Page 91 of Hellbent
Eyes meet across the room as they settle in. Jake beside me on the couch, leaning forward, Wyatt on the other side, perchingon the armrest instead of the seat, Damian leaning against the fireplace, arms crossed.
I can feel them all watching me—and then Ryder leans forward and looks at me, and this time his eyes are blazing with concern.
“We’ve got reason to believe you’re in serious danger,” he says.
The world tilts slightly, and I hold my breath, trying to keep still.
It has to be Billy.
There was a time when Billy and I loved each other. I really thought so. Two kids with no family—no one but each other. But the Billy I grew up with and the man Billy grew up to be ended up being two very different people. The Billy I left behind I no longer knew.
He made it abundantly clear that he didn’t love me anymore. I honestly didn’t think he would come looking for me.
“What’s going on?” I ask, voice wary. All I can think is,what did he do this time? Who did he threaten?
And what does this have to do with Jake’s phone conversation this morning?
Ryder nods at Jake, who just holds up his phone.
It’s a photo of me at the bar in town, my head tilted toward Jake, caught mid-laugh. Damian behind me, close. And above it, a single line of text, “LOCATE. HIGH PAYOUT.” with a link.
I swallow hard.
“Where does the link go?” I ask. Because I have to ask something. And I don’t know where to start.
Jake answers. “Encrypted drop. Blind upload. Whoever wants to collect the bounty drops proof there and gets paid.”
“The bounty?”
Thebounty?
“It’s called a spotlight,” says Wyatt. “You’ve been marked, Max. And whoever took this photo already knows your general location—obviously—so they’re looking to close in.“
I think back to the night at the bar.
The heat. The music. The feeling of being wanted, touched, seen.
I thought I was safe. Wrapped up in Jake and Damian.
Anonymous.
But now my naïveté embarrasses me. The two men in the alley saw everything—me on my knees, Jake and Damian in my mouth. And then there was the man inside, the one who slithered up with that disconcerting smile on his lips.
It’s Maxwell, right?
I told myself he was no one, just a creep, but that moment should have set every nerve on fire.
He was looking for me. Or maybe all of them were. And he didn’t need a zoom lens or a long shot.
He was right there.
“I found it this morning on a private contract board,” Jake continues, and I swallow, trying to clear my thoughts.
“W-who posted it?”
Ryder’s gaze narrows. “We were hoping you’d tell us. Who would be looking for you, Maxwell?”
“I don’t know.” It comes out too fast. Ryder lifts an eyebrow.
