through my thick, black curtains. My eyes flutter open, a small smile on my face. It’s winter, so the sunlight isn’t harsh on my face. It warms me up, and I slowly get up.

I pause, brows creasing.

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