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It wasn’t surprising someone had commandeered it as a venue for illegal underground fights, given it was nestled deep in the valley, miles from the nearest town, with only one road in and out. It also shared a boundary with Carlos’s vast property, which made it a convenient spot if, as King claimed, he was involved.
King had no reason to lie, not with the threat of being eaten, which meant we needed some help if we were to go on the offensive in search of Eva. Carlos was no fool. He knew I would eventually find out. And since he’d employed me on and off for years, he was well aware of my capabilities.
I could probably take on a bunch of his men, but Eva was the priority. We needed to get inside without attracting too much attention. Cole wasn’t 100% recovered from the gunshot wound and Silas was more of a ‘make love not war’ kind of guy. Yes, he could hold his own, but he lacked the raw violence of some of our ilk.
“What time tomorrow night?”
King was a bit slow to reply, so I punched him for motivational purposes. The sound of his cheekbone shattering was music to my ears.
The guy wasn’t used to being on the wrong end of a beating and he turned gray as pain dug its claws deep into him. “11 PM. They have security though, it’s invite only.”
I snorted. Carlos’s men were disciplined and well-armed, but they were no match for a pack of vicious and highly motivated shifters. And besides, if we moved fast enough, we could rescue the girls before they were moved.
If half of Carlos’s men were at the fight ring rather than his estate, we stood a better chance of taking down Carlos and retrieving the girls. I just needed to make some phone calls.
Eva
The sight of Brent provoked a visceral reaction and my body shut down. I couldn’t move. All the progress I’d made in the last few weeks was for nothing as I lay crushed under a smothering blanket of fear. Since I met my guys - my mates - I was stronger. I could ask for what I wanted, speak my mind, and laugh freely.
But being back in Brent’s presence undid all that. Even though the logical part of my brain knew I was no longer the powerless girl he’d beaten and tortured, my body refused to listen.
I could hear Lily whispering, but it was like white noise. The only voice I heard was his. My tormentor.
“Eva, you’re looking well, my sweet girl. It’s good to see you still know who’s boss.”
A lock disengaged and then heavy boots crossed the room, rousing me from my apathetic fugue. I forced myself to meet his eyes.
He looked like shit. His normally carefully styled hair was lank and longer than usual, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Judging by the sour smell that lingered over him, he hadn’t showered for a while either.
I couldn’t help the small smile that curved my lips upwards. The thought of him suffering was a balm to my soul. I hoped he’d lost sleep searching for me while I’d been happy and cared for with my mates.
I hoped the time he’d spent scouring thousands of acres of forest had affected his job. Not that I was optimistic.
Some of the fear he invoked faded, and I remembered I wasn’t alone in this room. Lily was with me. And because she was, I couldn’t afford to zone out again.
“What do you want, Brent?”
His eyebrows shot up. He clearly hadn’t expected me to reply.
Affable Brent vanished, replaced by pissed-off Brent who wouldn’t be happy unless he spilled blood, preferably mine. Unfortunately for him, I was no longer willing to play his sick games.
“You’ve fucking cost me money, you little bitch,” he seethed. He lunged forward and grabbed my hair. “I had a buyer lined up for you, and then you fucking left!”
“Surprised anyone wanted me, given how much of a mess you made of me,” I rasped.
“The buyer didn’t care. They just needed you to be a virgin; surface damage didn’t matter.”
My blood ran cold. I couldn’t imagine what kind of sicko psychopath actively sought out innocent girls. Not one who planned to treat them nicely.
“Sorry to disappoint but I’m in a relationship now and my mates will be looking for me.”
He laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up, baby girl. There’s zero chance of those freaks coming to the rescue. By the time they figure out where you are, you’ll be long gone.”
The kernel of hope in my chest withered and died.
“One of them is dead anyway,” he added.
“What…what do you mean?”
