Page 48 of Hunter's Revenge

Everything is fucking with me, and now I can’t bleed this woman from my mind, who I don’t think is Santiago’s daughter.

The sight of someone rushing toward the house snaps me out of my reverie. The person runs into the moonlight, and I realize it’s Gwen.

She looks like she’s crying or has been. The thought moves me.

I put out the cigar and rush downstairs.

I open the door before she can knock and confirm that she is crying, but worst

of all, there’s an angry bruise on the side of her face.

Someone hit her.

Someone put their hands on her and hurt her.

My temper flares at the thought and I catch her face when fresh tears run down her pale cheeks.

“Please, help me,” she stutters.

Something happens in my heart I never thought possible. I feel. I feel it beating in my chest, quickening with warmth in response to seeing her this way, asking me for help.

“Who did this to you?” I demand.

Her breath catches and tears roll down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry to bother you—”

“Gwen, who the fuck did this to you?” My voice comes out so harsh and loud she quivers in my grasp. I know she’s afraid of me, but clearly not scared enough to stop herself from running to me for help.

“A man I owe money. He took my dog, and he’s going to kill him and take me, too, if I don’t pay by noon tomorrow.”

Like fuck is that going to happen. “What’s his name?” I speak through gritted teeth, my blood spiking with a lethal dose of rage.

“Conrad Duncan.”

What the fuck?Conrad Duncan? I know the name because Zakh and I checked out the town for people like him who might be alerted to our presence.

Conrad doesn’t travel in our circles, but he’ll know who we are. If not by sight, then the tattoo.

He’s small fry compared to me. Nevertheless, he’s still a man you don’t fuck with. How the hell did Gwen get mixed up with him? I knew she was in financial trouble, but how did I miss this?

I grab my jacket, which holds my gun, and shrug into it.

“Let’s go.”

She stares back at me with disbelief, as if she considered I might turn her away.

“Gwen, come on. Do you know where I can find him?”

“Yes. His office is at the edge of the city. He’s open late.”

I slip my arm around her and usher her to my truck. I open the door for her to climb in the passenger’s side, then I get in and tear out of the driveway.

“Thank you so much for doing this.” She looks at me, tears still streaking her pretty face. “But please don’t get hurt. Conrad has a group of men at that office.”

“It’s going to take more than that to hurt me.” I glance at her, and her gaze switches to the tattoo on my wrist. Again, I think she has an idea of what it means. If she didn’t, she would have gone to the cops about this problem of hers, not me.

“So, how have you come to owing this guy?”

She glances away, and for a moment, I think she’s not going to tell me, but then she starts talking and tells me everything. I learn more about Gage and all the fucked-up shit he’s done to Gwen.

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