Page 62 of Always Mine

Chapter Thirteen

The Billionaires tookan hour to arrive, which wasn’t bad.By the time they did, all of the girls had been able to step out of the cage.Anthony watched as his father talked with the men, and he glanced around, seeing no sign of Luke, and made his way inside.

He went to the room where the girls had been kept, and found Luke inside the cage.Folding his arms across his chest, he watched the other man.For a long time, this guy had been his enemy.In school he would have gladly killed him.There were moments he believed he could do it now.

He stood just within the locked door.Anthony didn’t know if it was sad of him to no longer be shocked by what he saw.Over the past couple of years, he had seen a lot of damage done to women, children, and even men.There were no bounds for the cruelty of man.

“I can’t believe it,” Luke said.

There was no reason to talk.He had a feeling Luke needed to get this off his chest.

“They raped, tortured, and killed a girl in front of them.You saw what they looked like.None of them could have been older then fifteen.”He shook his head and then laughed.“I don’t even know why I’m surprised.My dad was fucking Daniella for a lot longer than I knew.Probably when we were younger than fifteen.”

“Your dad is still out there.”

“I know,” Luke said.“It means he will try to kill me.”

“Do you know where he could have gone?”

“I know of a couple of places.Since I handed Ryan to you guys all those years ago, the secrets I know are limited.”Luke turned to look at him.“You know my dad always felt I was a traitor for what I did.”

“He did?”

“Yeah, Ryan was acting within the best interests of the club, and by handing him over, I apparently was not.”He snorted.“Ryan’s name became like a god.He was able to get to a Skull and hurt her.”

Anthony watched him, seeing the anger and disgust.It was true.Luke was not like the club he was born into.

“When did you start to suspect?”Anthony asked.

“About the club and all this?”Luke raised his hands in the air and then dropped them down in defeat.“A couple of years ago.I don’t even know why I got suspicious.I heard one of the guys talking about the bounty he got a share in.It wasn’t cash, but it was a woman.I didn’t know what he meant, so every chance I got, I researched.I dug in deep.I did everything I could to make my dad believe I felt remorse for what I did all those years ago.”

“Did you?”

“Hell, no, not all of us believe it is right to act that way.I’m not a monster and I’m not a gentleman, I’m just a guy—a normal guy who knows consent and all that shit.”Luke ran fingers through his hair.“At first, I didn’t think it was possible.I thought it was some kind of trick that my dad laid for me to find.Like he wanted me to doubt him so he could prove I hadn’t changed or something like that.You know?”

He understood what he was saying.

“Then, I decided to follow them on one of their runs.You know, the ones that talked about bounty and how excited they looked.”Luke’s face scrunched up in disgust.“I had never seen anything like it.I couldn’t believe what I witnessed.They rounded up a group of women.Not girls this time.Just women.Different hair colors, different body shapes, the works.At least fifty, could have been more, could have been less.I watched how they hurt them, scared them.They always targeted one woman, and they would hurt her, sometimes scar her, or kill her, and that would keep the other women in line.I actually think they always did that so they’d find an extra body.They are not allowed to kill anyone from the order sheet.If they fail to fulfill an order, they get a death sentence,” Luke said.

“You found all this out?”

“I learned everything I could, with the intention of coming to the Skulls with it.I just ...I needed to make sure I had enough evidence so you wouldn’t doubt me or think it was some kind of trick.I needed you guys to believe me.”

He seemed so earnest.

“I didn’t see everything that went on.How could I?If I started trying to get on these runs, my dad would have gotten suspicious, and with a lot of the guys out of the club, I was able to sneak around.It was all I could think to do.I wasted so much time.”

Anthony couldn’t believe what he was about to say to him.“You can’t blame yourself for this.”

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