Page 122 of Pride

ISIAH

Jane sits opposite me with three of the men she recruited the last time to get the children out. Bella is spending the day with Nina, so it made sense for us to meet today to work out how we’re going to stop Gio’s perverse dealings in children once and for all.

“Anyone have any smart ideas, or are we going to need to use brute force?” I ask.

This club we’re meeting at is owned by the eldest of the three men, and according to Jane, it’s the safest place to have this meeting. Even so, I’m on edge. Other than my own men in London, I trust no one, and even they, at times, don’t earn my trust. After all, I had to deal with traitors the last time I went back. The thought puts me on edge as I eye the three men I know nothing about. All I know is they’re all desperate to stop this pedophile ring, no matter the cost.

“We kill them all,” the gray-haired man says, cracking his neck. “And then we save the children.”

The two other men nod. “It’s the only option. Once they’re dead, then it ends.”

Jane swallows hard. “A few of them are politicians. It’s not like they can just up and disappear without powerful people searching for them.”

The youngest of the three clears his throat. “We make it look like an accident, a gas leak and blow the place up.”

“I assume it’s not being held at Insignia this time?”

Jane shakes her head. “No, they’re going out of town to some country club. It’s secluded and very secure.” Her lips purse. “Which means it’s going to be even harder to infiltrate, especially after last time.”

I have never been one to back down from a challenge, but it means we’ll need more men. And more men, means more people I don’t know and therefore can’t trust. “How many bodies would we need?”

“A shit ton,” the one guy who hasn’t yet spoken says, eyes narrowing. “It’s going to be an all out fucking war.”

I shake my head, the last thing I need is to start a war in Washington, and yet, I fear there’s no avoiding it if I want to stop these assholes once and for all. “Then we do what we’ve got to do.”

The older guy nods, a slight smirk on his face. “Damn right we do.”

A sense of dread coils in my stomach as I wonder if I can trust this guy, or any of them for that matter. Jane fidgets slightly in her seat, and I notice she’s surprisingly quiet around these guys. “Once you get the children out, how do you return them to their families?” I ask.

The gray-haired guy nods at the youngest of them. “Harley deals with it. Contacts the families and gets them reunited. He’s almost as good a hacker as Jane.”

“What’s your name?” I ask.

He sits up straighter and looks me dead in the eye. “Ethan, and this here is Ian.” He signals to the guy on his right.

“Okay, glad we are all acquainted. Do you have enough guys to pull this off?”

He nods in response. “Of course.”

“Then we do it. Whatever it takes. If we have to slaughter every fucker in that building, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Ethan laughs, nodding. “I like this guy. Where did you find him, Jane?”

Her lips purse together. “I didn’t find him, he found me,” she says in a soft voice. And then she shakes her head. “We have one week exactly to plan this and go in as prepared as possible.”

“If I show up without an invitation, Gio will be suspicious,” I say.

Ian shrugs. “Then get a fucking invite.”

“It might not be that easy. If I can’t get one, I’ll come along with you in disguise.”

Ethan and Ian exchange odd glances, but they don’t refuse.

Harley fidgets a little. “As long as you don’t get in our way.”

I clench my jaw. “Do you know who the fuck I am?” The kid is disrespecting me, and I won’t stand by and let him do it, especially not when I’m bank rolling this entire fucking thing.

The kid, who can’t be older than twenty-one, shrugs.

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