Page 130 of Filthy Royal

Stormhart stepped closer to Luc. “We can still turn this around.”

Scarlett’s brother shoved him back. “Bullshit. I need to find her. I’m done asking her to pay for others’ mistakes.”

What in the hells?

Damien had been so sure Scarlett’s life had gone as she wanted. That she’d used her beauty and false innocence to secure a prime omega contract with a golden boy Brotherhood Alpha whose bloodline and fortune propelled her above her prize status.

He’d assumed too, given what he knew, that she and Darvish had some kind of mutually beneficial interaction going on, two users taking what they could.

But what if he was wrong?

The sick feeling in his stomach grew.

“You can’t just go off half-cocked.” Stormhart sounded even more worked up than before. “You need to be smart.”

“I’ll worry about it once I know Scarlett’s safe.”

As if reading Damien’s thoughts, Luc let out a long sigh. “This is so fucked.”

“Skolov will keep her safe.” Stormhart took a step closer to Luc. “It’s you I’m worried—”

“Alpha Lord, we’ve found something.” A Consortium guard popped into view. “There’s clear evidence of tampering in the cargo bay’s main docking area, as if someone’s tried to leave without permission.”

Stormhart and Luc exchanged a look.

“We’ve been ordered to investigate,” the male finished.

Damien’s scowl deepened. He hadn’t tampered with anything, and Maddox was in the northern tunnels, so it couldn’t be him. So, if it wasn’t either of them, who in the hells…?

Oh, fuck him.

When he found Anya, he was going to paddle her ass. Then take away her eye-scan access to his damned shuttle.

Then give her a huge hug.

That female took far too many risks, but she was probably the biggest badass of them all, and she’d come through yet again.

So clever to think of the cargo bays. Darvish would be too paranoid not to investigate.

Five heartbeats later, the success of Anya’s plan was clear.

The tunnel was empty, leaving Damien’s path to Consortium headquarters clear.

He leaned down to whisper in Scarlett’s ear, “Your family is confusing and fucked up.”

Gag in place, wrists magnetized to the collar at her throat, she simply tilted her head and stared up at him, and his gut clenched at the detachment—and emptiness—there.

He’d thought he wanted that. But no. He fucking hated it even more than he’d thought he hated her.

“Mine can be too.” He didn’t know what to do with the mess swirling inside him, but he did know he wouldn’t stop until he got to the bottom of whatever was going on with Scarlett.

He couldnotafford to screw up again or trust this female without question. But he had a strong suspicion that breaking into Consortium headquarters was the first step toward findingallthe answers he needed—not only to his sister’s whereabouts, but also to Scarlett’s situation.

The past might be the past, but it seemed he wasn’t nearly as finished with it—or Scarlett—as he’d once thought.

“Let’s do this.” He slid the grate above them aside. “Forgiven or not, you and I have a reckoning coming.”

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