Page 74 of Savage Sin

Dragon flips the map in his direction. “We know. The Castel name is well known, as are the whispers of power among the underground.”

“My family moves over one hundred million dollars’ worth of heroin and other drugs a year. And now Cortes, the greedy bastard, is adding this Euphoria to the list. He’s after money and Silas has promised to show Cortes just how much money can be made in trafficking.”

Muscles bunch along Ares’ jawline. “My brother is after power and will use anyone to get it. He wants enough force at his back so he can come after us and eliminate the threat we pose. If we wait long enough, he’ll off Cortes and take his territory, trading routes and bank accounts. That will leave us only one man to go up against.”

The more I take in his meaning, the more my palms sweat. “We can’t wait that long. We can’t.”

“I know, baby. We all do. We don’t want anything to happen to your sister. Right,moy brat?”

Ares doesn’t look like he agrees at all.

“And there’s one more thing.”

Three days ago I would never reveal my full hand of cards or the near royal flush I’m holding, but I need these men on my side and doing this my way. The only way that happens is if they see my entire hand.

I take out the flash drive from the bottom of my bra and hold it up. “I have what we need to take down, Cortes. But we can’t move on this. Not until my sister is out of harm’s way.”

“The FEDs would kiss your ass twice for whatever you might have on that, but, sweetheart, you have to know…”

Riot shakes his head like he thinks it’s a bad idea. “They won’t care about my sister, yeah I get that.”

“They will only care about getting to Cortes.” My fear clashes with Nova’s words when our eyes connect.

I release a sigh of frustration. “So now what?”

Eighteen

Persephone

Ares helps Nova out of the chair and helps her to the stairs. “Get some sleep. It’s getting late and we will need our heads on straight to work up a plan that doesn’t get us all killed.”

He’s right, I know he is, but I can’t help but feel anxious and on edge. My sister needs us now. Sleep can wait. That is my brain talking, but my aching body screams for me to find a flat surface to fall face first into a soft pillow.

“Tomorrow then. We don’t wait.”

Ares holds my gaze and says the only thing that has me calming the hell down. “Your sister, if she is still alive—”

“She is,” I blurt wholeheartedly. “She is still alive. I know it.” I can feel her. It’s a twin thing, but I doubt anyone here would know what I’m talking about.

Rage offers his silent support and holds my hand in his larger one. I turn into a sponge and soak all he has to give.

“We will not leave her in the hands of those monsters. Trust me.” Ares is not asking. He pins me with a hard look and those unwavering gray eyes of his tell me trusting him is not a mistake. And until this moment, I really have no reason not to.

The facts tell me there’s nothing we can do about this right this second, anyway. Gabriella is hours away from us and to mount a rescue team will take time. Besides, Rage is in a lot of pain and the stitches on my side are throbbing like crazy.

Ares leaves and the rest file out after him. All except Riot and Dragon. They help Rage out of the basement and to the large room on the second floor. I don’t know whose house this is, but it is at least two hundred yards behind the compound Nova mentioned earlier. On our way in I saw a field of flowers, a demolished building I think might have been an old bathhouse, and then off in the distance there is a new place being built.

Rage has a life here. It’s in a state of change, but he risked all of this to save my life. Not out of selflessness, I know, but he still saved me from a terrible life all the same.

“If you need anything at all, call us.” Riot pulls a phone out of his back pocket and passes it to me. “I’ll lend you mine while we get another for you and Rage. Sound good?”

I take it with a small smile. “Thanks. I won’t go snooping.”

His mouth does a crooked grin that I bet drops Lilith’s panties on a regular basis. “Snoop all you want, sweetness, this is my backup phone. I keep my nudes and sex tapes on my other phone.”

At that I laugh, but between me and the angels on my shoulder I swear I can’t tell if he’s joking or not.

Rage grunts, and that gets them moving out the door. “Call us.” Dragon throws a wink at me and then they are gone.

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