Page 114 of Fallen Hero

“This is a guess,” Atlanta started, before I could put a stop to it. “But Jason wanted Daddy’s attention. He saw his father four times a year. Twice in the US, when his dad flew there, and twice when Jason flew to Germany. Jason was twenty-five when he gave Lili to his father, and wanted to make a statement he wanted in on his dad’s gig. Or, another guess, old man Anderson told Jason it was time for him to prove himself, because he wanted to groom his son to take over the business. So he handed over Lili.”

And now Jason was after Lili’s sister. Chills ran down my back, chased by fire licking up my spine. Oddly, if it was just Calista against Jason, with her pent-up rage, I wouldn’t be worried. She’d tear him apart. But with three former Special Forces guys in the mix and Amir and his army, I had a bad feeling. Even if one of them was a traitor. He wouldn’t turn on Jason until he felt confident he could do it and take over Jason’s operation, and he wouldn’t give two shits about Calli.

“It’s time to go,” I told Pete.

“I’m coming with you,” Atlanta demanded. “If Calli’s already come and gone, maybe she told Tanner her plan, and he won’t talk to you. Besides, he’ll sell to anyone who has cash in hand, but he saves the good shit for people he knows.”

I must really be going insane if I was contemplating going into an unknown hostile situation with a woman I didn’t know and who I didn’t trust.

No, not contemplating, that was exactly what I was going to do.

“Call him. Tell him we’re on our way.”

“I already did. He’s not answering.”

“Is that unusual?” Gavin asked. “Does he always answer when you call?”

“No, he’s hard to get ahold of. I left him a message to call me.”

“Mason—”

“You told me to wake up,” I interrupted Pete. “You told me not to fuck this up. This is me with my eyes wide fucking open, not fucking this up. I’m going in to get Calli. Either you’re coming with me or you’re not.”

Pete’s jaw clenched at my outburst. “Fallon and I are coming with you to Tanner’s. Jack and Cat are going to hit Jason’s hotel. Gavin and Aiden are going to pick up Samuel Allard. Calli said he didn’t have the same buying power as Maxwell Lancaster. We’re hoping he’s the weak link that’ll get us the new location.”

“And me,” Atlanta spoke up again. “I’m coming with you.” Her gaze traveled to Pete. “Calli’s right, Samuel Allard is the bottom of the barrel at this auction. He has a penchant for Russian girls—the younger the better. He won’t use a massage girl. He’ll want high-class hookers. Find who’s got them to offer and you’ll find Samuel.”

Jesus Christ, sick fucking bastard. I hoped Gavin and Aiden took their time torturing the prick before ridding the world of a pedo sex trafficker.

“Let’s roll.”

Atlanta stepped in front of me. The stubborn set of her jaw and narrowed eyes said I wasn’t going to like what came next.

“Do not take out Jason. She’ll never forgive you if you do. She’s lived and breathed her vengeance for a long time. If you take that from her, you’ll lose her forever.”

Lose her forever.

“I’ll do whatever I have to do to get her safe. If that means taking out Jason and her never forgiving me, I’ll do so happily, knowing she’s out there somewhere breathing.”

“Mason, I’m serious.”

“I get that. But get me, Atlanta. Calli walking away alive is my only goal. Anyone who gets in my way is dead.”

She held my gaze for a moment, then nodded.

“Okay.”

“Holy fuck.”

That was Atlanta, and holy fuck was an understatement.

Fallon lifted his fingers from the neck of the man tied to a chair. “Dead.”

The blood pooling at the man’s feet from the holes in his chest left no question how he died, but the why remained, and the who.

“Is that Tanner?” Pete asked.

“Yes,” she gritted out. “The one on the floor next to him is Arlo. The other one over there”—she tipped her head toward the body lying near the kitchen table—“is Archie.”