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“And yet, here I am, involved in this one way or another.”
“I didn’t want this.” Riven shook his head.
“He said I reminded him of his own brother. He said he’d protect me.”
“And that out there was protection?”
“I’m alive, aren’t I?”
“Barely.”
Anger, desperation, and love filled the room, until Riven turned away and pulled his cell from his pocket.
“What are you doing?” Thomas took a step forward.
“Calling the sonofabitch myself,” Riven said as he swiped. “If he wants to go around my goddamn back and use my brother, sure as hell he’ll hear my fucking wrath.”
“Riven.” The faint voice came through the line. “I’ve been expecting your call.”
“Have you just,” Riven snapped. “Enough with the goddamn games, Rossi. You and me, we need to meet.”
I couldn’t quite hear what was next.
“What do you mean all of us? It’s time? Time we all come together? Yeah, well. Let’s just see about that. Name a time and place and we’ll be there…and Rossi…keep your fucking hands off my family.”
EIGHTEEN
Riven
I scowled, glanced again at the address on the GPS, then lifted my gaze. Gigantic refrigeration trucks flew past us as we slowed at a commercial compound outside of the city, making the Explorer rock with the blasts of air. Hunter slowed to let a tandem tractor-trailer take the exit wide before slipping around him. The transport company straight ahead was spread out, loading docks and warehouses made the place busier than I’d expected. But then, what did I expect from someone like Rossi?
We pulled in through wide open gates and headed along the parking lot, taking up a space next to London’s Audi. I winced as I scanned the sleek gray sedan. My own car was goddamn trashed, bullet holes peppered all the way along the side. Last night it hadn’t looked that bad, but in the early morning light, I saw the extent of the attack. My brother could’ve been killed…that pissed me off more than anything.
We pulled up hard. I stabbed my seatbelt release and climbed out, listening to the roar of the trucks’ engines and the piercing beep…beep…beeps as they reversed.
“Riven,” Hunter called my name, drawing my gaze as he nodded toward one of Rossis’ men standing outside a warehouse in the distance. “This way.”
We all headed after Rossi’s man and stepped in through what looked like some kind of mechanical workshop, then followed the guy to the back and slipped through a single door to an open expanse at the rear. Everyone was there. St. James, the sons, and even the bodyguard. I scanned the rest, the Bankses’ with Ryth and the baby…Hell, even all the Rossis were here, Lazarus standing protectively next to his wife who held their two children.
My focus went instantly to the dark-haired little one. Not all of them were theirs, remember?
It’s why we were there, right?
Now that the Stidda had skin in the game.
“Riven, Hunter, Kane, and Thom.” Benjamin stepped forward, his gaze moving to my brother. “I’m glad you could make it.”
Make it?
I still wanted to lay the bastard out for going behind my goddamn back. “Sure,” I answered coldly.
Three massive bald bastards stood in the back. I recognized the white-eyed fucker immediately, and by the way he stared, he recognized me, as well. One small nod and Benjamin Rossi started.
“I’m sure you recognize everyone,” he stated. “Except for Harper Renolt, London’s hacker. To get everyone up to speed, a few of us have been tracking Hale’s escape plan. Last night, we narrowed in on one of his associates and placed a device into their computer for Harper to gain access to their network. There we plan on tracking down his exact current whereabouts while burning any available resource he has to escape the country and go to ground.”
“And almost killing my damn brother in the process,” I snarled.
Thomas flinched, his cheeks reddening.
