Page 222 of Hate Mates

“We know she was out with friends, and they were ambushed,” he explains. I sigh. This really isn’t what I feel like doing, but if I must.

“Fine, Father. I’ll find the girl.” I leave his office and round up a few of our men. I fill them in on what’s happening before we climb in the SUV, ready to head out.

I don’t know where the hell we’re going to look for them. The obvious would be a rival family, and I send out some texts and emails to see if there are any leads I may need to follow up on.My father was very vague with what he was telling me which isn’t helpful at all.

Chapter Two

We did our research and due diligence. I got a few responses on who and where, and that’s where we’re headed right now. I have my gun loaded and ready to go and so do my guys. This isn’t our first mission, and it won’t be our last. In fact, heading into rival territory gives me a thrill. A chill wraps around my spine as we pull onto their land. A place we shouldn’t be. Something about knowing that warps my mind a little. Not that I wasn’t already a little off to begin with, but this is something more.

“You got a bad feeling about this?” Roberto asks, looking over at me.

“No.”

“Lies, Luc. You’re tense,” he says, noting the way I’m sitting.

“I’m ready. There’s a difference.”

“On the wrong side of town,” he adds.

“What do you think they want with her?” I ask him, although the thought is just that. A thought.

“Who the hell knows. Maybe they didn’t like her choice of grooms,” he laughs.

“Probably right about that. You think she’s hiding? Or was she really taken?” I ask him.

“We’re here, so I’m going to assume she was taken, but why? I don’t know.”

“What’s the plan? Leave anyone alive?” Rocko asks as I shake my head.

“Just the girl.”

“How unfortunate,” he chuckles. He’s right. If I had my way, she wouldn’t be alive either. I’d shoot her between the eyes the way her father did my mother. Take her life for my mother’s life.

“You hate this, don’t you?” Rocko asks, looking over at me now. I nod.

“I hate everything that family stands for. They make me sick to even think about them. How the hell am I supposed to marry her when I know what her family did to mine?” I ask him the same question I asked my father.

“You make her life hell, Luc. Just like they did yours. They stole something away from you and now it’s time you repay the favor,” he adds. I nod my head before running my hand through my hair. He’s right. I can make her life hell. I can make her wish for death. I’ve done it to many men, so why not her?

We pull up at the abandoned apartment complex, and we all climb out, watching our asses as we go. We make our way inside, checking all the apartments on our way up to the second floor. The first one is clear, and we move to the next. As soon as the door is kicked open, shots are fired. We fire back, careful who we’re shooting at, as I motion for the guys to move in. They rush in, taking down a few of the guys but keeping them alive. They know the drill.

I look at her, Cybil, tied to the chair in the middle of the room naked. There’s blood dripping from her chin, but otherwise, she looks to be untouched. Her eyes meet mine, and I can see the anger in them. Anger toward whom I don’t know.

“Look what we have here,” I say as the guys get the assholes who aren’t dead on their knees next to her. “Fucking touching my future bride. What kind of sick fuck are you? Do you know what you’ve done?” I ask them, although they can’t answer with the rags now stuffed in their mouths. I walk along in front of them, shoving my gun back into my waistband and pulling my knife free from its sheath. I press the tip into one of their cheeks hard enough to make it bleed.

“Who wants to answer me?” I ask, pressing harder until blood flows down his cheek. One grunts behind his gag, and I nod toward Roberto to remove it. He pulls it free, and then the asshole looks over at me.

“No one wants you to have the girl!”

“Why is that? Am I not good enough for her?” I laugh darkly.

“No one wants the union.”

“Again, why?” He refuses to answer now. He won’t open his mouth when Roberto shoves the gag back in. I move my gaze to hers, wondering if she has any insight into this shit. Frankly, I want to kill them all and move on with my day, but I know I can’t go back without any information.

I stalk over to Cybil and pull the gag from her mouth, staring down at her.

“You have anything to say?” She nods her head and glances over at them men on their knees.

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