Page 41 of Savage Hunter

“Agreed,” someone says. I tune them out weighing my options from all sides. Go back to the Lords with my new information and change from hunting Harmonia to hunting her mother. Continue on with the Savages. Let them lead me to the queenpin. I’m not into using people.

My head keeps coming around to the idea of running away with Harmonia and not looking back. Sounds like a legitimate plan to me, but what would she want?

My inner demons say tie her up and find out. But I can’t do anything to her that could leave her scared. She’s on the edge of panic already. One wrong move and she could run. Then how would I find her? Fear bleeds into my veins and tightens a hard grip around my heart. I can’t lose her again.

Fuck. I guess that means I have to play like the civil man with morals and be the good guy for once. What I want is the last thing anyone cares about, including me. Harmonia and what she needs is at the top of my very short list. She’s here, I’m here.

The new chick falls somber and starts talking about Rage’s brother again.

“I remember the name Sokolov,” Persephone starts and Rage looks at her with surprise.

Not good, I presume.

“Do you remember my brother being with your step-father at any time at thehacienda?”

She shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Rage. I stayed away from my father’s enforcers. Your brother was the enemy to me. I had no idea who he was or that I should even care.”

“You said you remember the name.”

From the outside looking in, I’d say his trust is wavering. Poor fucking bastard. There’s a lot of that going around lately. Did he really think Persephone had anything to do with his brother’s death?

“I knew him but not in the way you think. You need to hear what I’m saying. I did not know your brother by name. But I was there when he died. A part of me left this world with him when it was his time. His…your brother…” Persi looks like she wants to cry but swallows her emotions. “I said a prayer for him during his last moment.”

Unshed tears shimmer in Rage’s eyes, too. Seeing him weak hits me in the chest. I’m only human and seeing a friend in pain makes me want to murder the offending party.

Damn it. This goes on much longer and we will all be balling.

“I was in the rooms beneath thehaciendawhen it happened.”

Hacienda. That has to be where her step-father is.

Persi holds her wrist up and shows marks wrapping around the flesh. “They chained me to a wall. I wasn’t there because I wanted to be. You have to believe me.”

We all look at her scars, and my mind falls back to Harmonia. Did she endure something similar? I don’t remember seeing scars on her but I have to admit; I was not looking at her wrists. I was too occupied looking into her eyes and searching for the woman I love. All I saw was a hurt soul with the door slammed closed on the emotions front.

“That was just one time my step-father kept me in the darkness. Cortes is a twisted man. He thought he could retrain me into being the breeder he wanted me to be when…” She pauses and thank God for that. It gives me time to wipe my eyes and hope nobody is watching.

“I didn’t realize it was your brother until Riot said your real name just now. Sokolov.”

Silence carries for a long while.

“Do you know who was in the room with him at the time?” Rage asks.

My ears perk up. This is what I’ve been waiting for. Confirmation. Persi squeezes her eyes shut for a second before they spring open. “El Rusoand Cortes.”

“El Ruso,” Ares repeats and my eyes connect with his. “This has gone from bad to worse.”

“It has,” I agree. “What the fuck is your brother getting into, Ares? The Colombians and the Bratva? He must have something your brother wants in a real bad way to unite forces instead of trying to kill each other off.”

“Yes. Silas Antonov is an ambitious man with no moral compass to speak of. He’s tying himself to my step-father even as we speak.”

“Those Antonov fuckers can’t seem to die off.”

I don’t know who said it, but I nod in agreement. I pull my phone out and shoot off a text to my people in Chicago, a plan of my own forming. The Lords have had my back since the night I forced my way into their office.

Found who I’m looking for. I’ll be coming in no later than tomorrow. We need to talk. I have a hunt to prepare for. Find out where the Castel hacienda is.

I will get in before Ares has time to mount a strong enough crew. In and out is my specialty.

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