Page 159 of Ink Deep Devotion

His brother yells and wiggles.

Blaze hangs his head.“What will you do when you find her?” His eyes remain glued to the screen.

Bending down, I drink the rest of the whiskey.“I’ll love her.”

His head snaps up.“You did love her. Look at what happened.”

“Love comes in many shapes and forms. It’s time I show her a different one.” Maybe that’s freedom with a final goodbye or acceptance that I can’t control the future.

His eyes hold mine. The anger is gone; now it’s just concern and worry. He licks his lips and then tosses my phone back at me.“She made a phone call in class and pretended to talk to me, so your guards didn’t notice. She asked me to get rid of the earbuds she talked with when the call was over. I…I almost told you.”

“What stopped you?”

“Whoever was on the phone told her to ask me who Kristen Ferguson and Jacquelyn Vox were.”

My forehead wrinkles.

“Kristen was engaged to Ronan Graves.”

Oh, that rings a bell. The psycho.

“So you know,” Blaze responds,“Whoever helped Mila was responsible for helping Kristen and Jacquelyn escape. They have never been found, Dash, but I also know that whoever helped them meant it. No strings attached. No ransom was requested, no bodies, nothing but pure freedom. That was what Mila wanted, and they gave it to her. There is someone more powerful than you.”

“I doubt that.” Unless this person had the same connection I had. Help from a powerful organization like The Rites of Passage.

Shit! Could it be?

“What else?”

“Nothing.”

Fucking lies! I pull out my gun and shoot his brother’s leg, replacing the knife wound with a bullet.

“Avery!” Blaze’s balled fists fly into the air.

I press my hand to my ear.“What was that?”

“She said Avery, like a name. That’s all you piece of shit!”

I pat his brother’s shoulder,“This could have gone so much smoother if you taught your brother how to lie better.” I rip the gag from his mouth.

His chest heaves.“You got what you wanted!” He pants.“Leave my brother alone now.” His eyes plead with me.

I walk to the front door.“I was never going to hurt Blaze. Mila cared for him; that’s the only reason his heart is still beating. You owe the Kings. Remember that lying to us cost you. Sometimes, it’s dearly. Consider this a warning. I’ll come to collect later.”

Chapter 59

Dash

The thick air rubs against the exposed skin on my neck, tickling and annoying the fuck out of me. It’s like a net trying to slow me down, but nothing can stop the electricity in my veins.

Avery.

Who the fuck is that?

I got a name! Soon, I’ll have the neck belonging to the name gasping against my palm.

“I take it you didn’t kill him?” There is only one man who can make the thick Russian accent sound smooth and calming. Leo.

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