“You’ve met him?” I can’t help but ask, because hearing his name makes every vein in my body burn with rage.
“We’ve had the displeasure on more than one occasion, yes,” answers Aras. “He wanted to be an exclusive sponsor for one of my underground arenas, but I’d heard of his scheming and manipulative ways of doing business, and refused his offer. I knew he was a man who lacked morals, but what he did to hisowndaughterand your best friend…” He trails, and despite my bravado, I still feel a slight tightness in my chest at the mention of Jayce.
I like to think I’ve grown a lot – mentally, I mean – ever since I lost him. I may still act like a careless prick, but I’ve also learnt to be more focused. I do love putting myself in danger, though, because that’s the one addiction I’ll never get over. And I know if Jayce were here right now, he’d be the one standing next to me, studying Magner and Aras’s every move just so he could give me a detailed rundown of their ticks later. He was a part of me; an extension of the man I am, and always will be. But he’s gone now, and all I can do is honor him by not getting myself in sticky situations, or worse, getting myself killed.
“Cignette lost someone that night, too,” I say, then run a finger under my nose before shaking my head. “The assholehatedme, but I respected him for how much he cared for her.”
I also feel like somewhere down the line, it is my fault that Maverick is dead. But I know for a fact that if I said that to him on his grave, he’d break out of it just so he could tell me to go fuck myself.
“I’m glad Chase got what he deserved, and so did his sister,” Aras remarks.
“Yeah.” I clear my throat when my voice breaks a little, then run a hand over my mouth before shifting in my chair. “Anyway. Let’s get down to business, shall we? It’s why I’m here, after all.”
Aras nods. “Of course.”
Magner drops the envelopes he was holding, on the table, and Aras waves a hand at them, silently asking me to proceed.
Goosebumps of delicious anticipation prick my skin as I pick the first envelope and read the details printed on it in small, monospaced letters.
KILL #1
JEDEDIAH RUSSEL
36. PROFESSIONAL BOXER.
PHYSICAL OVERVIEW INSIDE.
“He’s one of the best boxers I had. Until he decided to quit on me after having raped one of the ring girls that works atReign.”
Ice crawls up my spine at Aras’s words, and memories I do not wish to relive threaten to resurface, but I try and push them back. My hands shake a little, so I grip the envelope tighter, making a noticeable dent on it.
The pain I had endured.
The sleepless nights in my room.
My mother’s hateful voice.
The growling of my empty stomach.
Cignette’s tears after she killed Riley for what he tried to do to her.
And the pain… So much fuckingpain.
“Dorran?”
I look up, and see that both Magner and Aras are watching me with concerned expressions on their faces.
“The girl Jedediah, uh, raped…” I swallow. “Is she okay?”
“She is,” Magner tells me. “Mentally shaken, of course, but she’s being cared for.”
I nod, then clear my throat.
“You okay, Ledger?” Aras asks.
I flash a smile at him as I work on pushing aside the fragments of my past from my head. “Yeah,” I assure him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Alright.” He gives me a look that tells mehe gets it, which I truly appreciate.
