Page 38 of Savage Hunter

“Go on, Avery.”

“Ghost’s girl isn’t with your brothers, Ares. She’s with the Society. I don’t know how I know, but it’s adding up to look like they are positioning themselves to obtain the utmost power. And that is done through partnerships. If his girl was with your brothers, there’s no doubt in my mind the Society has her now.” Fear wraps itself around my throat it’s hard to talk. I hold my hands up, palms out.

Inhale.

Exhale.

“I know,” he says. “I’m only sorry you have to be here to hear all this, little one.”

“I’m okay,” I say and I’m not lying. I mean, I want to find the nearest wastebasket and empty the zero breakfast I had this morning, but I can handle talking about Society 69.

I splay a hand over my quivering midriff. “I have this gut feeling she is in danger. You have to help her.”

Riot braces his hands on the end of Rage’s table and hangs his head. Ares is silent as he considers my words.

Persi’s eyes connect with mine and they fill with the same horror clawing my insides.

“She’s right,” she states firmly and breaks the silence that fell over the group. “And on another front, my step-father has my sister and her baby. It’s not popular information but my father, Castel is dead and Cortes is just like him only one-hundred times more in the evil villain department. This is a big deal and we can’t twiddle our thumbs.” Persi pulls the attention of me and I use the distraction to slide from the counter. I move to the edges of the crowd and keep my back to the wall as I make my way to the back of the basement. Ares huddles close to Persi, peppering her with a million questions. He’ll do the right thing, but he won’t let any of the crew just jump on their bikes and ride out to God knows where unprepared. He’ll need time to do his homework.

“Who put these fucking stitches in me? They hurt like hell.” Rage rants, unknowingly keeping all eyes off me.

“Me. But it wasn’t easy, brother.” Dragon picks a knife up off the tray and shows me the switchblade that came out of my shoulder.

“This one almost severed some important nerves. Even with nothing hitting the major arteries, you lost a lot of blood. It took your girl and Dragon to get enough back in you that you didn’t die.”

A trail winds around the back, keeping me out of view from the front porch. I tuck behind the enormous trunk and watch Wolfe standing in front of the house, cell phone to his ear. I can’t hear what he is saying but the hints of growls and grunts are telling. He has a bag at his feet I didn’t see him have earlier. Someone must have brought it to him.

My feet shuffle in his direction, but I stop before I leave the safety of the shadows.

“What are you doing, Harmonia?” I ask myself.

Do I want to go to him? God, yes. His arms is the best place to be.Wasthe best place, I correct myself.

I need to remember that. I take a step back and don’t stop until the shadows of the trees completely swallow my presence.

He loved the old me. The innocent version. The untouched princess, not the stained shell I’ve become.

I turn on my heel and make my way up a soft incline just as the sun dips behind the trees. I didn’t realize how long I spent in the basement. I raise my face to the last of the day’s rays before making my way to Dragon’s house on the back acres of the Savage property. It’s still in construction with a lot of the interior undone. They’ve got in the flowerbeds around the sides, the wraparound porch looks ready for some furniture. But the doors and windows are missing. Through the holes I spot hanging plastic to catch dust. It looks hot inside so I opt for the hammock tied off next to the porch.

From up here I have a full view of the field of flowers and the place I’ve called home for nearly seven months. From day one I knew this was a temporary stopping place for me. Wolfe showing up makes me feel it is time to move on before old flames rekindle. He’s a man I could cling to and never leave. And that’s a problem piled on top of all the rest.

I am a walking clash of wants and arguments. I want him. I can’t have him. Correction, he won’t want me. Hell, I don’t want me. I wish I could shed my skin and be who I used to be or someone completely different. Taking on a new name is a step in the right direction for me.

I rub at my forehead and settle into the hammock. Instead of falling back and letting the breeze flow over me, I pull out my phone and check the little savings I have from working at the Asylum. It’s not much. I pull up a search and see how far I can get on three hundred bucks.

Seattle. Perfect. I like rain. I pull up the number and give over my meager savings for a one-way ticket.

I have little to pack. I’ll throw it in an overnight bag and grab my documents from Mace on the way out. My time here is over.

Nine

Wolfe

Ire-enter the basement to find everyone talking feverishly like they are planning a take down right this minute and Harmonia missing. I cast around but I don’t see Harmonia’s sunshine hair anywhere.

Son of a bitch.I knew I shouldn’t have taken that call from my sister. I sent her a text message that I finally found Harmonia and my phone has been blowing up ever since. So much I had to put the damn thing on vibrate.

I drop the canvas bag Blaze left for me out on the front porch between my feet. Before coming back inside, I took a look in the bag. I found a book of maps with nearly every city and few other things that meant little to me but might to Persi or Rage.

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