Page 146 of Mason

“The man who paid to have Shelby taken? He’s on the board of one of those ‘humanitarian’ foundations. Public face, millions in donations, smiling in photo ops with senators. Behind closed doors, he’s buying women to break them in.”

The silence that follows is thick. Heavy. Electric.

I can feel my blood humming with it.

Burning.

Clay looks at me, guilt sharp in his eyes.

“I didn’t mean for her to get dragged into this. I just wanted to protect my sister. I didn’t know how far down the rot went.”

I nod once.

Then reach for the flash drive like it’s a loaded gun.

Because that’s exactly what it is.

And I’m going to pull the trigger.

I stare at the drive, then back at him.

“Anything else?”

Clay’s eyes meet mine.

“I have a name.”

The room shifts.

The air thickens.

My muscles coil tight like I’ve just stepped into a fight and someone rang the bell. Ready, setgo!

Lucky’s jaw ticks beside me, the muscles in his neck tight like he’s holding back a snarl. I can feel the heat coming off him, simmering under his skin. Controlled, but lethal. Same as me.

We’re ice on the outside, fire underneath.

For the past few years, we’ve done nothing but tear these operations apart—trafficking rings, black-market brothels, underground auctions. One after another, we shut them down. We bury the bastards who run them.

But still… they grow back.

Like rot. Like weeds. Like the city itself is infected and we’re just carving tumors out of it with dull knives.

And this?

This one’s bigger.

This one goesall the way up.

“Say it,” I tell him, voice flat.

Clay hesitates, then says the name.

My back stiffens. Lucky goes still.

“That guy’sconnected,” he says, voice dark. “Old money. Real protected. If he goes down, half the state goes with him.”

I smirk, but it’s all teeth.

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