“I don’t know your father.” I look across at Charlie, and he shakes his head, his brow puckered with the same confusion I feel.
“Well, he seems to know you, and for some reason, he wants you dead.”
Ice replaces the blood in my veins as the wheels touch down on the runway. “Who is your father, Athena?” I snap.
“A powerful man. More powerful and well connected than you or any of the elite,” she replies, but she’s not gloating. She looks as troubled as Charlie.
“Is he involved in sex trafficking?” Anderson asks.
“No. My father is not a good man, but there are limits to what he’ll do. He wouldn’t put innocent children at risk. We are governed by a specific set of rules, and our leaders work hard to eradicate the sins of this world. Trafficking of any kind is outlawed.”
“Forgive me if I’m not convinced,” I say as the plane pulls up toward the private hangar. “Are you from Lowell?” I ask even though I’m pretty sure I already know the answer.
“Yes.”
A pregnant pause ensues as I try to figure this out. It can’t be a coincidence. Athena’s father is somehow involved. Am I getting close to the truth and he plans to kill me so it doesn’t come to light?
“We have a welcoming committee,” Charlie says as the plane draws to a standstill. I peer outside, spotting three black SUVs seemingly waiting for us. There are multiple figures standing around the vehicles, but it’s too hard to tell who they are from this angle. Sunrise isn’t for another hour, and the lights on the outside of the hangar are the only illumination.
I keep Athena behind me as we descend the stairs, insisting she take the blanket with her. It’s fucking cold and she’s shivering. When we reach the ground, I tuck her in close to my body and wrap my arm around her shoulders. I’m surprised she doesn’t rebuke my touch; instead she leans into me, and I’m careful not to exert pressure on her injured arm.
“Xavier?” Disbelief threads through Hunt’s tone as he spies his husband standing with four strange men.
Make that two strange men.
My eyes narrow at the two men who were with Athena at the restaurant, and I tuck her in closer to my side. The bigger of the two notices the movement, and he smirks. My lips curl into a snarl as we face off against one another.
Daniels walks toward Hunt, quickly inspecting him from head to toe before grabbing him into a hug. “I’m glad you all got home safe. I was worried.”
“I told you I was fine,” Hunt says, pressing a firm, hard kiss to his lips before breaking their embrace. “What’s going on?”
“We need to talk,” Ares says, pushing off one of the SUVs and coming toward us.
“Did you even leave?” Athena asks as he approaches us.
“Manning put a wrench in our plan.” The asshole drills me with a cutting look.
“Sorry to inconvenience you, Salinger, but feel free to run along home now.”
He barks out a laugh. “I should have put a bullet in your skull seven years ago.”
“Drew.” Hunt’s tone conveys clear warning, but fuck that.
I push my face all up in Ares’s face. “I remember you. Once an asshole, always an asshole. I owe you a pistol-whip to the head.”
“Well, this got out of hand fast,” a dark-haired man drawls as he walks over to us. He looks like the other guy from the restaurant, and I’m guessing this is that Jase guy Daniels mentioned.
“Are you really surprised?” the blond man says, stepping in between us. He stares at Ares. “I thought you wanted to wrap this up fast to get home.”
“He pisses me off.” Ares flexes his biceps and cracks his knuckles.
“Trust me, the feeling is mutual.”
“We’re moving now,” the fourth man says. He’s the other guy from the restaurant. “It’s too risky to talk in the open.”
“Take the kid and stash him in the safe house,” the blond says to a couple of armed goons standing on the other side of one of the SUVs.
“Like hell you are.” I hold Athena’s hand as I step up to this controlling douche. “He’s my prisoner, and he’s coming with me.”
