Then, he’s been well and truly alone.
Again.
His friends had tried their best, they really had. Rexton and Gannon especially. But it hadn’t been the same. Hadn’t been enough. What Aneski had needed,whohe had needed, had vanished from his life just as rapidly as his brother had.
He would never forgive him for that.
But Rex didn’t need to know the extent of Aneski’s fury, not where that was concerned. How would he explain it anyway? Already, his friend was suspecting he was too invested, that this had less to do with finding answers and more to do with punishing the man who’d chosen to abandon him.
He wasn’t wrong. That was what it was about. Whether they got answers or not, Russ was gone. He’d died and thatwas that. Flix though? Flix was still here, breathing and walking around like nothing had happened. Like he’d forgotten.
If it was the last thing he did, Aneski was going to make him remember.
It wasn’t fair that he was the only one in pain.
That he was the only one alone.
That he was the only one waking up with stained boxers after another aggressive wet dream.
It wasn’tfairthat he’d been reduced to this, the sicko who still lusted after his brother’s potential murderer.
“He knows something,” he said. “Flix has to.”
“About what? The fire itself?”
“It was abnormal,” Aneski insisted. “Hot enough to practically eviscerate the body in less than an hour. Normal fire doesn’t do that.” The bones hadn’t just been charred or slightly burnt. It’d been like someone had run them through a crematorium.
Rex blew out a breath, unable to argue there. “Aside from that one person who told you they’d seen him there, there’s no other proof. Are you absolutely—”
“I’m certain,” he interrupted. “You really think I’d go through all of this if I wasn’t?”
“Honestly? Yeah. Yeah, I do. Grief messes with people. Makes them do strange things.Illogicalthings.”
“Like kidnap the Runner of the most influential mafia in the galaxy?”
Rex laughed. “Exactly like that.”
“I know it’s crazy,” he confessed. “And I know I’m putting my life on the line—that I dragged you into it and made you do the same. But I need this. I need to have donesomething.” For three years, all he’d managed to accomplish was rising the ranks of the Shepards. “This is all I have left.”
“We’ve already taken back your brother’s gang, Aneski.”
“It isn’t enough.” That was only step one. He’d meant to punish Haroon and reclaim what his brother had helped to build. But Haroon wasn’t the only thing Aneski had lost the day his brother had died.
“This mission is most likely going to get us both killed.” Rexton set his hands on his hips. “But I’m with you all the way.”
“Thanks.”
“Whatever,” he waved him off. “That’s what friends are for.”
“What are friends for?” Kage’s airy voice had them turning toward the door just as he and another of their group, Bridger, entered. He was carrying a storage tube which he set down on one of the empty tables. “Told you they’d be in here chatting.”
Bridger glanced between the two of them but replied to the brunette with a bored, “Unsurprisingly.”
There were five of them in total, all members of the Shepards, brought in at different intervals. Aneski and Kage both had older siblings enter. Rexton and Gannon had followed Aneski once he’d made it known what he intended to do in the long run. They were the only two who knew about his real plans, the only ones who were aware he had absolutely no true interest in running a gang. The last of them, Bridger Boaz, was relatively new, having joined two years ago, but he was loyal and they’d all instantly connected with him.
When Flix hadn’t woken up within the first twenty-four hours after his kidnap, Aneski had panicked a little and called in Bridge to check on him. He was a medical student and had obviously recognized the Brumal member, so he’d been read in. Sort of.
Aneski had only given him the basics, and Bridger had actually been the one to tell him to keep the rest to himself.
